26 NFL Players Who Made First-Team All-Pro At Least Seven Times

There is no better way to assemble an all-time great NFL team than to single out a couple dozen or so players who sustained greatness over a long period of time … like, say, played at a first-team All-Pro level for seven seasons or more.

Wouldn’t that seem to be a great starting point to picking your all-time team by finding greats who dominated their decades over and over and over again?

We thought so, which is why we now give you the 26 NFL players who did just that.

Jerry Rice

No NFL player dominated his position better than three-time Super Bowl champion and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice, who made first-team All-Pro every season from 1986 through 1996, excluding 1991. Rice was a master of perfection, but he also majored in quantity, too, as the NFL’s all-time leader in receiving yards (22,895), receptions (1,549) and receiving touchdowns (197). The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Hall of Famer made the West Coast Offense great, transformed Bill Walsh into a genius and helped a couple of quarterbacks like Joe Montana and Steve Young look downright iconic.

Jim Otto

Oakland Raiders center Jim Otto played most of his career in the AFL, which is why nine of his 10 first-team All-Pro honors came in the NFL’s other league before the 1970 merger. At 6-2, 255 pounds, Otto was a fixture on an offensive line that had success in both leagues, resulting in a 1967 AFL Championship and a Super Bowl appearance. Though Otto played in 210 consecutive games, he fought through numerous injuries and surgeries detailed in his autobiography “The Pain of Glory.” Otto passed away May 19 this year at age 86.

Anthony Muñoz

Widely considered the greatest offensive tackle in NFL history, Anthony Muñoz was a first-team All-Pro lineman in nine of his 13 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite entering the 1990 NFL Draft with injury concerns, the 6-6, 278-pound Hall of Famer, who was drafted third, missed only three games during his first 12 NFL seasons. In addition to his unparalleled blocking skills as a left tackle protecting quarterbacks Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason, Muñoz was utilized for a trick play or two as well because of his uncanny pass-catching ability, scoring four touchdowns on tackle-eligible plays.

Ron Mix

Ron Mix, an L.A. native himself, was a nine-time first-team All–Pro lineman playing for both the Los Angeles and San Diego Chargers in the 1960s. The 6-4, 250-pound Hall of Famer, who was an early adopter to lifting weights as a football player, led the Chargers to the 1963 AFL Championship, not to mention four more AFL finals. The right tackle also carried that leadership responsibility off the field as well, as a proponent of the civil rights movements of the ‘60s and later fighting for his peers in courtrooms as a lawyer, representing retired athletes in numerous workers’ compensation cases.

Aaron Donald

Most of the post-Generation X crowd consider Aaron Donald to be the greatest defensive player in NFL history. And who knows? Boomers say the younger generations may be right. After all, the eight-time first-team All-Pro defensive tackle terrorized all backfields whether he was rushing the passer from St. Louis, or stopping the run in Los Angeles from 2014 through 2023, ultimately leading his Rams to a Super Bowl championship in the 2021 season. At 6-1 and a chiseled 280 pounds, Donald was built like a tank, but ran like a Ferrari, best evidenced by his 2004 NFL Combine record-setting 40-yard dash time for a defensive tackle (4.68).

Bruce Smith

Bruce Smith, an eight-time first-team All-Pro defensive end, has the distinction of not only playing in four consecutive Super Bowls as a leader of the great Buffalo Bills teams of the 1990s, but the 6-4, 262-pounder goes down as football’s all-time sacks leader (200), since the NFL began recording the stat officially in 1982. It takes sustained greatness to amass those types of numbers, best illustrated by the fact the Hall of Famer had 10-plus sacks in 13 of his 19 NFL seasons.

Reggie White

Not to be one-upped by Bruce Smith, fellow eight-time first-team All-Pro defensive end Reggie White had just as much of a celebrated Hall-of-Fame career as his Buffalo Bills rival, finishing second on the NFL’s all-time sacks chart (198), only two behind Smith. Unlike Smith, however, the massive Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers 6-5, 291-pound defensive end was able to get himself a Super Bowl championship ring, leading the Packers No. 1 scoring defense during the 1996 season. White passed away in 2004 at age 42.

Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Taylor redefined his position for a new generation to come. From his outside linebacker position in New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells’ scheme of things, the 6-3, 237-pound Hall of Famer simultaneously fought off 300-pound linemen and corralled 200-pound running backs, all while also sending spine-tingling fear into 6-5 quarterbacks who dare not drop back against L.T.’s bull rush. No defensive player ever had a greater NFL season than the eight-time first-team linebacker in 1986, when he led the Giants to their first of two Super Bowl titles during his 13-year run in New York, while he himself led the league in sacks with 20.5 as a linebacker.

