The most overrated player in NFL history

Got to be Emmit Smith!

MICHAEL IRVIN !!

THE GUY WAS NOT EVEN BETTER THAN ..

TIM BROWN
MIKE QUICK
ANDRE JOHNSON
ANTHONY CARTER

HECK, HAD MIAMI NEVER TRADED ANTHONY CARTER FOR AN OL, HE WOULD SHATTERED SOME RECORDS HAVE DAN MARINO AS HIS QB.

Originally posted by SisterFister:
Eli Manning. Case dismissed.

How is he overrated? He has had a mediocre career as a whole, but includes multiple great seasons and multiple Superbowl rings. I think he is rated right where he should be.

Originally posted by goldstandard:
Sean Taylor

I agree with this. If he is not the most overrated player of all time, he is close. Before he died, everyone thought he was a pretty good player that might have had the chance to develop and be great. Due to unfortunate events, that development never happened and people act as if it did.

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
Terrell Davis

The most laughable name in this thread as far as I am concerned. TD dominated the NFL for 3 seasons. Was an MVP. Was a Superbowl MVP. Just because his career was short doesnt mean he is overrated. He was as good as any running back to ever play the game for those 3 years.

Originally posted by Sourball:
Troy Aikman

Troy Aikman was a top 5 quarterback for much of his career. People infatuated with the numbers and comparing them to average modern day QBs doesnt negate what he was able to accomplish in his own era. Yes, the Cowboys being stacked helped him. But he was a very important part of that team. Just because he isnt as good as Montana, Marino, Elway, etc. doesnt mean he is overrated.

Originally posted by Niners99:
Michael Irvin.

Just stop. In no way shape or form can anyone make an argument that Michael Irvin is the most overrated player to ever play football. Dude was a great player.

Originally posted by SoCold:

Originally posted by darockzillahitman:
I feel kind of bad saying this, because he seems like a really nice guy, but the most overrated player in NFL history, bar none, is:

Franco Harris.

I don't know how many people here have ever really watched old Steelers games (why would you?), but I binge watched them on Youtube several months ago.

Let me just say this: Franco Harris is not a Top 500 running back in NFL history. Not in terms of performance on the field, he wasn't. I am not even kidding: Derek Loville was a better running back than Franco Harris.

You think I'm being hyperbolic? I'm not.

Let me put it this way: Every single person on this forum could tackle Franco Harris when he played. Every single able-bodied person on planet earth could tackle Franco Harris. That is not an exaggeration.

You see, here's how a Franco Harris carry went: Bradshaw hands it off to Franco Harris. He hits the designed hole. The very first guy to touch him was the guy who tackled him. As soon as he was so much as clipped by a nickel or dime back, he went down. He got what was there and nothing more.

Newspapers at the time referred to it as, "unlike Jim Brown, he goes out of bounds." No, he wasn't going out of bounds. He was just going down to the very first guy who got him every single time.

The late Dave Duerson once described hitting Harris as, "he was soft. Like a sponge."

Now maybe you're going to try to object, because, "but but but but, he gained a lot of rushing yards! And rings! He got 4 rings! He must have done something well to keep starting, like...vision! Yeah, vision!"

Yeah, no. Hitting a designed hole is not "vision." Vision is hitting a cutback lane. It's seeing the big picture and making moves accordingly.

Harris was a big robot. See designed hole, go to designed hole...touched, robot shut down.

Harris was the worst running back on the Steelers every year he played for them. The best running back the Steelers had in the 70s was Sidney Thornton. He actually had some decent power. Rocky Bleier was also basically a hack, but even he was better than Harris, and occasionally would fight for some extra yardage/break a tackle.

Was there anything Harris did well besides do what the coaches asked of him as far as hitting the designed hole? Well, for a guy his size, he had decent straight line speed. But I'm talking about for a guy his size...in the 1970s. That's why he was drafted - he was a 230 pound guy who ran in the 4.6-4.7 range. He wasn't the feature back at Penn State...Lydell Mitchell was.

"But if he's so bad, how could he gain so many yards? Are you saying the Steelers' offensive line was the GOAT line?"

