Greatest Rookie Seasons in NFL History
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You won't find much patience for rookies in professional sports, and that's especially true in the NFL. It's understood you either perform at a high level or get out of the way, and the sooner a team can find out how a particular player reacts to that type of pressure, the better.
There have been times, however, when rookies set the standard in the NFL. It doesn't happen very often, but there are a select few players — true prodigies — who came into the league and dominated from the start.
Here's a look at the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history.
25. Joe Thomas, Offensive Tackle
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Born: Dec. 4, 1984 (Brookfield, Wisconsin)
High school: Brookfield Central High School (Brookfield, Wisconsin)
College: Wisconsin
Career: Cleveland Browns (2007-17)
Career highlights: Eight-time NFL All-Pro (2008-15), 10-time Pro Bowl (2007-16), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, PFWA All-Rookie Team (2007)
Bottom line: When the Cleveland Browns selected Joe Thomas at No. 3 overall in the 2007 NFL Draft, they brought a generational talent into the fold — in 11 seasons, he would make the NFL All-Pro Team eight times, was selected to 10 Pro Bowls and set the NFL record by playing 10,363 consecutive snaps.
That success all started during Thomas' rookie year when he played every offensive snap for the Browns and was selected to the Pro Bowl — he was also the only other player besides eventual winner Adrian Peterson to receive votes for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Thomas was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023, his first year of eligibility.
24. Tommy Nobis, Linebacker
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Born: Sept. 20, 1943 (San Antonio, Texas)
Died: Dec. 13, 2017, 74 years old (Marietta, Georgia)
High school: Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio, Texas)
College: Texas
Career: Atlanta Falcons (1966-76)
Career highlights: NFL Rookie of the Year (1966), five-time Pro Bowl (1966-68, 1970, 1972), two-time All-Pro (1967, 1968), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
Bottom line: Tommy Nobis was one of the most famous athletes in the country — in any sport — when the Atlanta Falcons selected him No. 1 overall out of Texas in 1966.
Nobis went absolutely bananas as a rookie for the Falcons in the team's inaugural season, racking up an unofficial NFL single-season record of 294 tackles on the way to being named NFL Rookie of the Year. In 11 seasons with the Falcons, Nobis was a two-time NFL All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler.
23. Charles Woodson, Cornerback
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Born: Oct. 7, 1976 (Fremont, Ohio)
High school: Snider High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
College: Michigan
Career: Oakland Raiders (1998-2005), Green Bay Packers (2006-12), Oakland Raiders (2013-15)
Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2010), eight-time NFL All-Pro (1999-2001, 2008-11, 2015), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2009), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1998), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
Bottom line: After becoming the only primary defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy and leading Michigan to the national championship in 1997, Charles Woodson made an immediate impact in the NFL after the Oakland Raiders selected him No. 4 overall.
Oakland improved from 4-12 to 8-8 in Woodson's rookie year in 1998 after he became the first Raider rookie to start all 16 games since 1971, was third in the league with five interceptions, made the Pro Bowl and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
22. Justin Tucker, Kicker
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Born: Nov. 21, 1989 (Houston, Texas)
High school: Westlake High School (Austin, Texas)
College: Texas
Career: Baltimore Ravens (2012-present)
Career highlights: Eight-time NFL All-Pro (2013, 2016-22), seven-time Pro Bowl (2013, 2016, 2019-23), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, Super Bowl champion (2012)
Bottom line: Justin Tucker wasn't even one of the four kickers selected in the 2012 NFL Draft. He made the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent and went 42-of-42 on PATs and 30-of-33 on field goals, including three game-winning or game-tying field goals during the regular season and two field goals in a Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Tucker, who now owns NFL records for career field-goal percentage (90.2 percent) and longest field goal (66 yards), is an eight-time NFL All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowler who could very likely be one of the few kickers elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame once his career is over.
