The Greatest NFL Players That Never Won a Super Bowl

[teedubya]

http://amog.com/sports/greatest-nfl-...on-super-bowl/

Below are some of the greatest players, at their positions, that the NFL has ever witnessed. Besides their great abilities and personal success, these players have something else in common - a gigantic void in their career resumes.

This void is caused by an inability to win the biggest game of the year; The Super Bowl. Is it bad luck? Bad weather? Bad match-ups? Karma? Who knows, but what is known is that these players will have to live with an asterisk next to there name to remind them that they could never lead their team to the ultimate goal.

Dan Marino - QB Miami Dolphins 1983-1999

420 TDs, 61,361 YDs

Some consider Dan Marino to be the greatest quarterback in the history of the National Football League. At the time of Marino’s retirement he held almost every major offensive record for a quarterback. Among those records were most total touchdowns, most total yards, most yards in a season, and most touchdowns in a season.

Sadly enough the one stat that eluded Marino throughout his 17 year career was championships. Marino’s one trip to the super bowl was in 1984 against the San Francisco 49ers in which the Dolphins stayed close for the fist half but in the end fell 38-16.

After 1984 Marino continually had just above average talent around him. Most significantly, Marino was void of a running presence throughout his career as there was only one 1,000 yard rusher for the Dolphins in his 17 year career. As the memory of Marino fades as a player, his records seem to be getting forgotten while his inability to win a super bowl becomes the one thing people might remember him for.

Barry Sanders -RB Detroit Lions 1989-1998

99 TDs, 15,269 YDs

Barry Sanders was the most elusive running backs football has ever seen and was a continual highlight reel. Sanders’ numbers in his 9 years of NFL service ranked among the top five in almost every category. Possibly the most frustrating thing for Barry Sanders fans is that at the spry age of only 30, Sanders retired leaving most records associated with running backs unbroken.

Sanders was only 1,500 yards away from Walter Payton’s all time rushing record after his last season in 1998. He also walked away from a career that was completely void of a championship. In Sanders’ 9 year career he only reached as far as the NFC championship once (1991 vs. the Redskins). His Lion teams consistently lacked great play from the defense and at the quarterback position and led to 6 losing seasons during his career.

Warren Moon - QB Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Kanas City Chiefs 1984-2000

291 TDs, 49,325 YDs

Warren Moon came into the NFL after spending time in the Canadian Football league and never looked back. Moon put up some of the greatest statistical years football has ever witnessed. He passed for over 4000 yards four times, while throwing over 30 touchdowns twice.

Moon had one of the elite arms in the NFL, even into his later years. A lot of people forget that Moon spent a full six years in the CFL and threw for over 21,000 yards during his time there and won five consecutive Grey Cup Championships. Those Grey Cups would be the closest thing to a Super Bowl victory that Moon would see in his career. As a matter of fact, Warren Moon never even got to be a part of a divisional championship.

Anthony Munoz - OT Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1980-1993

11 Pro-Bowl appearances

Anthony Munoz is considered by just about every NFL expert to be the greatest offensive linemen in football history. Munoz was a ten time all-pro and anchored a Bengal offensive line that was a strong piece of two super bowl teams.

He appeared in those two super bowls in 1981 and 1989 , both against the San Francisco 49ers who beat them in both contests. Munoz was an unmovable wall for over ten years for the Cincinnati Bengals but never got to feel what it was like to win his last game of any season.

Jim Kelly - QB Buffalo Bills 1986-1996

237 TDs, 35,467 YDs

Jim Kelley came out of the University of Miami a highly touted quarterback, but decided to sign with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. Kelly dominated the league for three years before it’s demise and returned back to the team that originally drafted him, the Buffalo Bills.

With the Bills Jim Kelley became the poster-child for super bowl disappointment. Over the span of four years (1989-1993) the Kelly-lead Buffalo Bills lost in the final game of the year to first the New York Giants, then the Washington Redskins, and finally the Dallas Cowboys two times in a row. Kelly brought about questions whether it is better to never get to the super bowl or to get there four times and lose all four times. Kelley had great teams over his career but seemed to never be able to make that final leap; also, the Bills ran into one of the greatest NFL teams ever in the Dallas Cowboys of 1992 and 1993.

Cris Carter - WR Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins 1987-2002

130 TDs, 13,899 YDs

All Chris Carter did was catch touchdowns and not win super bowls. Cris Carter is another unfortunate soul who never even got to play in the big game.

He came close twice in getting to the NFC championship game, losing to first the Atlanta Falcons and then the New York Giants. Carter wasn’t known as an athletically gifted wide receiver, but as one who had amazing hands, ran great routes, and worked harder than everyone else.

