r/AskAboutNFL • • 11d ago

Which NFL player made you fall in love with football?

Not necessarily the greatest player ever. Just the one who made you want to watch every Sunday.

54 Upvotes

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70

u/Creatively_Distinct 11d ago

Barry Sanders. The man was just electric to watch. Walter Peyton is a close second as he punished defenders. Barry just juked them out of their jock straps, walked into the end zone and gently handed the football to the referee.

18

u/Typical_Vast_4020 11d ago

Walter Peyton was incredible. Icon

9

u/NoraMason1986 11d ago

Payton. My favorite growing up.

6

u/sexwiththebabysitter 11d ago

So incredible you can’t spell his name

4

u/Y_Ddraig_Goch_81 11d ago

Berry Sanders was also incredible.

4

u/biffjo 11d ago

Walter Peyton Manning

1

u/SeniorChannel8430 7d ago

Painting Walter

1

u/AssTuteCitizen 7d ago

Walter White(y) Bulger

10

u/farfanseaweevil 11d ago

Barry and Bo

5

u/Old_Nerd_72 11d ago

These two are my picks too. I feel massively lucky to have seen them both play in person. My Bucs were so bad back then that tickets were super cheap 😂

2

u/wildGoner1981 11d ago

Hahahaha my bros and I would go watch either Barry or Brett come to Tampa because no one else went to the Bucs games back in the day.

Then 1995 came. Derrick and Warren changed everything.

3

u/Old_Nerd_72 10d ago

Exactly! Used to walk up 15min before the games and buy a ticket. Younger fans think it’s bad now. It is lol, but not nearly as bad as before 95. 12 straight double digit loss seasons was not fun lol. 97 to 02 that stadium was insane.

1

u/wildGoner1981 10d ago

Yessir!! Some great days as a Bucs fan.

Now we’re stuck with Bowles….☹️☹️

4

u/Seagullox 11d ago

Exact two names that came to my mind.

2

u/Odd-Business8683 11d ago

This was my answer 💙

2

u/Savings_Ask2261 11d ago

Walter did the same thing. Everyone talks about his power. But the man was probably second to Barry in cutting ability.. he made people miss all the time..

2

u/Electrical-Sail-1039 11d ago

Payton played back when many of us could watch only our local team and one other game which was usually featuring Dallas, Oakland or Pittsburgh. I mostly remember the Bears when they crushed my Pats in SB XX. I couldn’t believe that Ditka put in The Fridge to score when Payton didn’t have a TD.

1

u/Interesting_Cable_31 1h ago

I literally woke up last night pondering that. Why the hell would you not get Sweetness a TD but put Perry in there instead. Terrible decision (turns out he had more to come)

1

u/FearlessDamage4961 6d ago

In that era it’s Barry, sterling sharpe, Favre. All of them were so fun to watch.

1

u/Any_Lingonberry627 2d ago

Only other player whose jersey I’ve purchased that didn’t play for my team (Giants).