Everyday on my way home from work , I like to listen to my favorite podcast or fantasy sports hosts. On one of the shows today the question was , “What 4 NFL players would you put on your Fantasy Football Mount Rushmore?”
My Early Years:
On the rest of the drive I had to think about who my 4 would be, and the hard part is that I have been playing since 1996. My first year playing was with a bunch of older guys at the local watering hole who needed an extra guy. A friend of mine asked me if I would be interested since his dad was running the league. I thought, “sure why not?” It was touchdowns only, six points for rushing and receiving TDs, and Four points for passing TDs. That year I can remember drafting 3 guys and that’s about it: Drew Bledsoe, Terry Glenn, and Eddie George. I did horribly. The stats were kept on a piece of paper that was hard to read and you had no idea how you did unless you picked up a newspaper, and I remember you would have to call your lineup and waiver move in every week. You guys are sitting there thinking what the heck is all that about.
My Research:
So I had to think back through all the years that I have been doing fantasy football; that is 22 years of NFL players that were on my roster at some point or another. I took the 4 main positions (QB , RB, WR, TE) and started writing down guys that helped me win a championship. I thought of guys who I would target every year or trade for. Who were my man crushes and why? After compiling my list and ranking the players, I came up with my core four, my Fantasy Football Mount Rushmore. I have chosen them by the team they played for at the time.
My Mount Rushmore
Running Back LaDainian Tomlinson- San Diego Chargers
After my rookie season in 1996 and basically being in last place, I was asked if I would return. Sure it was a donation on my part. I was told it was a keeper league, so I got to keep three players and also had the first pick in the draft. We didn’t have research like we have today but one name kept coming up: LaDanian Tomlinson. I paired him with Eddie George and the rest is history. Tomlinson carried me to many championships. I targeted him every draft and every possible trade. In 2006 LT broke the single season touchdown record with 31. LT finished his career with 3,174 attempts, 13,684 yards and 145 Td’s on the ground to go 624 receptions 4772 yards and 17 TDs through the air. Oh yeah, he also threw the ball, going 8 for 12, for 143 yards and 7 TDs. LT will always be my number one fantasy player of all time and I am sure he will be on many Fantasy Football Mount Rushmore.
Quarterback Peyton Manning- Indianapolis Colts
So if you are a friend of mine reading this, you knew this pick was coming! I have had a man crush on Peyton Manning from his college days at Tennessee. One year I decided to go all out and draft Manning #1 overall. That did not work out too well, as my draft went south from there and I am still reminded of it to this day. Putting my man crush aside, I couldn’t find another quarterback that I would have wanted on my team. He was the safest to have at his time. The receiving corps he had with Marvin Harrison was one of the best QB to WR combinations of all time. Manning led me to many championships and I never had to draft a backup QB , could just pick one up off waivers for a bye week. Manning had 71,940 passing yards to go with 539 TD’s. In addition to this, Manning actually rushed for 667 yards and 18 TD’s. If I ever have a boy I am naming him Peyton!
Wide Receiver Terrell Owens- San Francisco 49ers / Philadelphia Eagles/Dallas Cowboys
I tried to pick just one of the three teams Owens played for, but couldn’t. His early years in San Fran were like something I’ve never seen. Big, muscular, fast and could catch anything. I never owned Owens when he was in a 49ers uniform, he was hard for me to get. When he came to Philly it was even harder because he was our hometown hero and I was playing in my home leagues with nothing but homers. However, I was able to get him in trades, which cost me a lot but he was well worth it! Watching McNabb to Owens with that long ball was magic! Mahomes and Hill kind of brings you back to those days. The Dallas Cowboy years he was starting to decline, but I kept rostering Owens and he paid off in the end. He was fun to watch and root for, and I enjoyed whatever antics he did or whatever came out of his mouth. T.O. ended his career with 1,078 receptions, 15,934 yards, 153 receiving TD’s and three scores on the ground. Definitely my top WR in fantasy.
Tight End Tony Gonzalez- Kansas City Chiefs
The fourth pick for me was tough. I considered guys like Marshall Faulk, Barry Sanders, Randy Moss, and Brett Favre, who could be their own Mount Rushmore. My thinking on this was actually simple, Gonzalez changed the game forever for tight ends! He honestly paved a path for guys like Gronk, Kelce and Ertz. Gonzalez was a freak of nature , something we never saw from the position. Tight ends were always thick bulky linemen who could catch the ball. Gonzalez’s 40 time was 4.49, Gronks was 4.68, Kelce a 4.61 and Ertz a 4.76. That just shows you the speed he had. However, it wasn’t just Tony’s speed. Combined with the size and the hands, Tony gave you a true advantage when having him at tight end. He was overlooked sometimes for guys like Shannon Sharpe and Frank Wycheck. Gonzalez finished his career with 1,325 receptions, 15,127 yards and 111 TD’s. Definitely glad I got to watch him in my younger days and a chance to roster him when I could.
Here is a challenge for you, come up with your players for your Mt. Rushmore and share them with me! When choosing you will know that you made the right decision by how excited you are to talk about each player! Have fun!
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