Top 10 Best NFL Players of the 60s

The Top Ten

Jim Brown

James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 to May 18, 2023) was an American professional football player and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 1957 to 1965. Brown led the league in rushing yards eight times, was selected to the Pro Bowl every year of his career, earned... read more
Johnny Unitas

John Constantine Unitas, nicknamed "Johnny U" or "The Golden Arm", was an American professional football quarterback. He played from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s, primarily with the Baltimore Colts. Unitas is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the National... read more

Johnny U brought joy to Baltimore when he led them to championships in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he continued to win games and break many NFL records in the process. His first great achievement was his 47-game streak of at least one touchdown pass. From there, he set numerous records and received many awards.
Among those awards were his two NFL MVPs in 1964 and 1967. In 1964, he passed for 2,824 yards with an impressive average of 9.26 yards per pass attempt and threw 19 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions. This solidified why Johnny U is considered the best quarterback of the 1960s.
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The Peyton Manning of his time!
Deacon Jones

David D. "Deacon" Jones was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He played for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and the Washington Redskins. Jones is credited with coining the term "sack" to describe tackling the quarterback and was inducted into the Pro Football... read more

He once said he wanted to be different from those other David Joneses in the phone book, so he added Deacon. With it came lots of pages to be written in the NFL scrapbook of memorable honors. He himself coined a new stat in pro football called the sack. In his career, he had a lot of unofficial sacks, with a career high of 22 in 1964 and 1968. Sacks didn't make it to the official stats department until 1982. By then, he had retired, but he left behind a lot of quarterbacks feeling black and blue.
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Dick Butkus

Richard Marvin Butkus, born December 9, 1942, and passed away on October 5, 2023, was a legendary American football linebacker. He played for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1973 and was known for his aggressive style and dominant presence on the field. After retiring, Butkus worked as a commentator and... read more

Dick was awesome in any decade, but the 60s were the best. 1969 is my favorite Dick Butkus year. Why? The 1969 Bears went 1-13, but Butkus played at the highest level.
He was named to the New York Daily News All-NFL Team. On November 9, 1969, he sacked Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Dick Shiner in the end zone for a safety, his first points ever as a pro. The Bears won that game 38-7. Butkus had 25 tackles and was rewarded as the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Week. At year's end, he was named the Newspaper Enterprise Association NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
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Gale Sayers

Gale Eugene Sayers, also known as "The Kansas Comet," was born on May 30, 1943, and passed away on September 23, 2020. He played college football at the University of Kansas and later joined the Chicago Bears in the NFL, where he played from 1965 to 1971. Despite a career shortened by injuries, Sayers... read more

He was the light on a team that went nowhere. His 1965 debut set the NFL on fire. October 17, 1965, was one in a series of amazing games for the Kansas Comet. Sayers carried 13 times for 64 yards and a touchdown, caught 4 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown, and had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a 45-37 Bears victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
At season's end, he was the Newspaper Enterprise Association, Associated Press, and United Press International Rookie of the Year.
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Bart Starr

Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr was a former professional American football quarterback and coach. He played for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and led the team to five NFL championships, including victories in the first two Super Bowls. Starr was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977... read more

Hall of Fame linebacker Joe Schmidt said about Starr: "Nothing seems to rattle him. You can never get him mad, and that's what we like to do, get the quarterback all excited. You can hit Starr as hard as you want, and he never seems to lose his cool." Truly one of the game's great clutch passers, he was Tom Brady before Tom Brady was even born.
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John Mackey

John Mackey was an American football tight end who played ten seasons in the NFL. He spent the first nine seasons (1963-1971) with the Baltimore Colts and finished his career with the San Diego Chargers in 1972. During his career he earned five Pro Bowl selections, was a three‑time first‑team All‑Pro... read more

John wasn't the first tight end who changed the game, but he was the first tight end to use speed and quickness to change the game. His rookie year of 1963 was a sign of things to come as he averaged over 20 yards a catch, scored 7 touchdowns, and made the Pro Bowl. In his career, he missed only 1 game.
His contributions to the game earned him a spot on the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. After being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
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Bob Lilly
Jim Taylor

