It's certainly easier to say something is overrated when it's given so much spotlight.
The fullback position or guard is NEVER talked about, so it is usually underrated because it's a position that sees a lot of action during the game.
Not to say punters are underrated for being 4th down specialists, but punt return men who can bring it home once in a while get a hell of a lot more glory, and cash.
The NFL for the last, well, 30 years maybe? Has been about offense first, defense second and everything else.
That said offensive stars get a hell of a lot more airtime, but even among their group, there are ranks. Most offensive linemen go on forgotten, and usually have to wait for their name to be called to Canton, and even then it's usually tackles, and only if you're Godly.
Wide Receivers are given a lot less leeway than Half backs, in that a short time WR who was great will probably never get in, but Gale Sayers got in first ballot.
Then we get to the Quarterback, who is for some very strange reason given the most praise for a TEAM win and the most backlash for a TEAM loss.
Fact is, there are bad Quarterbacks and there are good Quarterbacks, but more often than not it's the team around them that makes them God Awful or Godly.
Aside from the very few, like Randall Cunningham and Dan Marino, who really were THAT great they made up for their sub-par teams, QBs are guided to Canton by their teams.
Most positions, are not.
Take RBs for instance, many who are in the Hall, like O.J., Campbell and Sanders never made a Super Bowl Appearance.
Yet QBs without gaudy stats, like Aikman, got in on first ballot based on the number of Championship teams they were on.
What?
Now many may argue that there have been more Super Bowl winning teams with great QBs, than without, but maybe too many look at it as the QB was great without the team?
Let's analyze all the Super Bowl winning QBs:
Bart Starr
Joe Namath
Len Dawson
Earl Morrall ( Jonny U was minimal in Super Bowl V )
Bob Griese
Terry Bradshaw
Ken Stabler
Jim Plunkett
Joe Montana
Joe Theismann
Doug Williams
Phil Simms
Mark Rypien
Troy Aikman
Jeff Hostetler
Steve Young
John Elway
Kurt Warner
Trent Dilfer
Tom Brady
Brad Johnson
Ben Roethlisberger
Peyton Manning
Eli Manning
Jim McMahon
Brett Favre
Roger Staubach
That's 27.
10 are in the Hall of Fame, including Aikman and Namath, both of whom are constantly brought up as questionable, but what have you, that's 10 Hall of Famers.
If we play obvious fortune teller, Favre, Brady and Peyton Manning are going to make it in too.
Warner is a question mark.
Now out of 27 of those QBs, 12 won a League MVP, Staubach and Dawson did not, but were great QBs, just to point that out. And Namath did win two League MVPs but for the AFL.
Earl Morrall, Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer, Mark Rypien, Jim Plunkett, Jim McMahon and Jeff Hostetler will never make the Hall of Fame, that's seven.
Add to the fact Ken Stabler, Joe Theismann and Phill Simms are longshots.
Brad Johnson will also probably NEVER get in and Eli Manning has yet to make a Pro Bowl and is also a longshot, but you don't know.
So let's assume 12 of the 27 QBs are not Hall of Famers.
Interesting isn't it?
And may I remind that some QBs, Bradshaw and Aikman would by all account not be in the Hall without their multiple rings.
Why is it that the face of a franchise 90 percent of the time is a QB? Especially when a team is doing good?
And why is it that a bust label on a QB is much more common than a bust label on every other position combined?
If a team has a great offensive line, good running game and two good, not necessarily great but two good WRs, almost any QB will rack up decent stats.
And doesn't it really tell the tale when a QB on a stacked team still manages to throw a fair amount of INTs?
Yes, Aikman and Bradshaw were garbage, put them on a sub .500 team and they can hug and kiss the likes of Ryan Leaf and Akili Smith, don't believe me? Take a look at Bradshaw and Aikman's rookie seasons.
Enjoy.
And for the record, the most underrated position in football is the guard, they get no respect.