21. Dick Butkus, Linebacker
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Born: Dec. 9, 1942 (Chicago, Illinois)
Died: Oct. 5, 2023, 80 years old (Malibu, California)
High school: Vocational High School (Chicago, Illinois)
College: Illinois
Career: Chicago Bears (1965-73)
Career highlights: Eight-time Pro Bowl (1965-72), eight-time All-Pro (1965-72), two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1969, 1970), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1983)
Bottom line: The Chicago Bears had two of the greatest NFL rookies of all time in 1965 with running back Gale Sayers on offense and linebacker Dick Butkus on defense.
Butkus terrorized NFL opponents from the start — he was named an NFL All-Pro as a rookie with five interceptions, six forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.
20. Derrick Thomas, Outside Linebacker/Defensive End
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Born: Jan. 1, 1967 (Miami, Florida)
Died: Feb. 8, 2000, 33 years old (Miami, Florida)
High school: South Miami Senior High School (Miami, Florida)
College: Alabama
Career: Kansas City Chiefs (1989-99)
Career highlights: Six-time NFL All-Pro (1990-94, 1996), nine-time Pro Bowl (1989-97), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1989), NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
Bottom line: Derrick Thomas established himself as a prodigal pass rusher at Alabama and kept that rolling in the NFL after the Kansas City Chiefs selected him No. 4 overall in the 1989 NFL Draft — one of four Hall of Famers taken in the first five picks along with Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders and Deion Sanders.
As a rookie, Thomas racked up 10 sacks and three forced fumbles and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year as well as being selected to the first of nine Pro Bowls. Thomas played 11 seasons for the Chiefs and finished his career with 126.5 sacks. He died in 2000, several months after he was paralyzed in an automobile accident.
19. Micah Parsons, Linebacker
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Born: May 26, 1999 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
High school: Harrisburg High School (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
College: Penn State
Career: Dallas Cowboys (2021-present)
Career highlights: Two-time NFL All-Pro (2021, 2022), three-time Pro Bowl (20212-23), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2021)
Bottom line: You didn't have to be a football expert to see Micah Parsons play for the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie and realize he was a generational talent.
Playing out of position because of injuries as a rookie, Parsons lit it up at defensive end/outside linebacker with 84 tackles, 13 sacks and three forced fumbles, including at least one sack in six consecutive games late in the season. Parsons was named NFL All-Pro, selected to the Pro Bowl and named unanimous NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The crazy thought? His best years might still be ahead of him.
18. Devin Hester, Return Specialist
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Born: Nov. 4, 1982 (Riviera Beach, Florida)
High school: Suncoast High School (Riviera Beach, Florida)
College: Miami
Career: Chicago Bears (2006-13), Atlanta Falcons (2014-15), Baltimore Ravens (2016)
Career highlights: Four-time NFL All-Pro (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011), four-time Pro Bowl (2006, 2007, 2010, 2014), three-time NFL Alumni Special Teams Player of the Year (2006, 2007, 2010), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team, PFWA All-Rookie Team (2006)
Bottom line: The Chicago Bears were criticized for using a second-round pick in Miami's Devin Hester in 2006 because he was viewed as "positionless" — which Hester made a moot point when he set the NFL record with six return touchdowns as a rookie. And that didn't even include returning the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown in a Super Bowl loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Hester was named NFL All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, tied his own record with six return touchdowns in 2007 and eventually set the NFL record for most career return touchdowns (20) and most career punt return touchdowns (14).
17. Patrick Willis, Linebacker
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Born: Jan. 25, 1985 (Bruceton, Tennessee)
High school: Central High School (Bruceton, Tennessee)
College: Mississippi
Career: San Francisco 49ers (2007-14)
Career highlights: Seven-time Pro Bowl (2007-13), six-time All-Pro (2007-12), NFL 2010s All-Decade team, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2007)
Bottom line: Patrick Willis led the NFL with 174 tackles as a rookie in 2007 to go with four sacks, two forced fumbles and five pass deflections on the way to being named an NFL All-Pro, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler — the first rookie to make the Pro Bowl for the 49ers since Ronnie Lott in 1981.
Willis had one of the greatest abbreviated careers in NFL history. He only played seven full seasons and retired after a nagging toe injury that limited him to just six games in his final year.
