Cincinnati Bengals

The NFL has seen some incredible players throughout the years, some who have made Hall of Fame careers, and others who have made a memorable impact on the game with plays and moves that live in our memories forever. A lot of our favorite NFL players have played the game with incredible honor on and off the field. However, some guys have been disrespected and overshadowed by the league, even though they’ve made a strong impact on the field, by not getting elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and being overlooked by other talented players at their respective positions. These guys have been forgotten about and deserve more light shone on their names, especially for the accolades they’ve earned during their playing careers. Some of these guys made multiple Pro Bowls and got to help their respective teams win the Super Bowl, and yet are disrespected and overlooked by many because of more talented players at the position. Here at TPS, we’re going to look at the most disrespected players in NFL history and back it up with the stats. Who are the most scorned players in NFL history? Torry HoltDec 11, 2005; Minneapolis, MN, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver #81 Torry Holt breaks free from Minnesota Vikings cornerback #33 Ralph Brown en route to a 17 yard gain in the second quarter at the Metrodome. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2005 Bruce Kluckhohn Holt is considered one of the most disrespected players in NFL history because of multiple Pro Football Hall of Fame snubs. Holt had eight straight 1,000-yard seasons and led the league in receiving yards twice in his career: having 1,635 yards in 2000 and 1,696 yards in 2003. He also led the league in receptions in 2003 with 117. He made seven Pro Bowls during his incredible career, which was three more than Isaac Bruce, who made four Pro Bowls and is enshrined in Canton. Holt is the only offensive member of the 2000s All-Decade Team not enshrined, which is beyond insulting. Hall of Fame voters preferred guys like Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, and Marvin Harrison over the years, leading to a logjam at the position, but that shouldn’t be an excuse.  Holt put up elite stats in the latter years of his career with quarterbacks like Marc Bulgar, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brock Berlin, and Gus Frerotte, who aren’t exactly elite quarterbacks. Holt deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, and the NFL and other networks needs to show him the respect he truly deserves. L. C. Greenwood The late L. C. Greenwood was one of the most electrifying safeties to play in the NFL, as he played a significant role in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense that became a dynasty in the 1970s. Greenwood made six Pro Bowls, was a part of the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team, and was a two-time First Team All-Pro.  Despite all of those accolades, Greenwood has been disrespected by the NFL, even after his death, as he hasn’t been enshrined in Canton. Greenwood recorded 78 sacks before sacks became an official record in 1982, and he holds the record for the most sacks by a single player in a Super Bowl. Hall of Fame voters can argue that they had voting fatigue, as many members of the 1970s Steelers’ defense are already in the Hall of Fame, like Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, and Donnie Shell already enshrined in Canton.  It’s absolutely shameful that Greenwood is still disrespected by the NFL to this day, as he has the stats and accolades that belong in Canton.  Henry EllardSep 12, 1993; Anaheim, CA, USA: FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Rams receiver Henry Ellard (80) in action against Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back D.J. Johnson (44) at Anaheim Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY NETWORK Before the “Greatest Show on Turf,” there was Henry Ellard, who was a dominant receiver during his time with the Rams in the 1980s and early 90s, and had some good stints with Washington and the New England Patriots in the mid to late 1990s. Ellard had seven 1,000-yard seasons in his career, made three Pro Bowls, led the league in receiving yards in 1988, and was a two-time First Team All-Pro in his career. Ellard spent decades without serious Hall of Fame consideration, as he has better statistics than other Hall of Fame receivers with a higher yards per reception record, 16.9, compared to someone like Randy Moss, who has 15.6 yards per reception, and Steve Largent, who has 16 yards per reception. He also had some mediocre quarterbacks throwing him passes, like Jim Everett, Jeff Kemp, Dieter Brock, Steve Bartkowski, Vince Ferragamo, Chuck Long, Heath Shuller, and Gus Frerotte, who aren’t exactly elite Hall of Fame pocket-passers.  