The story of Jim Taylor is as legendary as anyone putting on the Packers uniform. 1962 was his best year, and he played superbly with Paul Hornung out for most of the season with an injury. He rushed for 1,474 yards, won his lone NFL rushing title, and scored a then-NFL record 19 touchdowns.
His great season was rewarded by being named the Associated Press NFL MVP and receiving the Jim Thorpe Award as the NFL Players' MVP. He also made All-Pro in the Associated Press, United Press International, and Newspaper Enterprise Association. Some season!
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Carl Eller

Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and attended the University of Minnesota. Eller spent most of his career with the Minnesota Vikings and was inducted into the Pro... read more

Carl was a big part of the Minnesota Vikings' 1969 first NFL Championship team. In his career, he was durable, missing only 3 games. He played in the 1968 and 1969 Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in both years. He was a major factor in a defensive unit called The Purple People Eaters. Carl is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and one of its very best.
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The Newcomers

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Dave Robinson

Dave brought speed and quickness to an already star-studded Packers team in the 1960s. He played in the 1966, 1968, and 1969 Pro Bowls. Robinson intercepted 21 passes, but his defining moment happened at the 1966 NFL Championship when he forced Dallas Cowboy quarterback Don Meredith to make a hurried pass into the arms of Packers' Tom Wilson.
A member of the 1960s NFL All-Decade Team, NFL Hall of Famer Jack Christiansen once said, "Trying to pass over Robinson, with his arms and reaction, is like trying to pass over the Empire State Building."
Robinson, one of the NFL's best in the 1960s.
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Doug Atkins

The Contenders

Merlin Olsen

Merlin Jay Olsen (September 15, 1940 to March 11, 2010) was an American football player, announcer, and actor. He played as a defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams from 1962 to 1976. After retiring from football, Olsen worked as a sports broadcaster and appeared in television series such as Little... read more
Dick "Night Train" Lane

Richard "Dick" Lane, nicknamed "Night Train," was an American football player best known as a cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Cardinals, and Detroit Lions. He played in the National Football League from 1952 to 1965. Lane still holds the record for most interceptions in a single season,... read more
Forrest Gregg

Alvis Forrest Gregg was an American football player and coach who lived from October 18, 1933, until April 12, 2019. He played 16 seasons in the NFL, primarily at offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers, winning six NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls . After his playing career,... read more
Bob Brown
Bobby Bell

One of the greatest linebackers of this decade, he was just as good a linebacker as Dick Butkus in this era. Bell played in 6 straight AFL All-Star Games (1964-1969). He was the 1969 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, which was also the year of the Chiefs' first world championship. He was named to the NFL's 100th Anniversary Team, and his number 78 was retired by the Chiefs. He is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Sonny Jurgensen

Sonny, a name Redskins fans will never forget. When he was on his game, he was unstoppable. As an Eagle in 1961, he passed for 3,723 yards and a whopping 32 touchdown passes. Then, as a Redskin in 1967, he passed for 3,747 yards on 288 completions. Two years later, thanks to new head coach Vince Lombardi, the leaner Sonny passed for 3,102 yards on 274 completions as the Redskins had their first winning season since 1955. Sonny, we love you.
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Leroy Kelly

When he arrived in Cleveland in 1964, he was on a team that already had a great running back named Jim Brown. He played on a world championship team. When Brown retired, Kelly stepped up and never looked back.
He played in the Pro Bowl from 1966 to 1971 and was a two-time rushing champion in 1966 and 1967. But he could do more because he was an excellent kickoff returner (23.5 yards per return) and a solid punt returner (10.5 yards per return).
His great runs were weekly viewed on syndicated TV on This Week in Pro Football. Leroy Kelly truly successfully carried on the Browns' running game tradition.
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Mike Ditka

Michael Keller Ditka is a former American football player, coach, and television commentator. He played as a tight end in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys. Ditka later coached the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl XX victory and worked as an NFL analyst on major networks... read more
Bob "Bullet" Hayes

Fastest human being to ever walk the planet, though a bit inconsistent. At his best, he is the only sprinter who could have beaten Usain Bolt at his best. His anchor leg in the 4x100 relay final at the 1964 Olympics is the single fastest speed anybody has ever gone. He was thrilling in every game he played in, but his post-football life was not good. May he rest in peace.
Paul Hornung
Jerry Kramer
Willie Davis
Ray Nitschke
Larry Wilson
Herb Adderley