16. Dak Prescott, Quarterback
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Born: July 29, 1993 (Sulphur, Louisiana)
High school: Haughton High School (Haughton, Louisiana)
College: Mississippi State
Career: Dallas Cowboys (2016-present)
Career highlights: NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2016), three-time Pro Bowl (2016, 2018, 2023), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2016)
Bottom line: The Dallas Cowboys tried desperately to trade up to obtain either Paxton Lynch or Connor Cook in the 2016 NFL Draft, but when those attempts failed, they settled on Mississippi State's Dak Prescott in the fourth round. Little did they know he would be their starter for the next decade.
After injuries to backup Kellen Moore and starter Tony Romo in the preseason, Prescott became the surprise starter as a rookie and went on to set NFL records for highest passer rating by a rookie quarterback (104.9), highest completion percentage by a rookie quarterback (67.8) and most wins by a rookie quarterback (13). Prescott was also named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and selected to the first of three Pro Bowls.
15. Barry Sanders, Running Back
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Born: July 16, 1968 (Wichita, Kansas)
High school: Wichita North High School (Wichita, Kansas)
College: Oklahoma State
Career: Detroit Lions (1989-98)
Career highlights: NFL Most Valuable Player (1997), two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1989), 10-time NFL All-Pro (1989-98), 10-time Pro Bowl (1989-98), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1989), NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
Bottom line: Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders had to get a special exemption from NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle to skip his senior season at Oklahoma State and enter the NFL Draft. The way Sanders played and comported himself as a rookie led to all juniors being allowed to enter the draft from that point on.
Sanders rushed for 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns as a rookie, despite missing one game with a rib injury and not starting the first two games of the year. He was also named NFL All-Pro and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Sanders only played 10 seasons but was named All-Pro and a Pro Bowler each year.
14. Paul Krause, Safety
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Born: Feb. 19, 1942 (Flint, Michigan)
High school: Bendle High School (Burton, Michigan)
College: Iowa
Career: Washington Redskins (1964-67), Minnesota Vikings (1968-79)
Career highlights: Seven-time NFL All-Pro (1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975), eight-time Pro Bowl (1964, 1965, 1969, 1971-75)
Bottom line: It's been over 40 years since Paul Krause played his last NFL game, and there has still never been a ball hawk like this Hall of Fame safety, who still holds the NFL career record with 81 interceptions.
Krause played his first four seasons with the Washington Redskins and had 12 interceptions as a rookie in 1964, even though he lost out on NFL Rookie of the Year to teammate Charley Taylor. Krause was a crazy athlete — he was also an All-American center fielder at Iowa — and helped lead the Minnesota Vikings to four Super Bowls (all losses) after the Redskins traded him following the 1967 season.
13. Zack Martin, Offensive Guard
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Born: Nov. 20, 1990 (Indianapolis, Indiana)
High school: Bishop Chatard High School (Indianapolis, Indiana)
College: Notre Dame
Career: Dallas Cowboys (2014-present)
Career highlights: Eight-time NFL All-Pro (2014-22), nine-time Pro Bowl (2014-19, 2021-23), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2014), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
Bottom line: One of a handful of Dallas Cowboys to make this list, Zack Martin has established himself as one of the greatest NFL offensive linemen of all time since the franchise drafted him No. 16 overall in 2014. It's a pick that enraged Dallas fans who were desperate for the franchise to draft Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Martin established his dominance from the start. As a rookie, he was named the starter at right guard on the first day of Organized Team Activities and then became the first Cowboys rookie to be named NFL All-Pro since running back Calvin Hill in 1969 and the first rookie offensive lineman to be named NFL All-Pro since 1947.
