Just like Hollywood entertainers, sports stars come and go, leaving their mark behind them. That outstanding play that won the game, a record-breaking season, a devastating team trauma-all these things give fans pause to remember the great ones. But, it has to be a special tribute when you receive the respect of your peers. A recent ESPN survey of 320 NFL players identified the most respected players in the league. These are the players who consistently play well on the field, but also treat other players and officials with respect. The confidential poll takes into account athletic ability, but also factor in actions on and off the field.
Take a look at the results of the polling:
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| Peyton Manning |
Denver Bronco's quarterback Peyton Manning was voted the most respected player in the league, receiving 26.8 percent of the votes. The New Orleans native is a 15 year veteran was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year last season, hailing his victory over multiple neck injuries which could have ended his career or severely limited his performance. Despite his Super Bowl loss, he had one of the best offensive seasons of any quarterback ever with 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdowns.
Manning is a fan favorite. He's seen in TV commercials, appears on numerous TV shows, including Saturday Night Live, and is spokesman for a variety of charities. Contrary to players involved in crime, drugs and other scandals, he has kept his nose clean throughout his career and represents the NFL like no other. It's no surprise that he was voted the NFL's most respected player by a landslide.
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| Tom Brady |
The players' votes resulted in a tie for the number two spot. New England Patriot's quarterback Tom Brady and Minnesota Viking running back Adrian Peterson both received 7.5 percent of the votes. It's no surprise that Brady captured one of the number two spots. He has played consistently over the past decade, is a three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP previously holding the record for most touchdown passes in a single season which Manning won this year. The sixth round draft choice of New England in 2000, Brady has a reputation for providing his team with strong leadership and a demonstrated ability to overcome adversity. It's no surprise that he placed high on the list.
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| Adrian Peterson |
He may be the strong silent type, but Peterson's work speaks for itself. He's been the lone work horse for the Vikings since his arrival in 2007.
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| Calvin Johnson |
Another
strong, silent type, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson finished fourth
with 4.7 percent of the votes. His nickname "Megatron", given him by
former Lions wide receiver Roy Williams, caught on with fans. Many consider him
to be the best receiver in the game. Johnson has a rare combination of size (6
ft 5 in and 239 lbs.), hands, speed (40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds and 100 meter
in 10.23 seconds), strength, leaping ability, body control and hand-eye
coordination.
His list
of awards and record breaking achievements are a testament to his athletic
ability. Johnson gets a lot of respect from his peers because he is by far one
of the more humble players out there. Even when he played on the Lions’ 2008
team that failed to win a single game, Johnson never lost his positive
attitude, something more respectable and probably more difficult than any of
his 66 career touchdowns.
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| Drew Brees |
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees comes in fifth, with 4 percent of the votes. He signed with the Saints in 2006 after having only limited success at San Diego. It seemed to be a match made in heaven.
Despite
being a smaller quarterback at just 6 feet tall, Brees hasn’t once thrown for
less than 4,000 yards since arriving in New Orleans.
Afterr the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the destruction of New Orleans, including the Superdome, the city, Brees had an indescribable impact on the city.
Brees led
the Saints to a 2010 Super Bowl Championship, the first in the franchise’s
history. This victory gave a city of people whose lives had been uprooted a few
years earlier something to rally around. |
| London Fletcher |
Washington
Redskins linebacker London Fletcher is the only defensive player on this list,
and he comes in with 3.4 percent of the vote. He’s in his 16th season as a
linebacker, seven of which have been spent with Washington. While he’s by no
means the best defensive player in the league, the ability to play day in and
day out – he hasn’t missed single a game in his career — is his most reputable
quality. He has the record for most consecutive starts for a linebacker and is
also top 10 on the all-time consecutive start list. With injuries more and more
common every year, Fletcher’s ability to stay healthy was definitely a major
reason for finding himself this well-respected by his peers.
Frank Schwab, Shutdown Corner gives a fitting testimony to Fletcher in his January 14, 2014 column:Fletcher, who has said he was 99 percent sure he would retire after this season, didn't make the list because he's the best linebacker in the NFL (although he has been pretty good for this entire century). It's a testament to him carving out a 16-year NFL career coming out of John Carroll University, looked over initially because he is just 5-foot-10. But what Fletcher did was come to work every day. Literally. He played in 256 consecutive games, never missing one. He played all 16 games this year, racking up more than 100 tackles once again at age 38. He is respected as a leader and for his toughness and longevity. He's the perfect player for any NFL rookie to look up to.
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| Aaron Rodgers |
Last but not least, Green Bay Packers
quarterback Aaron Rodgers finished tied with Fletcher, with 3.4 percent of the
vote. After taking over for Brett Favre in Green Bay, expectations were
especially high for the young Rodgers. Needless to say, he hasn’t disappointed:
He has a Super Bowl ring and an MVP award in just six seasons as a starter.
Yes, he’s had a lot of success thus far, but he also has a reputation for being
a hard-working, intelligent player. Rodgers is respected outside of Green Bay
(obviously, since he’s on this list), but since his first start, Packers
teammates have spoken highly of Rodgers’s ability to step in and lead the
franchise.
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| Andrew Luck |
In a separate ESPN poll which asked the question "If you had to start a team with one player, whom would it be?", the 37-year-old Manning won that with 19.3 percent of the vote, besting Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck who pulled in 17.5 percent of the vote. That still high praise for young Luck, a measure for him to treasure.
The next five players reads like a fantasy football draft with a roll call of the most recognizable players in the NFL:
Brady
(12.8%), Rodgers
(12.5%), Calvin
Johnson (11.6%), Adrian
Peterson (6.3%), and Drew
Brees (3.4%).
It’ll be
interesting to see what next season brings for the NFL and for the players who make
the league the mega-star studded venture it is today.
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