General fans and Hall of Fame voters still overlook Ellard’s great production, and he wasn’t a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame until 2023, yet he wasn’t voted into Canton.  Ellard deserves a lot more respect from the NFL, players, and fans alike for all he accomplished on the field.  Jim MarshallJan 11, 1970; New Orleans, USA; FILE PHOTO; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall (70) on the sideline against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium. The Chiefs defeated the Vikings 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports Marshall was a great and talented defensive end who was a part of the Minnesota Vikings’ “Purple People Eaters” defense in the 1960s and 1970s and was the “iron man” of that unit. However, Marshall is also known for his infamous “wrong way” fumble return for a safety in a 1964 game against the San Francisco 49ers.  Despite that, Marshall made two Pro Bowls, helped the Vikings win the 1969 NFL Championship, played in the most consecutive games with one team, and had the most consecutive starts by a defensive player with 270. Marshall also helped the Vikings reach four Super Bowls, but the team lost all of them to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Miami Dolphins, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Oakland Raiders, respectively.  Despite all of that, Marshall has never been elected to the Hall of Fame, which feels like a sign of disrespect.  Marshall was talented and fierce in his playing days, but he perceived a lack of dominance during his playing career. Marshall has often been overshadowed by his fellow Vikings teammates like Allan Page and Carl Eller, who are both enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Will Marshall ever get more respect put on his name and get enshrined in Canton in the future? Who knows? But at least he is enshrined in the Vikings’ Ring of Honor.  London FletcherLondon Fletcher played five seasons for the Buffalo Bills and had at least 133 tackles in each of them. London Fletcher Fletcher was a member of the “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams on defense, who patrolled the pass-rush with Mike Jones and Todd Collins, and helped the team win Super Bowl XXXIV over the Tennessee Titans. Fletcher is widely considered a disrespected player due to his elite production never garnering any All-Pro teams, and entering the NFL as an undrafted linebacker. He was incredibly durable in his 16 years in the league. He made four Pro Bowls in the latter years with Washington. And he was the leader in combined tackles in 2011 with 166, and had an incredible journey from an NCAA Division III school.  Fletcher was an elite tackling machine who had over 2,039 combined tackles (the second most in the league behind Ray Lewis), 39 sacks, 20 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, 23 interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns. In a six-season span, Fletcher even outplayed Hall of Fame linebackers like Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, and Derrick Brooks.  With stats like that, Fletcher deserves a lot more respect and a chance to get enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, potentially.  Ken AndersonDec 9, 1973; Cincinnati, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson (14) in action against the Cleveland Browns at Riverfront Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports Anderson is a Cincinnati icon, as he spent his entire playing career and a majority of his coaching career with the Bengals.  Anderson led the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI, where they ultimately lost to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers.  He is considered one of the most disrespected quarterbacks of all time, as he’s not in Canton, despite making four Pro Bowls, earning the 1981 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, earning the 1981 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, and earning the 1981 NFL MVP.  Anderson led the league in passing yards twice in 1974 and 1975, earning himself the 1975 NFL Man of the Year award, and has thrown 197 touchdowns against 160 interceptions in his career. Anderson did win a Super Bowl when he was a quarterbacks coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 season, as they defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII. It would be very refreshing for Anderson to get more respect shown to his name and get him permanently enshrined in Canton sooner rather than later. Steven JacksonDecember 23, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) jumps as he runs with the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. St. Louis Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Jackson is regarded as one of the most disrespected and underrated running backs in the 2000s, as he was stuck on a lot of mediocre St. Louis Rams teams for most of his career. Jackson made three Pro Bowls, made two Second-Team All-Pro teams in 2006 and 2009, rushed for 11,438 yards on 2,764 carries, scored 69 rushing touchdowns, caught 461 receptions for 3,683 yards, and scored nine receiving touchdowns. He had eight consecutive 1,000-yard seasons during his time with the Rams, and is the team’s all-time rushing leader with 10,138 yards ahead of Hall of Famers like Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk. Jackson rarely fumbled the ball, as he had no fumbles from 2012 until the end of his playing career. He is also a part of the 10,000-yard club with Hall of Famers like Faulk, Thurman Thomas, Edgerrin James, Jerome Bettis, and Barry Sanders.  