NFL's Mount Rushmore

Chidi Ahanotu, former defensive end with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, once raised the question, if the NFL had a Mount Rushmore whose faces would be carved into the granite?

It's a very good question and a very hard one to answer. Many players achieved exceptional success in the NFL, re-wrote the record books, changed the way of play considerably or were exciting to watch like no other. It's tough to keep this limited to four players but here is my selection:

Joe Montana

Am I biased here? Maybe a little but his achievements speak for themselves. "Joe Cool" won four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers, three Super Bowl MVPs, two NFL MVPs, eight Pro Bowl selections and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

What struck me most about Joe Montana was that I always had the feeling anything was possible at any time, regardless of the score. "The Catch" is one of the greatest plays in NFL history and refers to Montana's touchdown pass to Dwight Clark in the NFC Championship Game in 1982. The 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-27 and went on to win their first Super Bowl two weeks later by beating the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21.

Barry Sanders

I am sure we could have an endless discussion about this selection and still not come to an agreement in this lifetime or the next. Many great athletes have played at the running back position, Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith to name a few, but I'll explain why I chose Barry Sanders:

Sanders could cut like a rabbit and change directions faster than anyone I've ever seen. He was almost impossible to tackle and made running plays every bit as exciting as pass attempts over 20 yards. He was one, if not the most aesthetic player in the history of the NFL and was a pure joy to watch. He was simply elusive.

Barry Sanders retired under controversial circumstances and unfortunately left the NFL much too soon. He was the league MVP in 1991 and 1997. He won the rushing title four times and was selected to 10 Pro Bowls. In 2004 Sanders became enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Jerry Rice

I don't think there could be an NFL Mount Rushmore without the face of the wide receiver. His records for career receiving yards, career receptions and career touchdown receptions are basically untouchable.

Jerry Rice won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and was the MVP of Super Bowl XXIII. He was selected to 13 Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

I once read about Jerry Rice that he is a neat freak and this is exactly what his yards after the catch looked like. It seemed as if he had the undying urge not to get touched or tackled and often he wouldn't. As elusive as Barry Sanders was as a running back the same could be said about Jerry Rice.

Lawrence Taylor

"L.T." was a disruptive force throughout his 13-year NFL career and reshaped the linebacker position as well as the pass rush. He won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants and was selected to 10 Pro Bowls. He was the league's Defensive Player of the Year three times and led the NFL in sacks in 1986, the same year he won the MVP title. Taylor is a member of the Hall of Fame class of 1999.