Jim Parker

Jim Parker combined his farmer-strong strength with textbook ingenuity to become the best pass blocker of his day, protecting quarterback and fellow Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, who teamed with Parker on the 1958 and 1959 Baltimore Colts NFL Championship squads. Parker, who measured 6-3, 273 pounds, was such a great lineman that he made eight first-team All-Pro teams at two different positions. In fact, he made the switch from his primary offensive tackle position to guard as a favor to his college coach, Ohio State’s Woody Hayes, so that Buckeye Bob Vogel could play his natural position on the Colts line. Parker passed away in 2005 at age 71.

Bill George

Bill George is credited with not only being the meanest Chicago Bear, but also creating the middle linebacker position — a post that spawned a Bears lineage of fellow Hall of Famers. George, a college wrestler whose football measurements were 6-2, 237 pounds, was an eight-time first-team All-Pro linebacker who created MLB from his old post as middle guard on defense. On his own, George would drop from his position on a five-man front to patrol the pass, and thus, the Bears’ 4-3 defense was born, ultimately leading to a 1963 NFL Championship. George passed away in 1982 at age 52.

Jim Brown

Challenged by a new set of iconic running backs every decade, Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns stands the test of time as the only eight-time first-team All-Pro at his position (Barry Sanders is next closest at six). No running back was better–or tougher–than the bad hombre named Brown who lined up for the Browns every single game for nine straight seasons. The 6-2, 232-pound Hall of Famer retired in 1965 at the young age of 29 as the NFL’s all-time leading in rushing yards (12,312), which now ranks 30th, and rushing touchdowns (106), which now ranks sixth. Brown passed away in 2023 at age 83.

Joe Schmidt

Linebacker Joe Schmidt joined the Detroit Lions as the 86th pick in the 1953 NFL Draft and helped the defending NFL Championship franchise continue its dynastic ways as an eight-time first-team All-Pro and leader of the Detroit defenses on the 1953 and 1957 NFL Championship teams. The 6-1, 220-pound model of consistency was such an elite signal-caller on the field, the Lions made him their head coach in 1969 for four seasons, where Schmidt went 43-34-7. Schmidt passed away September 11 this year at age 92.

Don Hutson

Don Hutson, who scored 105 touchdowns as a Green Bay Packer from 1935 through 1945, lined up at tight end in the 1930s before flanking out as the first wide receiver in the 1940s. Regardless where he set up shop, the “Alabama Antelope” made eight first-team All-Pro squads as an end and held every NFL receiving record there was to hold at the time (7,991 career receiving yards, 488 receptions and 99 receiving touchdowns). The 6-1, 183-pound Hutson, who used his many talents as a safety, defensive end and kicker as well, led the Packers to NFL Championships in 1936, 1939 and 1944. Hutson passed away in 1997 at age 84.

Zack Martin

In a tug-of-war draft battle between ownership and management, the Dallas Cowboys selected Zack Martin over Johnny Manziel for the 16th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, a move that proved to be perhaps the greatest swing call in draft history. The 6-4, 315-pound Martin would go on to become a seven-time first-team All-Pro and perhaps the greatest guard in NFL modern-day history. Martin, who is 34 years old, is still active and shows no sign of slowing down as he hopes to earn first-team All-Pro honors for his sixth straight season in 2024.

Peyton Manning

Tom Brady may go down as The G.O.A.T., but no other NFL modern-day quarterback is a seven-time first-team All-Pro QB like Peyton Manning, who won the regular-season, ballot-box battle with Brady, a three-time first-team All-Pro himself. Manning goes down in NFL history as third in all-time passing yards (71,940), third in passing touchdowns (539) and fourth in completions (6,125). The 6-5, 230-pound quarterback led the Indianapolis Colts to the 2006 Super Bowl championship and the Denver Broncos to the 2015 Super Bowl title in his 18th and final NFL season.

Ray Lewis

No linebacker got after the run better than seven-time first-team All-Pro Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. The 6-1, 240-pound middle and inside linebacker not only ranks as the NFL’s all-time leader in solo tackles (1,568) and combined tackles (2,059), but he also led some of the most feared defenses in NFL history, including the iconic Ravens Super-Bowl-winning defense from the 2000 season (Lewis also won a second Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in his 17th and final NFL season in 2012). Lewis, as complete a player as there was on defense, was the voice and face of Ravens football, as a master motivator bar none.

Bruce Matthews

The 6-5, 305-pound Bruce Matthews comes from a family tree of nine relatives (sons, nephews, a father and brother) who played in the NFL. And with apologies to four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Clay Matthews, it is safe to say that no Matthews had as great a career as the versatile seven-time first-team All-Pro offensive lineman from the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Oilers and Titans. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to name another player ever in football history who started and excelled at every position on the offensive line for 16 NFL seasons.