This player deserves a lot more respect in the NFL for how he was a workhorse during the mediocrity period of the Rams, and deserves to be in the team’s Ring of Fame for all of his accomplishments with the team. Roy GreenNov 2, 1986; St. Louis, MO, USA; FILE PHOTO; St. Louis Cardinals receiver Roy Green (81) reaches back for a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit Herb Weitman-USA TODAY Sports Green is regarded as one of the most disrespected and forgotten players in NFL history due to playing on struggling St. Louis/ Phoenix Cardinals’ teams, and he played in an era with other wide receivers like Jerry Rice and Steve Largent in the spotlight. Green made two Pro Bowls, was a two-time First-Team All-Pro, led the league in receiving touchdowns in 1983 with 14, and led the league in receiving yards in 1984 with 1,555, as a dual-threat player.  In a 1981 game against Washington, Green caught a 58-yard touchdown and recorded an interception in the same game. It was the first time a wide receiver accomplished that feat since Ed Sutton in 1957 at the time.  Green deserves a lot more respect and light shone on his name for his athletic prowess, and in his peak, he was a Hall of Fame-caliber player, as he was considered the best wide receiver in football.  Green is rightfully enshrined in the Cardinals Ring of Honor, but more people should talk about his athletic performance during his prime in the 1980s. Marques ColstonNov 8, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (12) fights off Tennessee Titans defensive back B.W. Webb (38) in the second half of their game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Titans won, 34-28, in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports Colston is one of the most disrespected players in modern times, as he put up strong numbers as a wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints without making a Pro Bowl in his career. Colston had six 1,000-yard seasons in the “Big Easy,” helped the Saints win Super Bowl XLIV, and he scored 58 touchdowns in his first seven seasons, tying him with guys like Randy Moss and Antonio Gates. He was a massive red-zone threat, scoring 72 touchdowns with the Saints, and all of his touchdowns were thrown to him by Drew Brees.  Colston also holds the record for most receiving yards with the Saints, as he had 9,759 yards with the team. Some people say Colston is a product of Brees or a system receiver because of the high-volume passing offense implemented by Sean Payton. However, he deserves more respect for helping the Saints win their first Super Bowl, as mentioned earlier, and for being an incredibly productive receiver without the accolades that other wide receivers received throughout the years. And his no-nonsense approach is on X, too. Herman MooreOct 24, 1993; Anaheim, CA, USA: FILE PHOTO; Detroit Lions receiver Herman Moore (84) in action against Los Angeles Rams defensive back Robert Bailey (28) at Anaheim Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY NETWORK The 1990s Detroit Lions are remembered for Barry Sanders’ elite running and brilliance on the field. However, Herman Moore is one of the more forgotten pieces of that unit, who was an elite pass-catcher. Moore had four 1,000-yard seasons from 1994 to 1997; he made four Pro Bowls, he helped the Lions reach the 1992 NFC Championship game before they lost to Washington, he led the league in receptions in 1995 and 1997, and he is rightfully enshrined in the Pride of the Lions. Moore was often overshadowed by Sanders, as his production sometimes went unnoticed, and by other Hall of Fame wide receivers like Jerry Rice, Michael Irvin, Cris Carter, Tim Brown, and Andre Reed. The Lions had a lack of playoff success during Moore’s time in the “Motor City,” which hurts Moore’s chances of trying to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Moore had no elite quarterbacks throwing him passes, as he had to work with guys like Scott Mitchell, Eric Kramer, and Charlie Batch, who weren’t elite quarterbacks.  Despite having no elite quarterback and being overshadowed by Sanders, Moore deserves more recognition and a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for all he accomplished during his time with the Lions.