Here's something you might not be aware of - and if you're ever trash talking with some Steelers fans who suck off their 70s teams, be sure to bring it up: The Steelers' offensive linemen were all juicing. They were roid freaks. It was an open secret that was exposed by Steve Courson years later.

Their offensive linemen dominated the off-season NFL weight lifting competitions. Mike Webster was the "strongest man in the NFL."

So in terms of effectiveness, they were certainly way up there. Why wouldn't they be? They had a huge physical edge.

It's funny...if you were to poll the average fan and ask them who was overrated from the 70s Steelers, they would say Terry Bradshaw...but he has been called overrated so much that he's actually now underrated. Bradshaw was basically the equal to Elway: Mobility, strong arm, could make all the throws...played in some bad offensive systems that made his numbers look worse.

My thoughts on some of their others:

Lambert: Lives up to the hype for the most part. Funny enough, fans were saying he was overrated and Ham was underrated. I don't see it. Ham after 1974 or so didn't do much for me. Lambert was everywhere. Their scheme had he and Ham getting deep pass drops, and he was on basically everything sideline-to-sideline or straight ahead. Never seemed to miss a tackle.

Greene: Great interior pass rusher, especially in his peak years. Not exceptional vs. the run at the point. Not as "mean" as they say, unless they mean he'll punch Broncos' offensive linemen in the gut and not get ejected. Then yeah, he was mean in that way.

Greenwood: Good pass rusher.

Ham: More impressive in 1974 and prior. More of a role player later on. Pass to the flat and he'd be on it, fast. Huge roles in coverage in their scheme.

Blount: He's lucky he played in the era he did. Not a great actual cover guy. Squatted on routes against primitive passing attacks and collected the INTs. Good run support player, though.

Donnie Shell: Don't get the hype.

Stallworth: Surprised me with his RAC ability. Could break tackles after the catch. Good on the leaping grab as well. Primitive routes.

Swann: Tremendous leaping ability. Pretty special hands, considering nobody wore gloves then. Slow as molasses. I doubt he could crack 4.75. Yeah, he caught deep balls like basically every other receiver of that era, but he did it because the corners of the time were almost entirely 6'0"+ plodders. Teams of that era used almost exclusively bigger corners because of the different rules (the "Mel Blount rule" was instituted in 1977), thinking the bigger corners could maul the receivers they faced. Ugly, primitive routes. Also good after the catch. Watching he and Stallworth, you realize how much we overrate our own receivers' RAC ability. RAC was expected of a WR before pussies like Marvin Harrison and Torry Holt decided the catch was the end of the story because they didn't want to injure their vaginas.

I think 1974 was their best defense, which was Lambert's rookie year. I don't think he ever played better than that, despite not getting the Pro Bowl/all pro honors that year (he did win DROY though).

lol Harris was a big fast RB for that era. Won Rookie of the year. Only played 14 game seasons like his first 6 years and he had 1200+ all purpose yards in 5 of those. 9 pro bowls in a row to start his career. lol Derek Loville bwahahaha

He didn't need to run people over or fight for yards. His running style prob allowed him to play and extra few year in the league.

lol

First John Taylor now this. Man your posts are entertaining me. Keep up the good work.

Yeah, he didn't "need" to run people over or fight for yards BECAUSE ALL HE DID WAS ENTER THE HOLE AND GO DOWN TO THE FIRST GUY WHO TOUCHED HIM. What part of that don't you understand? Literally every single running back in NFL history could have gained the same number of yards as him, unless you find a back who played in the NFL who was somehow as soft (there never was such a back as far as I'm aware of, and I've been watching football obsessively for probably longer than you've been alive) and who runs worse than 4.6-4.7 in the 40.

His "running style" was hitting the designed hole and going down to the first guy who TOUCHED HIM every single carry of his career. That is not what a good NFL running back does. He wasn't even average. He was a flat-out bad football player. And he's in the HOF. That's why he is hands down the most overrated player in NFL history. It's not even close.

Do people not understand the difference between numbers and performance? An overrated player is one who isn't as GOOD as he is made out to be, not one who doesn't have the NUMBERS you would expect from someone who is really good.

Numbers are not the primary way to judge a player in this sport. This isn't baseball. NFL teams run different systems, and their performances are heavily based on what teammates do as far as execution.

