New Jersey is rarely as attention-grabbing as its neighboring states, yet when it comes to football talent, the Garden State is the tallest. From tough linebackers to fast wide receivers, New Jersey has given us some of the best NFL players in the history of the league. This article is a tribute to the 10 greatest NFL players from New Jersey of all time, acknowledging their contributions, the things they are proud of, and their sustained memory.
Best NFL Players from New Jersey of All Time
Jurgen Theismann, which is the real name of Joe, is among the most famous quarterbacks NFL ever produced or had in the arena. Theismann, an ex super bowl winner with the Washington Redskins, which is known today as commanders, was quite an asset to his team since he acted in a number of roles including as a leader and a player.
For his 12 year career Theismann compiled a record of 25,206 yards and 160 TDs. Theismann was the main player in the NFL after the Skins won their first championship in 1983 and Theismann was MVP. Fortunately, though his playing days were cut short by a career ending leg injury, his impact on the game will long be remembered.
Phil Simms was born from Springfield, New Jersey and he was a player of the New York Giants throughout his 14 years career in the NFL during which he won two Super Bowl championships.
Simms had the composure of a champion who played one of the finest Anti-Super Bowl ever in the game against Denver in the Super Bowl XXI where he went 22-25 and won MVP. He was consistent and a leader in the giants’ offence throughout the 1980s which sealed him as a football hero of New Jersey.
Born and raised in New Jersey’s Paterson, Greg Olsen has risen through the ranks to become one of the most consistent tight ends in NFL history. Olsen played in the NFL for 14 years and had more than 8600 receiving yards and scored 60 touchdowns; he was the first tight end to have recorded three 1,000 yard seasons in the NFL directly.
Olsen was touted to have great hands and incredible route running skills which served him well for the Carolina Panthers as the team reached the Super Bowl 50. His contributions elsewhere such as charitable contributions add to his legacy.
Franco Harris, originally from Fort Dix, New Jersey, was an integral factor of the Pittsburgh Steelers success in the 1970s. The athletic Harris, referred to as one of the toughest runners in NFL history and praised for his sure-handed receiving, played for the Steelers when they won four Super Bowl championships.
Marv invented one of the best plays in the NFL history; the Immaculate Reception. During his thirteen-year career, Harris ran for more than twelve thousand yards and ninety-one touchdowns and was a nine time Pro Bowler. His skills and personality endeared him to the New Jersey halls and home residents as a favorite.
Mike Rozier, a native of Camden, New Jersey, was running for his special style in college football and was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 1983. Despite never achieving the same success, Rozier had a great career as a running back, most of the time with the Houston Oilers.
Sometimes, Rozier played six years and eight games before he made the NFL; nevertheless, his total yards rushing was about 4,400, and he scored 30 touchdowns. As a result of his strength and his speed, he was difficult to be defeated and his accomplishments go on being magnified as inspiring spirit to young New Jersey athletes.
Jim Jeffcoat of Matawan New Jersey was a great force to reckon with in the defensive line of the team. Jeffcoat was selected to the pro bowl four times, during his 15 year career mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, he made 102 1/2 sacks, a high figure for a defensive end.
He played with the Cowboys at the beginning of the ’90s and was a big part of the team’s defensive squads that won two Super Bowl championships. Having played his college football for the University of Texas, Jeffcoat was dubbed the fastest player in college football on his way to becoming one of the underrated pass rushers of the NFL due to his tireless motor when hunting down quarterbacks.
While many football fans associate Vince Lombardi with the Green Bay Packers association, his beginnings are in Englewood, New Jersey. Despite the fact that professional football playing career was short with only fifteen games played, he left his mark on football.
As a coach he led the Packers to five NFL championships during which he won the first 2 Super Bowls hence has the Super Bowl trophy named after him. Lombardi believed in hard work, commitment and making the team a champion, and as such remains one of the favourite heroes of the NFL.
I am happy to showcase Victor Cruz’s glory from a merely Paterson, New Jersey football star, to an NFL star. Cruz entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, but showed great potential on the field as one of the Giants’ wide receivers.
Nelson took more years before breaking out, but in 2011, he was outstanding with 1,536 receiving yards and nine touchdowns that led Giants to Super Bowl XLVI win. As expected, Cruz was relatively famous for his electrifying plays and those salsa touchdown dance moves. Biography of Brian Roberts reminds aspiring participants from New Jersey that no goal is out of reach.
Jim Kiick grew up in Lincoln Park, New Jersey and was an integral member of the Miami Dolphins super bowl teams of the early seventies. Kiick was an extremely diverse player which fit Tampa’s offense using the hall of famer Larry Csonka in the backfield as an also a receiver and runner.
Kiick was one of the Dolphins stars in the team that won the two Super Bowls: Viick was a member of the Dolphins team that posted the only undefeated season of 1972. Toughness and versatility defined him that made him a vital player that embodies what it means to be a New Jersey great.
Born in Palmyra, New Jersey, Deron Cherry is probably the most outstanding athlete that originated from the state. A six-time pro bowl safety, Cherry was the heart and soul of the Chiefs through the entire 1980s.
Characterized by great ball and tackling skills Cherry for example raked four interceptions in his career and also was a beast against the run and the pass. Even though he spent his prime years playing with some of the best defensive players in NFL history, Cherry proved to be way ahead of his time and he stands in the list of the most respected safeties ever.
Lasty about Best NFL Players from New Jersey of All Time
New Jersey remains in NFL history as great players of different generations and various positions on the field. Today’s heroes included the likes of professional Super Bowl coaches as the infamous Vince Lombardi, and today’s stars such as Victor Cruz. All of them owe their successes to the state that occupies a storied place in the world of sports. All the triumphs both on and off the sporting arenas have helped celebrate the state’s historical football tradition.
So what more can one say about New Jersey’s future in football considering that this is the type of young talent that is under development. For now, these ten players are remembered as pride of the state and inspiration to those who want to pursue football as their career.