Dick Butkus - LB Chicago Bears 1965-1973

1,020 tackles 22 INTs

Dick Butkus was the scariest man in football for 8 years with the Chicago Bears. Butkus is considered to be one the elite line backers during any decade in the NFL.

He was one of the first defensive players to truly disrupt entire games and force the opposing coach to game-plan around him. Unfortunately, Butkus played for some very bad Chicago teams that never even made the playoffs in his 8 years.

Earl Campbell - RB Houston Oilers, New Orleans Saints 1978-1985

74 TDs, 9,407 YDs

Earl Campbell was the most powerful running back that sports fans had ever seen. His body was a battering ram for a very bad Houston Oilers franchise that depended upon his talent to win games ( just not Super Bowls) and eventually ruined his body.

Dan Fouts - QB San Diego Chargers 1973-1987

254 TDs, 43,040 YDs

When Dan Fouts left the NFL, he was number one in most offensive categories for quarterbacks. Fouts led the high powered Chargers offense for 14 years and performed at a level that most had never seen at his position.

Even with all of his dominance, the Chargers failed to even make it to the final game of the year.

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

Curtis Martin? Fran Tarkenton? Tim Brown?

They all at least played in one.

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

They all at least played in one.

Which begs the question: is it better to play in one, and lose? Or is it better to never get that far? I guess the competitor inside the player must prefer to get there, to at least have a chance, but it's probably a lot more painful to lose a SB than to not have the opportunity. It's sort of like getting a date with a supermodel and going home with only a kiss on the cheek and a pair of hurtin' blueballs.

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Derrick Thomas?

yep-he got us close though

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Micjones

Good thing is, they'll be immortalized in Canton.
Guess if you can only have one of the two... You'll take the Hall.
You can suck and get a ring. There's no backdooring Canton.

But you can also be a great player on a suckass team and never sniff the Hall.

Just ask Tommy Nobis.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by LaChapelle

They all get enough pitty pussy to make up for it. All but Chris Carter he can't even buy any.

I gotta give it up. For all the highlight plays Barry Sanders had at RB, Cris Carter has some of the sickest footage of any WR outside of Moss, or Santonio Holmes' catch in the SB [which I submit will eclipse 'The Catch' in a generation, perhaps the sickest thing a WR has done in the history of the NFL when you consider the stage and the situation].

That the Vikes had Carter and Moss and never had a chance at the SB informs my preference for a good defense nearly as much as my enjoyment of watching DT, Neil Smiff, Saleamua, Carter, et al every week.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by milkman

But you can also be a great player on a suckass team and never sniff the Hall.

Just ask Tommy Nobis.

Tommy Nobis was a bad. ass.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Tommy Nobis was a bad. ass.

No question.

I have always maintained that he was every bit as good as Ray Nitsche, if not better.

[whoman69]

As a matter of fact, Warren Moon never even got to be a part of a divisional championship.

The person who wrote this needs fact checker. The Oilers won the division in '91 and '93 with a tie for the best record in the AFC in '93 so they would have had a bye into the divisional championships that year.

[blaise]

Eric Dickerson

[ClevelandBronco]

Good choices, but is the writer from Kazakhstan? That's some horrible writing...

[Thig Lyfe]

Originally Posted by Kyle DeLexus

While thats true, I wonder what would be the answer if you asked players what they'd rather have? I'm sure the majority would say Canton, but wonder if any would rather have the ring?

They'd say the ring, but I think most would really want the Hall of Fame. Nobody remembers the guys who won the Super Bowl for, say, the Bucs, but everybody remembers you if you make it to Canton.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

That the Vikes had Carter and Moss and never had a chance at the SB informs my preference for a good defense nearly as much as my enjoyment of watching DT, Neil Smiff, Saleamua, Carter, et al every week.

I disagree... they definitely had a chance.

They were 15-1 in 1998, losing to the Falcon 27-30 in the conference championship... they're defense was highly ranked in points allowed and 13th in yards.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by JD10367

Which begs the question: is it better to play in one, and lose? Or is it better to never get that far? I guess the competitor inside the player must prefer to get there, to at least have a chance, but it's probably a lot more painful to lose a SB than to not have the opportunity. It's sort of like getting a date with a supermodel and going home with only a kiss on the cheek and a pair of hurtin' blueballs.

Ultimately, I don't think it matters... I think most will remember your greatness whether you went there and lost once (Marino), four times (Kelly) or never (Fouts). Everyone knows you didn't win it... but, the greatness is still respected and remembered by most.

I understand why people use titles to distinguish players, but I don't know that I agree with it since it's a team game.

[Amnorix]

John Hannah.
Andre Tippett

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

I'll always feel bad for Barry Sanders.

barry sanders was the michael jordan of running backs

you couldn't take your eyes off him cause you were afraid you'd miss something spectacular