That's why Franco Harris, who was as bad as any running back to ever play the game at the NFL level (this is NOT hyperbole), was able to accumulate the rushing yards he did. He never broke a tackle in his life, yet he was able to hit designed holes that were effectively created by offensive linemen who were all using steroids and among the strongest men in professional football at the time, and go down to the first guy who touched him, and have that turn into a good number of rushing yards.

I implore you: Look up 70s Steelers games on youtube and pay special attention to Franco Harris. You will see exactly what I describe, and perhaps forever have your football experienced ruined by the knowledge this guy was somehow respected as an athlete and put into the sport's HOF. He is so overrated that every other ridiculously overrated athlete can not even compete.

It also kind of demonstrates how stupid the HOF is, because Harris also seems like a really sweet man. He sucked at playing the sport, but who cares? Why is there a freak'n honor for being good at a sport?

Lawrence Taylor was legitimately one of the greatest players in this sport's history, and he's a POS. The world could use more Franco Harris's and fewer Lawrence Taylors. But when it comes to the sport, which is a business and a job, Harris would be fired from my team and I would do whatever it took to keep Taylor.

Originally posted by SteveWallacesHelmet:

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
Terrell Davis

The most laughable name in this thread as far as I am concerned. TD dominated the NFL for 3 seasons. Was an MVP. Was a Superbowl MVP. Just because his career was short doesnt mean he is overrated. He was as good as any running back to ever play the game for those 3 years.

No, Davis was insanely overrated. He ran through holes the size of the equator. Talent-wise, he's not Top 50. Again, get your head out of the stats.

But then again, he was still a great talent compared to Franco Harris.

Responses to some of the players mentioned in this thread:

Troy Polamalu: No. One of the rare safeties who could hit AND cover. Freakish athlete. You know a safety who whiffed (and got trucked) more than he did while developing a reputation as a huge hitter? A certain beloved former 49ers legend. That's considered blasphemy over here, but it is what it is.

Troy Aikman: Slightly, especially when he played, based on the "he's the QB who WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS" nonsense that has forever clouded media judgment. Never showed he could carry an offense, and generally failed when he tried to. Mechanically sound with a strong, accurate arm, but was missing the mental part of the position needed to really pick teams apart in a pass-centered offense.

Sean Taylor: Yes. More potential and hype than actual performance.

Michael Irvin: No. Underrated, if anything. Go back and watch him making Darrell Green his b***h in the 1991 Cowboys/Redskins game where the Cowboys ended the Redskins' unbeaten record late in the year. Best traffic receiver I've ever seen.

Eli Manning: Solid QB who came up big enough in a couple of big games. I think he's more overexposed because of where he plays, rather than overrated (similar to Tony Romo).

Terry Bradshaw: Not really. Read OP.

Lynn Swann: Slightly in the sense that guys with those numbers don't get into the HOF regardless of ability, and he only got the credit he deserved because he was ion the media's beloved Steelers, but a great talent nonetheless. The crime is Drew Pearson and Cliff Branch aren't in there with him.

Emmitt Smith: Slightly. Good power and a good back, but talent-wise, not somebody who will wow you in comparison to other greats. Numbers a function of blocking/scheme and incredible durability and toughness (and selfishness/the one-minded goal to break Walter Payton's record and play for as long as needed simply to do that).

Joe Namath: What isn't mentioned is he also won passing yard titles and the like. The game was so different back then it's hard to really process the numbers. Then again, the AFL was always the inflated passing league, where you saw things like the Houston Oilers receivers putting up bogus numbers (which is why I don't take Lance Alworth seriously), etc. Haven't seen him play nearly enough to know what's what.

Originally posted by darockzillahitman:
Do people not understand the difference between numbers and performance? An overrated player is one who isn't as GOOD as he is made out to be, not one who doesn't have the NUMBERS you would expect from someone who is really good.

Numbers are not the primary way to judge a player in this sport. This isn't baseball. NFL teams run different systems, and their performances are heavily based on what teammates do as far as execution.

That's why Franco Harris, who was as bad as any running back to ever play the game at the NFL level (this is NOT hyperbole), was able to accumulate the rushing yards he did. He never broke a tackle in his life, yet he was able to hit designed holes that were effectively created by offensive linemen who were all using steroids and among the strongest men in professional football at the time, and go down to the first guy who touched him, and have that turn into a good number of rushing yards.

