Best NFL Players of All Time: Forrest Gregg. Ranking the Top Players in History. Place a bet on an NFL football game now.

Best NFL Players of All Time: Forrest Gregg

The Vince Lombardi Derby winner will rank among the top 65. One of the greatest coaches in sports history, Lombardi, had a favorite player, but it wasn’t Paul Hornung. Forrest Gregg was the one player Lombardi respected more than any other, even though the running back was one of his favorite players and a fantastic guy in the locker room.

Given that Lombardi had Ray, Willie Davis, Jim Taylor, and Bart Starr

Nitschke and Willie Wood, that is really an honor. Lombardi declared, “Forrest Gregg was just the best player I ever coached.”

Being one of Fordham’s fabled “Seven Blocks of Granite,” Lombardi played offensive line throughout his collegiate career and had a soft place for diminutive offensive linemen. When Gregg was the center of the Green Bay Packers offensive line, that’s exactly what he was. Despite not being large for his position at 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds, Gregg’s lightning-fast feet allowed him to elude pass rushers more than any other offensive lineman in his era. In addition, Gregg had the kind of persistence that coaches look for in their tackles but rarely see in someone as strong as Gregg.

Throughout Lombardi’s career in Green Bay, Gregg witnessed the team’s improvement following a disastrous 1958 year. Under Ray “Scooter” McLean, the Packers finished 1-10-1, but they possessed the makings of a respectable offense with players like Bart Starr, Hornung, fullback Jim Taylor, tight end Max McGee, receiver Boyd Dowler, and another capable blocker in Jerry Kramer. But Gregg, who McLean had used as a guard, impressed Lombardi with his blocking skills.

Gregg was a practically unbeatable tackle, and Lombardi expected nothing less than the best from him. Gregg was a touch more mature and assured than most players, according to Lombardi, whose famous emotion made almost every player shudder. Lombardi’s tantrums didn’t scare Gregg, and the coach quickly welcomed Gregg as an ally in the locker room.

Lombardi’s first season in Green Bay (1959) proved to be crucial as the team went 7–5 and tied for third place in the Western Conference. Hornung and Taylor kept getting better, and Gregg proved to be the outstanding tackle blocker that Lombardi had imagined he would be before he took the head coaching position in Green Bay. No matter who Gregg faced, Hornung, Taylor, and Starr were confident in his ability to handle his matchup, and this belief proved to be one of the main factors in the Packers’ development into a five-time NFL champion team.

Gregg thought of himself as a working man going about his business; he was anything but a superstar. But in the early 1960s, when he was able to compete with defensive ends Gino Marchetti of the Baltimore Colts and Deacon Jones of the Los Angeles Rams, he realized he had reached adulthood. While Jones was a youngster with astonishing quickness, Marchetti was a strong pass rusher with lots of athleticism. Jones was by far the fastest player in the league at his position at the time; he would later add the strength and skills for which he would become renowned.

Gregg remarked, “Deacon Jones was the fastest, and Gino Marchetti was the best pass rusher I’ve ever had to block.” You knew you were doing a good job at your work if you were able to compete with Marchetti. He was a little mean, but he possessed every defensive end quality you could ask for. You couldn’t believe how quickly Jones could break out of his stance and accelerate to full speed because of his sheer speed. He was the type of guy who could constantly put you to the test. When you defeated the Rams and were able to release the field without having to stop him one more time, you felt good about yourself.

With three straight victories, the Packers defeated the Rams in the season finale of 1960 to win the Western Conference and advance to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Championship Game. However, Lombardi’s only postseason defeat came to the Packers in that championship game.

Gregg was taking notes; he would go on to coach the Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns. He observed his coach’s preparation and player preparation. In subsequent championship games against the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Browns, as well as in Super Bowl victories against the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, he observed how in-tune the Packers were. Gregg stated, “I don’t think it was a coincidence that we were playing our best in most of those games.” “Coach Lombardi prepared us every time.”

In those games, the Packers’ ground attack was at its best, and they nearly always used Gregg’s inside shoulder at right tackle to start their renowned power sweep. “Forrest and the guards put in a lot of work on those sweeps,” Starr remarked. Being a part of it was lovely even if it was straightforward. It was really satisfying to watch the blocking take shape and to see them perform. Since Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung were running the ball, give them credit as well. However, the blockers’ cooperation allowed it to proceed.

Gregg got recognition in every game, even though he never asked for it. He was an exceptionally proficient technician, possessing five championship rings as proof. Once Lombardi declared, there was no longer any possibility of it staying in the background.

Best NFL Players of All Time: Forrest Gregg Stats

Regular Season

Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	PD	FF	Fmb	FR	Yds	TD	Sk	Sfty	AV
1956	23	GNB	G	75	11	2			0
1957		Missed season – Military service
1958	25	GNB	T	75	12	1			0				0	1	0	0
1959	26	GNB	RT	75	12	12			0
1960	27	GNB	RT	75	12	12			0								0		12
1961	28	GNB	RT/RG	75	14	14			0								0		12
1962	29	GNB	RT	75	14	14			0								0		14
1963	30	GNB	RT	75	14	14			0				0	2	0	0	0		12
1964	31	GNB	RT/RG	75	14	13			0								0		13
1965	32	GNB	LG	75	14	14			0				0	1	0	0	0		13
1966	33	GNB	RT	75	14	14			0								0		13
1967	34	GNB	RT	75	14	14			0				0	1	0	0	0		12
1968	35	GNB	RT	75	14	14			0				0	2	0	0	0		9
1969	36	GNB	RT	75	14	14			0								0		6
1970	37	GNB	T	75	14	4			0				0	1	0	0	0		2
1971	38	DAL	G	79	6	0			0								0		4
Career					193	156			0				0	8	0	0	0		122
14 yrs		GNB			187	156			0				0	8	0	0	0		118
1 yr		DAL			6	0			0								0		4

Playoffs

Year	Age	Tm	Pos	G	GS	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	PD	FF	Fmb	FR	Yds	TD	Sk	Sfty
1960	27	GNB	RT	1	1			0			0	0	0	0	0	0
1961	28	GNB	RG	1	1			0			0	0	1	0	0	0
1962	29	GNB	RT	1	1			0			0	0	0	0	0	0
1965	32	GNB	LG	2	2			0			0	0	0	0	0	0
1966	33	GNB	RT	2	2			0			0	0	0	0	0	0
1967	34	GNB	RT	3	3			0			0	0	0	0	0	0
Career				10	10			0			0	0	1	0	0	0

 

At YouWager.lv you can place a bet on the NFL with the best odds and promotions. Wager on the moneyline, spread, and total; on your favorite team or an undervalued underdog. Sign up with YouWager.lv now and get in the game with the best welcome bonus, click below: