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In honor of its 99th season that starts this Thursday with the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, the NFL is asking players and coaches who they would put on their Mount Rushmore as the greatest in the league.
Mark Craig of the Star-Tribune reports that all players and coaches past and present are eligible to be on the mountain. Minnesota Vikings players were asked as well and gave their opinion.
Latavius Murray picked Tom Brady, Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice and Charles Woodson. Murray said of Woodson, “I’ll go with my man, my former teammate in Oakland, Charles Woodson.”
General Manager Rick Spielman said of his picks, “I’m going from my Ohio roots in saying Jim Brown, then Vince Lombardi because the trophy is named after him.”
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer picks were, “Vince Lombardi, he was always pretty cool. Then I guess I’d throw Deion [Sanders] on there. And Joe Montana.” But Zimmer had a hard time making his final pick. “And then you could say Jerry Rice and Emmitt [Smith],” he said. “And Lawrence Taylor, too, I guess. I’ll put Bill on one end and Lombardi on the other.” I guess Zimmer can have his own mountain for now.
While all the picks for NFL greats came from the first athlete to the notables of now, it is fun to think about who your NFL Mount Rushmore would be.
As for me? I would put Randy Moss, Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and Tom Brady.
Who would be on your Mount Rushmore of NFL greats?