Perhaps no defender in the history of the NFL was more feared than New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

“L.T.” was born February 4, 1959 and essentially came out of the womb ready to play football. After an All-American career at the University of North Carolina, the New York Giants drafted Lawrence Taylor with the second overall selection in the 1981 NFL Draft.

Lawrence Taylor made a splash right away in the NFL, winning the league Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 1981. It would be just one of the many career accomplishments for Lawrence Taylor.

Lawrence Taylor played his entire career with the Giants from 1981 to 1993. He recorded 1,088 tackles, 142 sacks and nine interceptions. Lawrence Taylor was also a 10-time Pro Bowl and 10-time All-Pro Selection and won two Super Bowls with the Giants.

In 1986, Lawrence Taylor recorded 20.5 sacks (a career best) and won the AP NFL MVP. He was named the AP’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times (1981, 1982, 1986) and recorded double-digit sacks in seven consecutive seasons dating from 1984 to 1990. Lawrence Taylor was also named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team.

Lawrence Taylor was arguably the most gifted outside linebacker to ever play the game. He essentially changed the way offensive lines had to play the Giants because of his dynamic athletic ability. In many instances, teams tried to use extra defenders – sometimes three at a time – in efforts to slow Lawrence Taylor down, but were often unsuccessful.

He was a true sideline-to-sideline defender and one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL. When he blitzed, he couldn’t be blocked by only a running back because it was a matchup Lawrence Taylor usually won. His energy and effort was often unrivaled.

Off the field Lawrence Taylor was just as reckless. After he retired, he admitted that he used to send hired prostitutes to opponents’ hotel rooms in hopes to tire them out. He also admitted to spending thousands of dollars on drugs and even fessed up to using teammates’ urine in order to pass league-administered drug tests.

More recently, Lawrence Taylor has pursued a career in acting and even had a role in Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday. Lawrence Taylor has also lent his voice to the controversial video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, as well as Blitz: The League.

With Joe Namath, it’s not all about stats.

Oh, “Broadway Joe” had stats, too. But it was more about his presence and larger-than-life façade.

Joe Namath was drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, but elected to sign with the AFL’s New York Jets, who chose him with the third overall pick in the first round of the 1965 AFL Draft. Joe Namath played in New York for almost his entire career from 1965 to 1976, then capped off his career with the Los Angeles Rams in 1977.

For his career, Joe Namath finished with 173 touchdowns and threw for 27,663 yards. While his QB Rating was only a 65.5, Joe Namath was nominated to five Pro Bowls and was a five-time All-Pro Selection. He was also a two-time AFL MVP in 1968 and 1969.

As previously noted, however, stats weren’t Joe Namath’s claim to fame.

The year was 1969 and the NFL was regarded as the more superior league to the AFL. Led by All-Pro quarterback Johnny Unitas, the Baltimore Colts were favored by three touchdowns and expected to steamroll the New York Jets in the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, now referred to as the Super Bowl.

Three days before the game, Joe Namath responded to a heckler at the Miami touchdown Club with the now famous, “We’ll win the game. I guarantee you.” It was the first time a professional athlete guaranteed a win and the quote sent shockwaves through the country.

Who was this brash player?

Joe Namath proved that he wasn’t all talk, competing 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards and earning the game’s Most Valuable Player Award in the New York Jets’ stunning 16-7 victory. It’s still one of the greatest upsets in football and sports history.

The win made Joe Namath a star and his career made him a Hall of Famer. But the guarantee made Joe Namath a legend. While he was the first NFL quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in 1967, he was also the game’s first marketable media personality. Joe Namath was a true media superstar and before his knees ruined his mobility, one of top quarterbacks to play the game.

“Prime Time” Deion Sanders was one of the flashiest and cockiest players to ever don a NFL uniform. He was also one of the best cover corners the game has ever seen. 

Deion Sanders was a three-sport athlete at Florida State University. He starred in football, baseball and track, and was a two-time consensus All-American cornerback in 1987 and 1988. In 1988, he won the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back. 

Deion Sanders was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1989 and immediately made an impact, scoring a touchdown on his very first kick return. During his five years in Atlanta, Deion Sanders intercepted 24 passes – three of which he returned for touchdowns – and led the league in kickoff return yards with 1,067 in 1992. 

Frustrated by the direction of the Falcons, Deion Sanders signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers, turning in one of his best seasons as a pro. He recorded six interceptions and returned them for an NFL-best 303 yards and three touchdowns. Deion Sanders also won the 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award and hauled in an interception in the 49ers’ 49-26 thrashing of the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. 

After feuding with All-Pro wide receiver Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders became upset with the 49ers’ organization. Just before the 1995 season, “Prime Time” signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys, which made him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. That season, Deion Sanders helped the Cowboys win their third Super Bowl in four years with an exiting victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. In the game, Deion Sanders caught a 47-yard reception on offense, which set up the Cowboys’ first score. He currently is the only player in NFL history to catch a pass and make an interception in the Super Bowl. 

Towards the twilight of his career, Deion Sanders played for the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens, respectively. But age and injuries caught up to the once elite cornerback and in January of 2006, Deion Sanders retired for a second time and became an analyst for the NFL Network, where he’s still currently employed. 

Over his NFL career, Deion Sanders was selected to eight Pro Bowls, was a nine-time All-Pro selection and was a two-time Super Bowl Champion. He was also selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s. 

One of the things Deion Sanders is known for is being a two-sport athlete. He played with five different teams during his MLB career, including the New York Yankees (1989-1990), the Atlanta Braves (1991-1994), Cincinnati Reds (1994-1995, 1997, 2001) and the San Francisco Giants (1995). He led the National League in triples in 1992 with 14 and stole 186 bases during his career. 

While Deion Sanders has taken criticism for shying away from contact on the football field, nobody can deny his legacy as a legitimate shutdown corner. Perhaps no other corner in the NFL has ever shut down an entire side of the field like Deion Sanders could, although there arguably have been better all-around defensive backs, including the Broncos’ Champ Bailey.