12. C.J. Stroud, Quarterback
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Born: Oct. 3, 2001 (Rancho Cucamonga, California)
High school: Rancho Cucamonga High School (Rancho Cucamonga, California)
College: Ohio State
Career: Houston Texans (2023-present)
College highlights: Two-time AP All-American (2021, 2022), two-time All-Big Ten (2021, 2022), two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (2021, 2022), two-time Big Ten Quarterback of the Year (2021, 2022), Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2021), two-time All-Big Ten (2021, 2022)
Bottom line: Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud set four NFL records as a rookie in 2023, including most passing attempts without an interception to start a career (192), most games with at least 350 passing yards by a rookie (three), most passing yards in a single game by a rookie (470) and most passing touchdowns in a single game by a rookie (five). He also set franchise records for most passing yards in a rookie season (4,108) and most passing touchdowns in a rookie season (23).
Most importantly, Stroud turned the Texans into winners, going from 3-13 in 2022 to 10-7 in 2023 and leading them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
11. Ja'Marr Chase, Wide Receiver
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Born: March 1, 2000 (Harvey, Louisiana)
High school: Archbishop Rummel High School (Metairie, Louisiana)
College: LSU
Career: Cincinnati Bengals (2021-present)
Career highlights: NFL All-Pro (2021), three-time Pro Bowl (2021-23), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2021), PFWA All-ROokie Team (2021)
Bottom line: The Cincinnati Bengals caught lightning in a bottle when they selected Ja'Marr Chase at No. 5 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
After leading LSU to the national title in 2019, Chase reunited with his college quarterback, Joe Burrow, to help lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl as a rookie in 2021, setting NFL records for single-game receiving yards by a rookie (266) and postseason receiving yards by a rookie (368). For the season, Chase finished with 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, NFL All-Pro and making the first of three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances.
10. Edgerrin James, Running Back
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Born: Aug. 1, 1978 (Immokalee, Florida)
High school: Immokalee High School (Immokalee, Florida)
College: Miami
Career: Indianapolis Colts (1999-2005), Arizona Cardinals (2006-08), Seattle Seahawks (2009)
Career highlights: Three-time NFL All-Pro (1999, 2000, 2004), four-time Pro Bowl (1999, 2000, 2004, 2005), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1999), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1999), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
Bottom line: Edgerrin James was the third Hall of Famer the Indianapolis Colts selected with their first-round pick in four years, following Marvin Harrison (1996) and Peyton Manning (1998). James got off to the hottest start of all of them, leading the NFL in rushing each of his first two seasons.
As a rookie in 1999, he had 1,553 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns to go with 586 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the way to being named NFL All-Pro, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and being selected to the Pro Bowl.
9. Adrian Peterson, Running Back
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Born: March 21, 1985 (Palestine, Texas)
High school: Palestine High School (Palestine, Texas)
College: Oklahoma
Career: Minnesota Vikings (2007-16), New Orleans Saints (2017), Arizona Cardinals (2017), Washington Redskins (2018-19), Detroit Lions (2020), Tennessee Titans (2021), Seattle Seahawks (2021)
Career highlights: NFL Most Valuable Player (2012), NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2012), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2012), seven-time NFL All-Pro (2007-10, 2012, 2013, 2015), seven-time Pro Bowl (2007-10, 2012, 2013, 2015), NFL Pro Bowl MVP (2008), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
Bottom line: What's crazy about Adrian Peterson's rookie year with the Minnesota Vikings is that he missed two games because of injury and only got to start in nine games. Despite all of this, he rushed for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns and set the NFL single-game rushing record with 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers.
Peterson was named to the first of seven NFL All-Pro teams and selected to the Pro Bowl, where he won MVP honors. Peterson was also named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback
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Born: March 2, 1982 (Lima, Ohio)
High school: Findlay High School (Findlay, Ohio)
College: Miami (Ohio)
Career: Pittsburgh Steelers (2004-22)
Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (2005, 2008), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2004), six-time Pro Bowl (2007, 2011, 2014-17), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2004)
Bottom line: The Pittsburgh Steelers intended to sit Ben Roethlisberger for the first season — maybe two seasons — after drafting him out of Miami of Ohio. An injury to Charlie Batch and ineffective play by Tommy Maddox forced Roethlisberger into the starting role in the fourth game of the season, and he responded by going 13-0 to close out the regular season and leading the Steelers to the AFC Championship Game.
Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in 34 years to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the Steelers to a Super Bowl win in his second season — the first of two Super Bowl wins in his first five seasons.