I implore you: Look up 70s Steelers games on youtube and pay special attention to Franco Harris. You will see exactly what I describe, and perhaps forever have your football experienced ruined by the knowledge this guy was somehow respected as an athlete and put into the sport's HOF. He is so overrated that every other ridiculously overrated athlete can not even compete.

It also kind of demonstrates how stupid the HOF is, because Harris also seems like a really sweet man. He sucked at playing the sport, but who cares? Why is there a freak'n honor for being good at a sport?

Lawrence Taylor was legitimately one of the greatest players in this sport's history, and he's a POS. The world could use more Franco Harris's and fewer Lawrence Taylors. But when it comes to the sport, which is a business and a job, Harris would be fired from my team and I would do whatever it took to keep Taylor.

Originally posted by SteveWallacesHelmet:

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
Terrell Davis

The most laughable name in this thread as far as I am concerned. TD dominated the NFL for 3 seasons. Was an MVP. Was a Superbowl MVP. Just because his career was short doesnt mean he is overrated. He was as good as any running back to ever play the game for those 3 years.

No, Davis was insanely overrated. He ran through holes the size of the equator. Talent-wise, he's not Top 50. Again, get your head out of the stats.

But then again, he was still a great talent compared to Franco Harris.

So who was the most underrated athlete of all time in your opinion? Also who was the most overrated 49er of all time in your opinion, preferably from the glory years.

Btw I half agree with what you said in a thread not too long ago about offensive lineman not being very valuable and elite quaterbacks (brady/joe/brees/manning) making their lines look better than what they are due to their quick release, pocket presence ect..

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:
I couldn't name just one. When I visited the Hall of Fame I thought there were players in there who I didn't view as HOF. Good players but not the best of the best. We all have our least favorite and most favorite players, teams, whatever. All opinions. This I know is a fact. Every person on this forum COULD NOT tackle Franco Harris. Maybe someone could but even that would be a reach. Pro football players are bigger,stronger and faster than all of us couch potatoes. Some of the savage hits they take would kill the average person.

No, you don't get it. It has nothing to do with size and strength. It's the fact that Harris deliberately gave himself up every time he was touched. He was that soft.

He was much bigger and stronger than tons and tons of guys who got him down just by touching his legs. There were 165 pound corners who would graze his legs as he entered the hole and that was the end of his run.

It's one of those things you have to see to understand.

Originally posted by JimDrinkAMiller:

Originally posted by darockzillahitman:
Do people not understand the difference between numbers and performance? An overrated player is one who isn't as GOOD as he is made out to be, not one who doesn't have the NUMBERS you would expect from someone who is really good.

Numbers are not the primary way to judge a player in this sport. This isn't baseball. NFL teams run different systems, and their performances are heavily based on what teammates do as far as execution.

That's why Franco Harris, who was as bad as any running back to ever play the game at the NFL level (this is NOT hyperbole), was able to accumulate the rushing yards he did. He never broke a tackle in his life, yet he was able to hit designed holes that were effectively created by offensive linemen who were all using steroids and among the strongest men in professional football at the time, and go down to the first guy who touched him, and have that turn into a good number of rushing yards.

I implore you: Look up 70s Steelers games on youtube and pay special attention to Franco Harris. You will see exactly what I describe, and perhaps forever have your football experienced ruined by the knowledge this guy was somehow respected as an athlete and put into the sport's HOF. He is so overrated that every other ridiculously overrated athlete can not even compete.

It also kind of demonstrates how stupid the HOF is, because Harris also seems like a really sweet man. He sucked at playing the sport, but who cares? Why is there a freak'n honor for being good at a sport?

Lawrence Taylor was legitimately one of the greatest players in this sport's history, and he's a POS. The world could use more Franco Harris's and fewer Lawrence Taylors. But when it comes to the sport, which is a business and a job, Harris would be fired from my team and I would do whatever it took to keep Taylor.

Originally posted by SteveWallacesHelmet:

Originally posted by ninerfan4life:
Terrell Davis

The most laughable name in this thread as far as I am concerned. TD dominated the NFL for 3 seasons. Was an MVP. Was a Superbowl MVP. Just because his career was short doesnt mean he is overrated. He was as good as any running back to ever play the game for those 3 years.

