All-Time Special Teams Specialist Draft (1 Viewer)

[Jewell]

You're a GM and you have to pick a Special Teams specialist from throughout NFL/AFL history. Who do you pick?

A game changing return man man like Deion Sanders, Devin Hester, and Brian Mitchell?

A secure kicker like Adam Viniatieri? Or a boomer like Sebastian Janikowski?

A stand out punter like Sammy Baugh?

Or a defensive standout like Steve Tasker?

 

[higgins]

Ray Guy....or Fuad Reveiz. You can never have too many guys on your team named Fuad.

 

[Billy1x]

Only two names possible:

Terry Metcalf & Gale Sayers

Both were very successful starting running backs and were also full time punt and kick returners. Nobody else comes close.

 

[Drop]

Shaun Rogers

 

[Raider Nation]

Yeah, Hester.

 

[Warrior]

Only two names possible:Terry Metcalf & Gale SayersBoth were very successful starting running backs and were also full time punt and kick returners. Nobody else comes close.

Pretty sure the OP's point was that this player will only play on special teams.

 

[De Novo]

Yeah, Hester.

Seriously. And it's not even close. Even when he doesn't return the ball, his presence usually nets the team yardage.ETA: The "not even close" part is with respect to other return men. I can see the argument for a kicker or punter over a return man. I'd choose the return man, because I think the difference between Hester and average return men is much greater than the best kicker or punter and the average.

 

[Bills Fan]

Total Homer pick...Steve Tasker...should be in the HOF.

 

[dutch]

Total Homer pick...Steve Tasker...should be in the HOF.

No he shouldn't. Never, ever, ever. Tasker cshould be voted into the hof only after every eligible wr, rb, db,qb, lb, de, ol, kicker, and punter are voted in. Tasker may have been more worthy than a long snapper but that point could be debated.

 

[shnikies]

Only two names possible:

Terry Metcalf & Gale Sayers

Both were very successful starting running backs and were also full time punt and kick returners. Nobody else comes close.

Ugh. Hester is the only name possible and it's nearly impossible to make a case against him.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Only two names possible:

Terry Metcalf & Gale Sayers

Both were very successful starting running backs and were also full time punt and kick returners. Nobody else comes close.

Ugh. Hester is the only name possible and it's nearly impossible to make a case against him.

Hester has been healthier for longer than Sayers - given modern offensive and special teams techniques, plus modern rules, better field conditions, equipment and training capabilities I'd say Sayers.Sayers: 118 returns, 8 TD's.

Hester: 311 returns, 16 TD's.

In 1967 after Sayers had gotten dinged up a little, the Bears were more selective in how they used him. -> He returned 4 of 19 punts and kicks for TD's, an over 25% TD/return rate.

And just looking at them play Sayers was just better, and yes of course Hester is awesome, gold HOF quality and even so Sayers was better.

 

[emge]

my vote is for Hester too... the man is incredible

 

[DrapedInVelvet]

I'm quite certain a stone cold kicker like Vinateri won more games than Hester or those other guys did.

 

[De Novo]

Only two names possible:

Terry Metcalf & Gale Sayers

Both were very successful starting running backs and were also full time punt and kick returners. Nobody else comes close.

Ugh. Hester is the only name possible and it's nearly impossible to make a case against him.

Hester has been healthier for longer than Sayers - given modern offensive and special teams techniques, plus modern rules, better field conditions, equipment and training capabilities I'd say Sayers.Sayers: 118 returns, 8 TD's.

Hester: 311 returns, 16 TD's.

In 1967 after Sayers had gotten dinged up a little, the Bears were more selective in how they used him. -> He returned 4 of 19 punts and kicks for TD's, an over 25% TD/return rate.

And just looking at them play Sayers was just better, and yes of course Hester is awesome, gold HOF quality and even so Sayers was better.

These statistics are somewhat skewed by the fact that Sayers hardly returned punts. When you compare their kickoff return statistics, it's much closer.

 

[Dought Man]

Only one name can be considered: Eric Metcalf

 

[BroadwayG]

Jan Stenerud

 

[Native]

Fulton Walker.

 

[nkowal]

Hester... but depending on the conditions (do I get his best seasons, etc) I would consider Dante Hall. For a few years he was absolutely dynamic for the Chiefs.

 

[Tau837]

The OP says you are a GM who has to take a special teams player. If the selection is to go on a regular team, Sayers and/or Baugh are nobrainers, because they made HOF level contributions on offense (and defense for Baugh) in addition to being great on special teams.

However, I assume the idea was to limit the scope of the pick to the player's special teams play. Even without considering his contributions on offense, I think Sayers is the pick, and it is an easy call.

Sayers compiled all of his punt and kickoff returns from 1965 to 1969. During that span, the rest of the league averaged 6.61 yards per punt return and 21.96 yards per kickoff return, while Sayers averaged 14.5 and 30.6, respectively.

Hester has compiled all of his punt and kickoff returns from 2006 to 2011. During that span, the rest of the league averaged 8.99 yards per punt return and 22.65 yards per kickoff return, while Hester averaged 12.7 and 24.5, respectively.

Yards per punt return:

Sayers 14.5

Hester 12.7

Yards above rest of league average per punt return:

Sayers +7.9 (Sayers more than doubled the average of the rest of the league!)

Hester +3.7

Percentage of punt returns for TDs:

Sayers 7.4%

Hester 6.0%

Yards per kickoff return:

Sayers 30.6

Hester 24.5

Yards above rest of league average per kickoff return:

Sayers +8.6

Hester +1.9

Percentage of kickoff returns for TDs:

Sayers 6.6%

Hester 3.9%

Sayers is better in every metric. This is not even particularly close.

 

[Koya]

Sayers. It's not close imo.

 

[Jewell]

Only two names possible:Terry Metcalf & Gale SayersBoth were very successful starting running backs and were also full time punt and kick returners. Nobody else comes close.

Pretty sure the OP's point was that this player will only play on special teams.

Correct. I meant that you only get to use that player on special teams. I wanted to see what people thought was more valuable between a deadly kick returner, bullseye kicker, etc.I only added Sammy Baugh in the example to share with some younger fans who may not have been aware that Sammy Baugh was also a great punter. Still holds the record for the longest season average (I believe).If you choose Baugh, you get him only as a punter; not as a QB or safety.If you choose Sayers, you get him only as a returner; not as an RB.Etc.

 

[FUBAR]

Robopunter

or Hester, that guy is pretty good too.

 

[Oh Yes!]

I'm quite certain a stone cold kicker like Vinateri won more games than Hester or those other guys did.

its easier to replace vinateri, then it is hester/sayers

 

[Raider Nation]

Okay, let's go with Patrick Peterson instead.

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

Brian Mitchel

 

[AmosMoses]

Lou Groza. I'll have LT taken care of too.

 

[Raider Nation]

Okay, Hester.

 

[Zeff]

I mean, if you're drafting their body of work, it's obviously Hester at this point.

And I assume we're limiting it to people who have played at least a decent amount of ST, so no Barry Sanders type picks...

But if you get them young, healthy, with no guarantees one way or the other how their careers will pan out, and you intend to play them full time on ST? In that case, Deion and Sayers go before Hester every time.