Friday Favorites: Top 5 Football Players

With the Super Bowl Sunday upon us, I thought I would share my 5 favorite NFL football players in my life.   As with any list, it fluxuates, but here today, these are my 5 favorite: 

5. Warren Moon, QB, Houston Oilers: Moon had a gun for an arm and he could throw the ball.  This is not an official statement, but it felt like most of his passing yards were in the air, not after the catch.  He threw over 4000 yards four seasons and two of those seasons were over 4,600 yards.  He made the Pro Bowl 8 straight seasons and nine in all.  

4. Jerome Bettis, RB, Pittsburg: They called him the "Bus" but Jerome Bettis was a tank carrying the ball.  I will never forget how powerful he was playing the Bears early in his career with the Rams.  Bettis for his smash style of running, racked up over 1000 yards rushing in 8 seasons.  

Jerome Bettis: Top 10 Big Guys video  **

3. Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco:  No player frustrated me more in the late 1980's than Joe Montana.  Why?  Because he, more than anyone, knew how to win.  He stopped several really good Bears teams from reaching the Super Bowl, but I suppose Montana was pretty good himself.  In 1987, he threw 31 touchdowns to lead the NFL.  Montana has a 16-7 playoff record and over 5,500 passing yards in the playoffs.  He won every Super Bowl that he ever played in which is four, if you are counting.  What I remember most about Montana was his poise on the field even when he was under pressure.  

Joe Montana: Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players  **

2. Barry Sanders, RB, Detroit: Sanders was a highlight reel every week on some pretty bad Detroit teams.  What made Sanders special was his ability to improvise and make defensive players miss.  Sanders was power, but he could spin, cut left to right to make defenders miss and then put on the gas to out run most linebackers and many secondary players.  

Barry Sanders: Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players **

1. Walter Payton, RB, Chicago Bears: He was sweetness.  What more do I need to say?  Walter Payton was my favorite player growing up and when I think of the Chicago Bears or even favorite players in the NFL, Payton is always the first player to come to my mind.  I will never forget my dad saying to me, as he would a decade later with Michael Jordan, he is the best in the sport.  No one even comes close.  Best is always debatable, but I will always argue that Walter Payton is one of the best.  

I remember as a young boy watching Payton crash into the line over and over and my dad would say, "two yards and a cloud of dust."  The thing with Payton was, he may pound the "two yards" but then he would break out, hit some defenders really hard, and drive down the field.  As he approached the endzone, he would start his classic high-step and run right in.  Where Barry Sanders was a magician in making defenders miss him, Payton would make defenders pay the price for getting in his way.  

Walter Payton was innovative as he made the goal-line dive famous.  I will never forget the front page of the Chicago Tribune sports page one Monday morning with a end zone line shot of Peyton flying over the defensive line to score the touchdown.  Besides just being one of the greatest running backs, Payton was versitle as he set numerous blocks to set the fullback free.  Peyton could throw the ball as he completed 8 touchdown passes in his career.  This Chicago Bear brought my brother, dad and I together every Sunday afternoon for years.  I am grateful for that, and for the amazing skill he shared with all of us.  

Walter Payton: Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players **

** The videos are not available to post on the blog, so I supplied the YouTube links to checkout the highlights for yourself.  

   

Basement Treasures: Family Heirlooms

 

A stroll into the basement in search of some Basement Treasures uncovered this family heirloom.  This dollhouse was hand-built by my Grandfather and given to my mom who owned and operated a preschool in our basement.  He also made a copy of this dollhouse for a raffle (see picture), so there is or was another house just like this one.  

My grandfather was a Methodist minister, but I knew him better for the things he built.  He crafted a special item for my brother, sister, and me that we cherished as children.  My sister received a dollhouse that I have no memory of what it looked like, my brother received a red barn that he and I played with often, and I got a rocker that was a green turtle which I quickly outgrew.  I still have the green turtle rocker that will likely show up in a future "Basement Treasures" post, but both of my children used and enjoyed the rocker.  My hope is that my girls' children will also be able to use the rocker someday.  

I received the dollhouse when my mom was clearing out her house after she closed the preschool.  I have two girls who at the time were young and of age to play with dolls and dollhouses, so that is how it came my way.  My girls loved the wood floors and wallpapered walls that my grandfather so carefully hung and created.  He hand-created each wood shingle on the top of the house and inserted windows.  What can't really be seen is that the front of the house and the back of the house slide off to give full access to the interior of the house.  There is also a panel of the roof that can come out to give access to the attic.  This house has brought years of fun to so many children.  

Me and my Grandfather  and the twin house

What is sad to me is that it now sits in the corner of our basement and is only thought of when I have to reset a fuse in our own house.  Its purpose now is to wait for a new generation of children in my family.  It is in some disrepair with some missing windows and wallpaper curling up and off the wall.  I think I look forward to the "grandfather" duty of making those repairs in retirement sometime in the future in anticipation of grandkids myself.  That is years away but for now, it is a classic family heirloom that hides in the corner of our basement as a "Basement Treasure."  

Update:  10/27/24

I found a new home for the dollhouse.  I was sharing the story of the dollhouse and my grandpa at work when one of my colleagues mentioned that her husband and daughter like to work on projects, especially reclamation type projects.  So, long story made short, the dollhouse eventually went home with them so they can make it a family project to fix up the dollhouse.  When they came to pick it up in their pickup truck, it was sad to see it go, but I was excited for the look in her husband's eye when he saw the dollhouse.  I shared with him how it was built and the things that had fallen to disrepair.  His interest and excitement to work on it was clear, which made it much easier to be able to say goodbye to a piece of our family history.