Randall McDaniel

Randall McDaniel, a seven-time first-team All-Pro left guard, checked off every box when it came to all measurables about the complete offensive lineman. The 6-3, 276-pound Minnesota Viking was fast, sporting the all-time fastest 100-meter time for offensive lineman at 10.64 seconds. He was consistent, playing in 12 straight Pro Bowls from 1989 through 2000. He was reliable, only missing two games in his 14-year NFL career. He was a super-athlete whose talents enabled the Vikings to open their playbook for quarterbacks as diverse as Randall Cunningham, Warren Moon, Brad Johnson, Rich Gannon and Wade Wilson.

Mike Singletary

Mike Singletary, a seven-time first-team All-Pro middle linebacker, was the defensive centerpiece on the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl championship squad. Not only was that one of the greatest NFL teams of all-time, but historians dare say it may have been the all-time best defense as well. Like all 13 Bears teams he played on, the 6-0, 230-pound Singletary was always singled out as the leader of the squad. Those traits apparently translated well to a three-year head coaching post with the San Francisco 49ers.

Randy White

Randy White, a.k.a “The Manster” for being half-man, half-monster, was probably the best in a long line of Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys defenders who dominated the NFC in the 1970s. The 6-4, 257-pound right defensive tackle played in three Super Bowls and won one as Super Bowl co-MVP during the 1977 season. White, who retired the same year as his legendary head coach Tom Landry in 1988, played 209 games in 14 NFL seasons, only missing one game in his career.

John Hannah

John Hannah, who measured in at 6-2, 265 pounds, may have seemed short to some NFL scouts, but it was his versatility as a super-athlete that enabled him to become the fourth pick in the 1973 NFL Draft. From there, the 13-year pro excelled as the New England Patriots left guard, earning first-team All-Pro honors seven times, while making the NFL’s All-Decade teams in both the 1970s and 1980s. Hannah had speed, quickness and leg strength, which trace back to his high school days as a national prep wrestling champion and college days as a consensus football All-American and three-sport athlete as well (football, wrestling, track and field).

Bob Lilly

Bob Lilly started his career in 1961 as a 6-5, 260-pound defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, playing for second-year head coach Tom Landry. In Year 3, Landry moved Lilly to defensive tackle, later made him the centerpiece in the Cowboys vaunted “Doomsday Defense,” and in time won a Super Bowl in 1971 while building what soon became known as “America’s Team.” It’s no wonder Lilly is now known as “Mr. Cowboy” for the legacy he helped create in Dallas that lives on to this day. NFL Films called him an unstoppable, unblockable force, which is why he also was a seven-time first-team All-Pro.

Forrest Gregg

No lineman played on more NFL Championship teams than Forrest Gregg, who won five titles with the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s and one with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1971 season. The versatile 6-4, 249-pound lineman primarily started at right tackle, but also started at left guard and right guard in his 15-year NFL career. Gregg once played 188 consecutive games from 1956 through 1971, which was an NFL record at the time, and made first-team All-Pro eight straight years from 1960 through 1967. Gregg also was an NFL head coach for 11 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers. Gregg passed away in 2019 at age 84.

Gino Marchetti

Gino Marchetti was a lineman extraordinaire, excelling as a defensive end, but also playing quite well at offensive tackle for the Baltimore Colts in his 14-year career. In retrospect, the 6-4, 244-pound lineman was the key fixture on the Baltimore Colts’ 1958 and 1959 NFL Championship teams. But Marchetti credits a coaching move in his third NFL season in 1954 for transforming his career when he was made starting offensive tackle. There, Marchetti learned how to beat a blocker, and soon thereafter, became a Pro Bowl defensive end. In time, he made the first of seven first-team All-Pro  squads. Marchetti passed away in 2019 at age 92.

Otto Graham

Quarterback Otto Graham, who earned first-team All-Pro honors seven times, dominated the mid-20th-Century game and his position like no other. He led his Cleveland Browns to league title games every year between 1946 and 1955, and won three NFL Championships and four AAFC Championships. To this day, the 6-1, 196-pound Hall-of-Fame quarterback still holds the NFL all-time record for average yards gained per pass attempt (9.0), while also maintaining the best all-time winning percentage for a quarterback (.810, with a 105-17-4 mark). Graham also coached three years with the Washington Redskins as well. He passed away in 2003 at age 82.

Bulldog Turner

Coincidence or not, the Chicago Bears started winning NFL Championships again upon center Bulldog Turner’s arrival. With Hall of Fame quarterback Sid Luckman, Turner and Company teamed up to win NFL Championships in 1940, 1941, 1943 and 1946. The 6-1, 237-pound lineman, who also played linebacker, was a seven-time first-team All-Pro at center. He could block, he could get out and run, but perhaps most importantly, Turner was smarter than his peers. It was no surprise when the New York Titans of the AFL made him their head coach in 1962. Turner passed away in 1998 at age 79.