TecmoSuperJoe Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 As a 49ers fan, I feel like Jesse Sapolu was a good center for many years. Not a HOF player, but a good one. Some of the other guys I liked around the league were Jeff Christy, Matt Birk, and Jeff Hartings. Felt like they were really good at mauling people. Also Colts center Ray Donaldson, who was a huge center for his time, and could probably play today stuck out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakuvious Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Chiefs have honestly had a really good run at the position over my lifetime. Tim Grunhard, Casey Weigmann, Rodney Hudson, Mitch Morse. A couple of dark interim years with Rudy Niswanger, but other than that, those 4 guys basically anchored the spot for ~20 years, and did so well. Ruins Hudson a bit that he wound up a Raider, but dude was a great player, just outpriced us with his play. But Grunhard especially will always have a legacy in KC. He wasn't great, exactly. More one of those guys that is pretty good for a long time. Kind of was to the 90s Chiefs what Eric Fisher kind of became, where it was never an all-pro level elite or anything, but a reliable fixture on the line and a key figure in the lockerroom. But then once he retired he still just kind of never left. He joked when he was drafted about not being sure where Kansas City was, but he's still around, coaches in the area, used to have a radio show, does charity and events pretty regularly, etc. Elsewhere, I really always loved Jeff Saturday. Felt like he was such a critical part of managing all that annoying crap Peyton did before the snap in his heyday. Not the most exciting player on those 2000s Colts offenses to talk about, but a really critical one. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
43M Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Steelers have had a very good run on centers since the 70s, with only a few down years. Mike Webster and Demontti Dawson were dominant HOF centers who played center for the Steelers 25 years collectively. Then we got Jeff Hartings in free agency and he was great for several years. Then we drafted Pouncey in 2010, and while Pouncey was never as great as his resume suggests, he was usually solid and had a few great years under Munchack. We may have some dark years at center now that Pouncey is gone, although finding an upgrade over 2020 Pouncey shouldn't be difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Reed Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Matt Birk baby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awsi Dooger Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Dwight Stephenson was unfair. Incredible agility along with leverage and strength for his size. I'm not sure most younger fans have any idea how dominant he was. The gap between best of all time and second best might be greater at that position than any other. I remember Howie Long during those years said he loved to scout upcoming opponents but with Dwight Stephenson he gave up and turned off the machine because he wasn't learning anything except how to pick someone up and toss them on their back. Howie led the push to get Stephenson into the Hall of Fame despite the career cut short by injury. Jim Langer was great with the Dolphins earlier. Ornery technician. But not nearly on Stephenson's athletic level. Plus he's a bit of a self-centered jerk. Let's just say I knew darn well Langer would not attend the White House belated tribute to the 1972 Dolphins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET80 Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Chris Myers was a prototypical ZBS C, a perfect fit for Gary Kubiak's offense and a big reason Arian Foster did as well as he did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackstar12 Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Jeff Saturday from un-drafted player to one of the most important players in the Manning Colts era. In the biggest game of his career he scores on a fumble and pancakes Wilfork on the game winning play. Amazing career he's also a pretty good analysts for ESPN now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsrule Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Matt Birk and Jeff Christy were both very good for MN. Felt like Christy flew under the radar. John Sullivan has a nice run in MN in the early 2010s, though I’d never put him in the same class as Christy and Birk. Haven’t been able to find a reliable Center since Sullivan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW21 Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Jeremy Newberry was an absolute lunatic, I liked that haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwibrown Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 The browns have had one truly great center since the return- Alex Mack. Pur 2014 season fell a part when he went down. Just below the level of play for a hofer. Which is hard to make at center. JC tretter has been very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJM217 Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Alex Mack and Jeff Saturday come to mind. Also Kevin Mawae and Eric Wood (wish he got to play longer) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeT14 Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Will Montgomery. 7th round draft pick that played 10 seasons in the NFL for 5 franchises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TecmoSuperJoe Posted June 21, 2021 Author Share Posted June 21, 2021 Someone else I also had forgotten about was longtime center for the Detroit Lions Dominic Raiola. He basically played every game he could have played from his second season on, and was with the Lions his entire 14 year career. I'm pretty surprised he never even made a Pro Bowl. Raiola and Jeff Backus (another iron man with zero Pro Bowl nods) were mainstays on that offensive line for seemingly eternity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENINCH Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 15 hours ago, vikingsrule said: Matt Birk and Jeff Christy were both very good for MN. Felt like Christy flew under the radar. John Sullivan has a nice run in MN in the early 2010s, though I’d never put him in the same class as Christy and Birk. Haven’t been able to find a reliable Center since Sullivan. and Kirk Lowdermilk right before Christy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scar988 Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Todd McClure was underrated for years. Alex Mack is a beast and a half. Ryan Kelly in Indy is underrated for how freaking good that dude is. Another one of my favorites was Max Unger. Centers are very underrated as a whole, but those are just a few of my personal favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.