7. Gale Sayers, Running Back/Return Specialist
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Born: May 30, 1943 (Wichita, Kansas)
Died: Sept. 23, 2020, 77 years old (Wakarusa, Indiana)
High school: Omaha Central High School (Omaha, Nebraska)
College: Kansas
Career: Chicago Bears (1965-71)
Career highlights: Two-time Class A All-State (1959, 1960), Class A state champion (1960), three-time All-Big Eight (1962-64), two-time AP All-American (1963, 1964), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1969), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1965), five-time NFL All-Pro (1965-69), four-time Pro Bowl (1965-67, 1969), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, NFL 50th Anniversary Team, NFL 75th Anniversary Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team
Bottom line: Chicago Bears star Gale Sayers also had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history in 1965 when he set the NFL record with 22 touchdowns and gained 2,272 all-purpose yards, an NFL rookie record. Sayers scored a rushing, receiving and kickoff return touchdown in a game against the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie.
Another NFL player wouldn't match that feat until Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill in 2016.
6. Dick 'Night Train' Lane, Cornerback
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Born: April 16, 1928 (Austin, Texas)
Died: Jan. 29, 2002, 73 years old (Austin, Texas)
High school: Anderson High School (Austin, Texas)
College: Scottsbluff Junior College
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 194 pounds
Career: Los Angeles Rams (1952-53), Chicago Cardinals (1954-59), Detroit Lions (1960-65)
Career highlights: Seven-time All-Pro (1956, 1957, 1959-63), seven-time Pro Bowl (1954-56, 1958, 1960-62), NFL 100th Anniversary Team
Bottom line: Dick "Night Train" Lane's NFL single-season record of 14 interceptions as a rookie for the Los Angeles Rams in 1952 still stands over 70 years later.
It's a wonder Night Train's life story hasn't been made into a movie. He was wrapped in newspaper and abandoned in a dumpster by his prostitute mother and pimp father when he was 3 months old, hustled pool for money as a youth, played baseball in the Negro Leagues right out of high school and then one season of junior college football before he served four years in the military. He secured a tryout with the Rams in 1952, made the team and played 14 seasons in the NFL, making the NFL All-Pro Team 10 times.
Lane's life away from football was also fascinating — he was married to famed jazz singer Dinah Washington when she died of a drug overdose in 1963 and spent years as comedian Redd Foxx's personal assistant and bodyguard.
5. Earl Campbell, Running Back
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Born: March 29, 1955 (Tyler, Texas)
High school: John Tyler High School (Tyler, Texas)
College: Texas
Career: Houston Oilers (1978-84), New Orleans Saints (1984-85)
Career highlights: NFL Most Valuable Player (1979), three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1978-80), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1978), three-time NFL All-Pro (1978-80), five-time Pro Bowl (1978-81, 1983), NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team
Bottom line: The Houston Oilers selected Earl Campbell with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft out of Texas and one season after winning the Heisman Trophy. Campbell led the NFL in rushing and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year as a rookie in 1978 — the first of three consecutive times winning the award.
Campbell, who was named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1979, led the NFL in rushing each of his first three seasons.
4. Ronnie Lott, Cornerback
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Born: May 8, 1959 (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
High school: Eisenhower High School (Rialto, California)
College: USC
Career: San Francisco 49ers (1981-90), Los Angeles Raiders (1991-92), New York Jets (1993-94)
Career highlights: Four-time Super Bowl champion (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989), eight-time NFL All-Pro (1981, 1983, 1986-91), 10-time Pro Bowl (1981-84, 1986-91), NFL 100th Anniversary Team
Bottom line: Most NFL fans identify Ronnie Lott as the safety who laid out bone-crunching hits for the San Francisco 49ers on some of the greatest teams of all time, but he actually played cornerback for his first four NFL seasons.
As a rookie in 1981, Lott had seven interceptions and returned three for touchdowns in helping lead the 49ers to the first of four Super Bowl wins on the way to the first of eight NFL All-Pro selections and 10 Pro Bowls.
