I was thinking about some of the players who have left an impression on me over the years and thought it would be great to have a thread in which we could put the name of a player that has made an impression on you over the years. For a starter, Karl Mecklenberg, Denver Broncos middle linebacker. One of the first players I really liked when I became interested in football back in the late 1980's. 6 time probowler and second all-time on the Broncos sack charts. Its amazing he got picked in the 12th round.
When I first started playing organized league football when I was a kid, I got stuck at center. So I more or less idolized the centers that rooled at that time: Jim Otto (Raiders) and Mick Tinglehoff (Vikings). Tinglehoff played for 17 years and was a 6 time pro-bowler. He started in 4 Super Bowls. He was an undrafted free agent, iirc. Jim Otto played for 15 years, he was #00. I believe he was the first player ever drafted by the Oakland Raiders. He was an AFL All Star 10x (every year the league was in existence) and a pro-bowler 3x. He was selected into the Hall of Fame in 80. He just had his leg amputated in August and was a regular fixture with Al Davis in the Raider's Owner's box. I don't know if he's been going to the games since his amputation.
