The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

The Fantasy Sports Forum.com



This past Sunday, the 49ers honored Steve Young with a halftime ceremony retiring his number. I always thought that despite his numerous accomplishments, Young was never appreciated as much as he should have been. It got us thinking here at The Fantasy Sports Forum about some excellent NFL players who never quite received the credit they probably should have. Here is our top ten list:



10. Phil Simms, QB, New York Giants: Not the strongest arm or the fastest runner, but an excellent leader who got the job done and had one of the greatest Super Bowl games of any quarterback. Could play for my team anytime.

9. Art Monk, WR, Washington Redskins: Yeah I know he was just elected to the Hall of Fame, but it took about 15 years for him to get there - even though when he retired he was the NFL leader in receptions. Wasn't flashy, didn't call attention to himself, just caught the football and kept the chains moving.

8. Jeff Garcia, QB, San Francisco 49ers: Had the impossible job of making 49er fans forget Joe Montana and Steve Young - good luck. His arm is nothing special, but all he does is win. I'm not sure anyone knows why, but he just has that something special.

7. John Taylor, WR, San Francisco 49ers: Maybe he was able to put up all those numbers because opposing defenses were worried about Jerry Rice, but he was a highlight machine himself, regularly turning five yard slants into 60 yard touchdowns. The perfect complement to Rice in that he didn't need the spotlight to shine on himself.

6. Drew Pearson, WR, Dallas: One of the best receivers of the 70s and a leader of the Cowboys. Best known for the Hail Mary completion against Minnesota in the playoffs. Has very similar numbers to Hall of Famer Lynn Swann and should probably be there himself.

5. Warren Moon, QB, Houston Oilers: Moon was a prolific offensive machine during the Oilers Run and Shoot era. And while he never won a Super Bowl, he was a multiple champion in the CFL, if that counts for anything.

4. Doug Flutie, QB, Buffalo Bills: Yes, Flutie was another quarterback who excelled in the CFL, but was never given a fair chance in the NFL, mostly due to being the anti-prototype size for an NFL quarterback. But anywhere he played, he managed to win. He should never have been passed over in Buffalo for an inferior and subpar talent like Rob Johnson. Wade Phillips would have lasted longer in Buffalo if he had picked the right man to lead his team.
3. Danny White, QB, Dallas: Took over for Roger Staubach andcontinued to lead the Cowboys as one of the top teams in the NFL, but could never quite lead them to the Super Bowl, losing three straight NFC Championship games in the 80s. If he had won even one of those, his legacy might be different. Was also a succesful punter for Dallas while being the backup to Staubach and then took over as full time QB. You don't see that anymore.

2. Terrell Davis, RB, Denver Broncos: His career was shortened after seven seasons at age 29 by a chronic knee problems after blowing it out in his fifth season and he was never the same after that. But he did put together three consecutive tremendous seasons in '96, '97 and '98, when he topped 2,000 rushing yards. Davis was also the missing component for Denver and John Elway in their two Super Bowl wins. He should get more Hall of Fame consideration.

1. Jim Plunkett, QB, Oakland/LA Raiders: Drafted by New England first overall in 1971, Plunkett was a bust for them through his first five seasons, never leading them to a winning record as their starting quarterback. He did no better in his next two seasons in San Francisco and then was picked up off the scrap heap by the Oakland Raiders at the end of the 1979 season. He then led the Raiders to a 9-2 record in 1980, getting the team into the playoffs with the wildcard. All he did after that was win all three playoff games on the road and win the Super Bowl and the MVP honor for that game. Three years later, he led the Los Angeles Raiders to a Super Bowl victory. Plunkett's career post-season record was a stellar 8-2. He fits the definition of an underappreciated star, especially when it looked like his career was on it's way to being labeled as another college star who failed in the NFL.