Best of the Best Part 1: Football Edition [David Stefanini]

For the next 4 days I am going to do a Best of the Best post. Each day I am going to cover one of the four major sports. In each post I will go over the top 5 players in that league and give a little insight into why I think they are the Best of the Best.

Football:

1- LaDainian Tomlinson - Without question LT has become the most dominating player in the league. Let's see some of his stats; first in rushing with 1815, first in total touchdowns with 31 (all time record), first in rushing touchdowns with 28 (all-time record), and first in scoring with 186 points (all-time record). There is no doubt he was the most dominating player in the league this season. Whenever you put up 100 yards and a touchdown, and that is considered a sub-par day, you are in elite company. Let's forget about just today and think about all time greats. If LT can have a few more years like this one, when his career is over we will be calling him the best.... Oh yeah, by the way he was the MVP this season.

2 - Peyton Manning - After winning the Super Bowl this season there are no questions he is the best quarterback in the league. Peyton is on pace to break all of Dan Marino's passing records, and Peyton already has something Marino will never have...a Super Bowl ring.

3- Tom Brady - Brady has 3 Super Bowl rings and is the player most coaches would want Brady with the ball late in the 4th quarter. He is a natural born leader who leads his team with great poise and confidence every time he steps on the field. He is definitely one of the top two quarterbacks in the league, but since Manning just won the Super Bowl, Brady has to settle for the #3 spot on this list.

4 - Larry Johnson - Larry Johnson has just completed his first full season as an NFL starter and he did not disappoint. Johnson finished second to LT in rushing with 1789 yards, second to LT in total touchdowns with 19, and second to LT in rushing touchdowns with 17. Johnson has a very bright future in this league and he has already put himself among the very best who are playing right now.

5 - Champ Bailey - I had to get a great defender and who better than Champ Bailey? Bailey is the best corner back in the league today and one of the best to ever wear a jersey. I felt he should have been the Defensive Player of the Year this season. He single handily takes the opposing teams best wide receiver out of the game. If you throw the ball in his direction there is a very good chance he is going to come down with it. Normally if a corner is left on single coverage with a wide receiver the quarterback will throw the ball deep and expect his man to come down with the ball. However, if the defender is Champ Bailey the quarterback thinks twice about throwing the ball. Bailey is a game changer and the best defender in the league.

This concludes the football edition of the Best of the Best. Tomorrow I will be doing the basketball version.