Who’s on the NFL‘s 1970s Mount Rushmore? Narrowing down a decade of pro football to just four emblematic players is challenging, but it forces us to narrow our scope to the truly elite.
The NFL’s All-Decade Teams get the benefit of filling out an entire roster — here, we’ll limit ourselves to a quartet of each decade’s titans.
Pro Football Network will unveil its Mount Rushmore for each NFL decade over the coming days, so be sure to check back for future eras this week and next.
Who’s on the NFL’s 1970s Mount Rushmore?
Honorable mention: QB Terry Bradshaw, RB Walter Payton, OT Art Shell, OT Ron Yary, G Larry Little, EDGE Jack Youngblood, LB Jack Ham, S Ken Houston
Roger Staubach, QB, Dallas Cowboys
While Bradshaw won four Super Bowls to Roger Staubach’s two in the 1970s, the Dallas Cowboys’ Roger Staubach was the superior quarterback. After winning the 1963 Heisman Trophy at the United States Naval Academy, Staubach spent a year in Vietnam as a naval supply officer before joining the Cowboys.
He eventually became the decade’s best quarterback. No signal-caller won more regular-season games than Staubach (84) during the 1970s. He finished second in league MVP voting in 1971, but Staubach’s best seasons came near the decade’s end.
In 1978 and 1979, his final two seasons in the league, “Captain America” led the NFL in passer rating and adjusted yards per attempt. A five-time Pro Bowler, Staubach is the only quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy and be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
O.J. Simpson, RB, Buffalo Bills
If we were erecting an actual Mount Rushmore, we wouldn’t put O.J. Simpson on it. His off-field story obviously isn’t worth celebrating. However, from a pure production standpoint, Simpson was one of the NFL’s most dominant players of the 1970s.
Simpson made five consecutive first-team All-Pro teams from 1972 to 1976, leading the league in rushing yards in four campaigns.
MORE: Which NFL Player Has The Highest Career Earnings?
Simpson won the 1974 NFL MVP Award after rushing for 2,003 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns, setting a league record for single-season rushing yards per game (143.1). He finished his career with 11,236 rushing yards, currently 21st among running backs.
Joe Greene, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
Only eight NFL players have won multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards. Joe Greene was the only one to do it during the 1970s, picking up the honor in 1972 and 1973.
Of course, those two trophies were far from “Mean” Joe Greene’s plaudits. He also collected Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1969, went to 10 Pro Bowls (tied for third-most all-time among DTs), and was a four-time first-team All-Pro.
Greene, who racked up 77.5 sacks over 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, wasn’t quite as dominant after a 1975 neck injury. But his early-decade production — and his role as the face of the “Steel Curtain” defense — make Greene an easy choice.
Alan Page, DT, Minnesota Vikings
Alan Page and Lawrence Taylor are the only defenders in NFL history to win league MVP. Page picked up his trophy after a nine-sack 1971 campaign; he also grabbed Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1971 and 1973.
No defensive tackle posted more sacks than Page (101.5) during the 1970s. Page ranks eighth on Pro Football Reference‘s unofficial sack list, which dates back to 1960 and is ” based upon a review of official play-by-plays, watching game film, photographs, and coaches’ stats.”
Page was a five-time first-team All-Pro selection and went to nine straight Pro Bowls from 1969 to 1976. While he never won a Lombardi, Page helped guide the Minnesota Vikings to Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX, and XI.