Top 10 NFL Players of the 50s

Here's a Cinderella story: a man with poor eyesight and a lack of athleticism made the Colts in 1955 through hard work and practice to become the main player of that decade. His pairing with Johnny Unitas made them the best quarterback-wide receiver duo of the decade.

His breakthrough performance came in the 1958 NFL Championship game as he caught 12 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. The Colts won their first world championship and Baltimore's first pro sports world championship.

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He was the greatest Philadelphia Eagle ever, according to the NFL Network Top 10. Concrete Charlie was tough and an American hero serving our country in World War II.

He's a no-nonsense guy who once confronted Chuck Noll before his coaching days in Pittsburgh. He intercepted 20 passes and played through the Eagles' lean years in the 1950s, and for his great efforts, earned a berth on the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team. Bednarik, a 1966 Pro Football Hall of Famer.

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He turned pro in 1948, and within two years had emerged as one of the best rising stars in the game. This set the stage for 1950, the year the Rams lit up the scoreboard in record numbers previously unseen in professional football.

Fears was a big part of it when he caught 84 passes (a then NFL record), including 18 in a game against the Green Bay Packers on November 12. He also helped the team reach the NFL Title game after catching two touchdowns in a Western Conference tiebreaker against the Bears.

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He was the Hollywood-like marquee player of the modern era. He was charming and, most of all, he was great. So great that Hollywood came calling, and in 1953, he starred in the film titled simply Crazylegs.

Even in retirement, he still shined in the movies and on TV, including a guest appearance in a 1965 episode of The Munsters. Unlike nearly all players, he retired at the top of his game in 1958 and left with 343 receptions for 6,299 yards and 53 touchdowns. He played on that fabled 1951 Rams Championship team.

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He was the heart and soul of the Baltimore Colts. His defense was also the heart and soul of a city that welcomed its team in 1953, and within five years was challenging for an NFL Championship.

At that title game, he made a critical tackle on New York's Frank Gifford on third down late in the game and suffered a fractured ankle. But as team captain, he stayed, and that epic photo of him rooting on his team to win the championship is one of the iconic photos in NFL history.

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A Steeler that gave you everything he had and more. He was one of the best defensive linemen of his day and became the cornerstone of the Steelers' bruising defense.

He played hurt and was the guts and glory of a team that at times came close to making the playoffs in some good years for the team. His efforts were rewarded with 9 trips to the Pro Bowl, the 1957 NFL Lineman of the Year award, being named to the Steelers' 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

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Norm was the head coach in the 1960s and '70s, bad-mouthing the officials and players. But go back one decade, and he was like a general leading his teams to battle. As a quarterback, he won many games with the Los Angeles Rams.

1951 was a year no Rams fan will ever forget. On September 28, he was a one-man army, replacing the injured Bob Waterfield. He completed 27 of 41 attempts with five touchdown passes and a still-NFL record 554 yards passing. Yes, the Rams won that game and later the championship.

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Bobby wasn't the perfect NFL passer for this decade, but he was the perfect big-time winner for the Detroit Lions. The 1953 NFL Championship Game was one of many great clutch games he had in his pro career.

His Lions, trailing by six, drove the ball 80 yards to set up a game-winning touchdown pass from Layne to Jim Doran from 33 yards out with 2 minutes left to play, securing the Lions as back-to-back champions. He's a major member of the 1950s NFL All-Decade Team. Peter Bonventre once wrote, "The Detroit Lions of the Layne era were the best team in football on Sunday afternoon and the best party in town Sunday night."

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Browns fans may remember him as the man who kicked the game-winning field goal in the 1950 NFL Championship Game. But Browns fans will also remember him as a gutsy place kicker who, for good or bad, always gave his best.

He competed in the 1952 NFL Championship despite having cracked ribs, missing three field goals. The next year, now healthy, he kicked an NFL record 23 field goals in a season at an 88.5 percent rate, a record that stood for 28 years. Groza's great 1954 season was so amazing that The Sporting News named him the NFL Most Valuable Player. An original GREAT Brown.

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Yale is not just a name for a college. Yale Lary was one of the best players you don't hear about anymore. But Yale held his own and became the best he could be.

At safety, he intercepted 50 passes for 787 yards. He was great as a punter, long before the Ray Guy era in Oakland. He played in 9 Pro Bowls, led the NFL in punting three times, and had a great 44.3 yards per punt. A first-team NFL All-Pro an impressive 5 times, he even played a great part in the Detroit Lions winning the 1957 NFL Championship.

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