No, Davis was insanely overrated. He ran through holes the size of the equator. Talent-wise, he's not Top 50. Again, get your head out of the stats.

But then again, he was still a great talent compared to Franco Harris.

So who was the most underrated athlete of all time in your opinion? Also who was the most overrated 49er of all time in your opinion, preferably from the glory years.

Btw I half agree with what you said in a thread not too long ago about offensive lineman not being very valuable and elite quaterbacks (brady/joe/brees/manning) making their lines look better than what they are due to their quick release, pocket presence ect..

Well, I don't know about athlete, but I can tell you that the most underrated 49er of all-time is Kevin f*gan. He was the greatest point of attack run defender I've ever seen in all my years watching football - absolutely unblockable in the running game - and when he showed up at the Candlestick legends game, he got the least reaction of anyone. Here's the man who made Anthony Munoz his absolute b***h in the Super Bowl, and even our fans have no clue who he even was.

Overrated 49ers? Hmmmm. Jesse Sapolu is overrated by our fanbase. Mediocre lineman who mainly stuck around because he knew the scheme. Brent Jones was a decent receiver, but a pretty lousy blocker and not nearly good enough as a receiver to make him worth the hype. Bill Romanowski, while he flashed some good things, was a liability with us.

The modern fan base defended Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick way too much. They aren't bad QBs, per se, but it should have been quickly apparent to all that neither of them were franchise caliber QBs. Instead, the excuses kept pouring in for years. The great QBs don't need excuses.

Other underrated football players:

Pat Williams: Kind of tainted by the PED stuff, but I thought the fact that he was overshadowed in media attention by Kevin Williams during the days when the Vikings were historically great against the run was laughable.

Tim Harris: Our fans lament the loss of Charles Haley and forget his 17 sack season the year after. Who knows what he could have done if he'd stayed healthy.

Gary Plummer: As far as between the tackles run defending, he was everything you're looking for.

Louis Wright: Not sure why he's not in the HOF.

Curt Warner, Billy Sims...a lot of really good running backs who just didn't do it for very long. It's the NFL's position of tragedy.

Not a top 500 running back? He has the 15th most rushing yards ever...

Originally posted by Fanaticofnfl:
Not a top 500 running back? He has the 15th most rushing yards ever...

~Sigh~

Do people not understand the difference between numbers and performance? An overrated player is one who isn't as GOOD as he is made out to be, not one who doesn't have the NUMBERS you would expect from someone who is really good.

Numbers are not the primary way to judge a player in this sport. This isn't baseball. NFL teams run different systems, and their performances are heavily based on what teammates do as far as execution.

That's why Franco Harris, who was as bad as any running back to ever play the game at the NFL level (this is NOT hyperbole), was able to accumulate the rushing yards he did. He never broke a tackle in his life, yet he was able to hit designed holes that were effectively created by offensive linemen who were all using steroids and among the strongest men in professional football at the time, and go down to the first guy who touched him, and have that turn into a good number of rushing yards.
I implore you: Look up 70s Steelers games on youtube and pay special attention to Franco Harris. You will see exactly what I describe, and perhaps forever have your football experienced ruined by the knowledge this guy was somehow respected as an athlete and put into the sport's HOF. He is so overrated that every other ridiculously overrated athlete can not even compete.

Emmitt Smith

Took casual strolls through the holes Larry Allen and co. paved.

damn. now that i think of it, i think that bradshaw is awfully overrated. he had one of the most dominant defense in a decade and he had studs in swann and stallworth.

Originally posted by gold49digger:

damn. now that i think of it, i think that bradshaw is awfully overrated. he had one of the most dominant defense in a decade and he had studs in swann and stallworth.

Lynn Swann also grossly overrated. Only played 8 years and never eclipsed 1000 yards receiving

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by gold49digger:
damn. now that i think of it, i think that bradshaw is awfully overrated. he had one of the most dominant defense in a decade and he had studs in swann and stallworth.

Lynn Swann also grossly overrated. Only played 8 years and never eclipsed 1000 yards receiving

probably statistics wise he was overrated, but i think bradshaw held him back.