3. Randy Moss, Wide Receiver
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Born: Feb. 13, 1977 (Charleston, West Virginia)
High school: Dupont High School (Dupont City, West Virginia)
College: Marshall
Career: Minnesota Vikings (1998-2004, 2010), Oakland Raiders (2005-06), New England Patriots (2007-10), Tennessee Titans (2010), San Francisco 49ers (2012)
Career highlights: Four-time NFL All-Pro (1998, 2000, 2003, 2007), six-time Pro Bowl (1998-2000, 2002. 2003. 2007), NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1998), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2007), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
Bottom line: While Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown remains the only rookie in NFL history to win league MVP honors, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss came close in 1998.
Moss, the No. 21 overall pick out of Marshall, led the NFL with 17 touchdown receptions to go with 1,313 receiving yards as a rookie as the Vikings went 15-1 and advanced to the NFC Championship Game. Moss finished third in NFL MVP voting and third in NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting as well as being name NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
2. Eric Dickerson, Running Back
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Born: Sept. 2. 1960 (Sealy, Texas)
High school: Sealy High School (Sealy, Texas)
College: SMU
Career: Los Angeles Rams (1983-87), Indianapolis Colts (1987-91), Los Angeles Raiders (1992), Atlanta Falcons (1993)
Career highlights: NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1986), five-time NFL All-Pro (1983, 1984, 1986-88), six-time Pro Bowl (1983, 1984, 1986-88), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team, PFWA All-Rookie Team (1983), three-time UPI NFC Offensive Player of the Year (1983, 1984, 1986)
Bottom line: In the history of pro sports, few MVP snubs have been as egregious as when Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann beat out Los Angeles Rams rookie running back Eric Dickerson for the honor in 1983.
Dickerson, the No. 2 overall pick out of SMU, led the NFL with 1,808 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in 1983 — still the NFL rookie record — to go with 404 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Dickerson set the NFL single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984 but still didn't win NFL MVP after Dan Marino set NFL single-season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns.
1. Lawrence Taylor, Linebacker (Tie)
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Born: Feb. 4, 1959 (Williamsburg, Virginia)
High school: Lafayette High School (Williamsburg, Virginia)
College: University of North Carolina
Career: New York Giants (1981-93)
Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl Champion (1986, 1990), NFL Most Valuable Player (1986), 10-time Pro Bowl (1981-90), 10-time All-Pro (1981-90), three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1981, 1982, 1986), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1981), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1999)
Bottom line: Lawrence Taylor had the greatest rookie season for a defensive player in NFL history in 1981 after the New York Giants selected him No. 2 overall out of North Carolina. The year before Taylor was selected, the Giants went 4-12 and gave up 425 points, but in 1981, they went 9-7, gave up only 257 points, and Taylor was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
It was the first of back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year selections for Taylor, who would eventually lead the Giants to two Super Bowl wins and was named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 — still the last defensive player to win the award.
1. Jim Brown, Running Back (Tie)
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Born: Feb. 17, 1936 (St. Simons, Georgia)
Died: May 18, 2023, 87 years old (Los Angeles, California)
High School: Manhasset Senior High School (Manhasset, New York)
College: Syracuse
Career: Cleveland Browns (1957-65)
Career highlights: NFL champion (1964), three-time NFL MVP (1957, 1958, 1965), nine-time NFL All-Pro Team (1957-65), nine-time Pro Bowl (1957-65), NFL Rookie of the Year (1957), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, NFL 50th Anniversary Team, NFL 75th Anniversary Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team, two-time NCAA All-American (1955, 1956)
Bottom line: Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown remains the only rookie in NFL history to win NFL Most Valuable Player honors after he led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 1957 — the first of back-to-back MVP honors. Brown only played eight seasons in the NFL and made the NFL All-Pro Team each season.
Cleveland owner Art Modell threatened Brown with fines if he didn't return to training camp in time while filming his role in the classic war film "The Dirty Dozen" in England. Brown responded by retiring and spent the next decade as one of Hollywood's biggest action stars and had roles in almost 50 films and TV shows over the next 40 years.