NFL 101 Part #1 - Offensive Line
By: Schwartz
First up in our position-by position breakdown of my all-time roster is the cornerstone of every good offense: the linemen. We'll start our trip through NFL history by taking a look at some of the toughest guys to ever play the sport. Let's get into it!
Starters in Italics
Centers: Mike Webster, Jim Otto, Dwight Stephenson, Mel Hein
Changes: None
The center is a position that was most key in the days of run-first football, as he needed to be not just a punishing blocker, but was responsible for calling out blocking assignments and ensuring that the five offensive linemen acted as a single unit, like five fingers that make up a fist and deliver a devastating punch. In today’s pass-first league, the center remains a leader, but his role is just not quite as prominent as it was in years past. As such, I really don’t mind the original list’s exclusion of modern linemen. We’ve watched some fantastic centers these past few years, but none that have distinguished themselves above the rest like these four that made the cut. Amongst those four, one elevated himself even further, and that player is Mike Webster. “Iron” Mike was quite literally the centerpiece of the Steelers offense that helped the team to four Super Bowl titles between 1975 and 1980. Although historically the dynasty’s most famous feature is the “Steel Curtain” defense, Webster created holes for the dominant rushing attack that made sure that the sterling defensive efforts were rewarded with the championships they deserved. A unique star from an era long gone, Mike Webster has more than earned his spot as the starting center on the all-time team
Guards: John Hannah, Bruce Matthews, Gene Upshaw, Zack Martin, Larry Allen, Randall McDaniel, Jim Parker, Joe DeLameilleure
Additions: Martin, DeLamielleure
Cuts: Dan Fortmann
There were two offensive guards my old line coach loved to talk about, and one was John Hannah. The first truly great Patriot, and the only one to appear on this list from outside of the Brady/Belichick era, Hannah was the ultimate model of consistency as he racked up 10 consecutive first-team All-Pro nods, and was named to both the 1970s and 80s all-decade teams. He missed 5 total games due to injury out of 191 possible contests over his career, over which he managed to excel in every type of blocking scheme from pulling-heavy run plays to high-finesse pass protection, as he led the Patriots to a then-record total of rushing yards in 1978. It’s hard to seriously consider anyone as his equal, and he comfortably earns a spot in my lineup.
My second starting guard is Bruce Matthews, who punished NFL defensive linemen for a staggering 19 seasons, all of which he spent with the Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans. He one-upped Hannah’s near-sterling injury record by producing a literally spotless record, starting 293 games without ever missing one for injury. His 14 pro bowl selections are tied for the most in league history, and he bolstered those with 9 first-team All-Pro honors. His versatility was perhaps the most impressive part of his career, however, as he made more than 15 starts at all five offensive line positions, and even acted as a long-snapper. I love that willingness to slide across the line, but he slots into my starting lineup as a guard.
As was a theme with the NFL’s entire list, the guard position was entirely devoid of contemporary stars, which deeply saddened me. When I was learning to play guard, I felt lucky that so many of the position’s all-time greats were playing, and I was able to watch and learn from them every Sunday, but it seems that the NFL writers did not agree. So, on my own list, I’ve included one of the best guards still on the field today; Zack Martin. It’s worth noting that the recently-retired Marshal Yanda, who I respect as much as any player who’s ever stepped onto the gridiron, almost beat out Martin for this spot, but they have extremely similar accolades to this point, and Martin still has seasons ahead to expand his already impressive resume. Speaking to that resume, Martin has already appeared in six pro bowls in as many seasons, and has also appeared on the first (four times) or second (twice) All-Pro teams each year of his career. He’s been an anchor of one of the best modern offensive lines in Dallas, and has been responsible for blocking many of the hyper-talented defensive linemen of the past decade. In fact, he’s had such a strong performance so far that he was named to the NFL’s all-2010s roster. As a player who has yet to pass his 30th birthday, I’m excited to see what else Zack Martin can accomplish before all is said and done, particularly without Yanda challenging him for All-Pro selections.
