Ultimately, the question asks who is the best football player ever; this question takes a lot of consideration. Yes, there were and are great players at their respective positions; however, if Montana or Marino were asked to play cornerback or running back, they would not be mentioned as the greatest.

I believe a great player is defined by that player’s ability to play multiple positions at a high level. Deion Sanders played wide receiver, returned punts/kicks, and is still, in my opinion, the best shut down corner that ever played the game.

Jim Brown was a great running back, Jerry Rice may have been the best receiver ever, and Walter Payton is on the list for great players, as are Unitas, Montana, Marino, Lawrence Taylor, Tom Brady, as well as Otto Graham.

The greatest player would be the best athlete to pick in order to win an immediate championship, to shutdown or overcome an opposing player/offense/defense, or make such a sudden impact that opposing teams have to adjust their schemes, meaning their offense, defense, as well as their kicking game, in order to compete against this one individual.

Deion Sanders would be that player; you cannot kick/punt it to him or he will make you pay, you cannot throw it to the receiver he is covering, you must respect his speed as a receiver, and on an end around, he can go for 100 yards at any given time.

Who is the greatest player of all time?, is a complicated question; however, I hope this answer helps to puts it more in perspective