The second guard I added to this team was also the second one my line coach loved to teach us about, Joe DeLamielleure. I was truly stunned to not see him on the league’s list, as he is regarded as one of the best inside blockers of all time, and was awarded with six consecutive first-team All-Pro selections and a spot on the 1970s all-decade team, an era associated with strong offensive line play. He paved the way for OJ Simpson’s (more on him later, don’t worry) 2,000 yard 14 game season, during which the Bills set a league record with 3,000 team rushing yards. I can’t give him one of those cool red jackets, but I can give him a spot on my list, and that’s exactly what I’ve done.
To make room for two guards to enter the list, I had to remove at least one, and that unfortunate casualty was Dan Fortmann. While there was no guard on the league’s list who I felt played at a level that wasn’t high enough to be a part of my roster, the 1930’s Chicago Bear was the easy decision, as his certainly dominant peak was not nearly long enough; his entire career lasted just 8 seasons. This doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s one of the early greats, who helped to set the standard for all of the rest of the guards who did make the cut.
Tackles: Joe Thomas, Anthony Munoz, Jonathan Ogden, Walter Jones, Forrest Gregg, Roosevelt Brown, Tyron Smith, Ron Yary
Additions: Thomas, Yary, Smith
Cuts: Cal Hubbard, Art Shell
As insanely durable as Hannah and Matthews were across their careers, Joe Thomas’s incredible streak of over 10,000 consecutive snaps takes the cake. One day, he stepped on the football field for the Browns; many years later, he stepped off and retired. There were no offensive plays for Cleveland in between which didn’t involve him. A true standard of toughness at a position defined by the toughest athletes the NFL has to offer, Thomas played in the black-and-blue division, the AFC North, and consistently stood his ground against the toughest edge rushers of his generation, unanimously earning first-team all-decade honors. Most importantly, in an age of ego and attitude in professional athletes, Joe Thomas has acted with nothing but class from the day he first came into the national spotlight in college, right through to the present. I thought one of the most disrespectful decisions of the entire NFL 100 list was leaving Thomas out of the list of top linemen, and I’ve sought to rectify that mistake and even go a step further by putting him in my starting lineup.
Staying within the AFC North, and within the state of Ohio, my other starting tackle is one of the only positives in Bengals history, Anthony Munoz. For all but his first and last full seasons, Munoz was a pro bowler, and either a first- (9 times) or second- (twice) team All-Pro, and was even honored for his actions off of the field as the 1991 Man of the Year for his personal humanitarian work. Although this isn’t part of the reasoning for his spot on this list, he was a pitcher on USC’s 1978 College World Series champion team, earning the first of two rings he’d win with the Trojans that year, the other being from a less-surprising football championship. Along with Thomas, he completes a formidable duo of legendary starting offensive tackles.
Another modern era star who missed the mark for the original list was the Cowboys’ Tyron Smith. Although he lacks some of the accolades of certain players on this list, as he has compiled two of both first- and second-team All-Pro nods, he is the most feared player on the league’s most respected offensive line. This has been the case for almost the entire decade of the 2010s, a brutal era in regards to the freak athlete edge rushers he’s had to block. I felt that Smith earned a spot on this team, as someone who has been held up as the standard of great offensive line play for much of the time I’ve been watching football.
The first lineman to be picked first overall, Ron Yary, is the last lineman to make my team after being left off of the original list. A dominant force for the Minnesota Vikings, and for one season, the LA Rams, his 6 first-team All-Pro nods and a bruising career that was honored with a spot on the 1970’s all-decade team were too much for me to overlook, earning him a position on my roster.
Two great tackles were cut from the original centennial team to make room for my personal additions, and these were Cal Hubbard and Art Shell. Certainly both generational players, they each had glaring shortcomings that led to their removal from my team. In Hubbard’s case, it was a striking peak that simply came too early in his career and was not followed with similar greatness. For Shell, he simply fell victim to playing in an era with too many dominant tackles to count, and he did not distinguish himself enough from the pack to be recognized on this list. These cuts were some of the hardest to make throughout the whole roster, and every player on both sides of the decisions are nothing short of all-time greats.
