Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Friends and fellow PFRA members:

I have left the original post below but it looks like the responses have stopped coming so I have tallied the results. The player whose name I did not expect to see mentioned too often was Paul Warfield. Jerry Rice was the top vote-getter. Thanks to everyone who gave a reply. I'll get to work on the Coffin Corner piece and submit it soon.

I am conducting a survey for a piece I am writing for submission to the Coffin Corner. Please reply with your short list of the best wide receivers in pro football history, regardless of era.

I begin with a supposition about a player I do not expect to see on many lists. I will wait a reasonable period of time, maybe two weeks, and then count the lists. It would only be fair for me to mention the player I do not expect to see after the two weeks are over.

I will not use the names of those who submit a list but I will tally the players listed.

I request that you list 3-5 players.

I request that you limit responses to include players who played in the NFL, AAFC, the 1960-1969 AFL, the USFL or the CFL.

With many thanks,

Lee Elder

To all of you eagle-eyed readers, I had to edit my original post. I don't think any receiver played in ALL of the leagues listed, so I changed the final words to, "or the CFL" instead of "and the CFL."

Thanks again for your interest in my survey.

Lee Elder

I couldn’t resist going to 6....

1. Rice
2. Hutson
3. Alworth
4. Berry
5. Fitzgerald
6. Warfield

In order:

Rice
Hutson
Alworth
Berry
Warfield

Likely will cross over significantly or be the same as lists from others.

I feel the top 3 are...

1. Jerry Rice
2. Don Hutson
3. Randy Moss

Production-wise there have been other receivers that put up amazing numbers, but these 3 dominated the competition like no other.

Rice
Hutson
Berry
Alworth
Moss

Rice
Hutson
Berry
Warfield
Charley Taylor

Rice
Hutson
Largent
Berry
Alworth
Moss

Rice
Hutson
Alworth
Moss
Berry

I'm going to throw a name out there, since he's not really a Wide Receiver although he caught a lot of passes for his era - Lenny Moore. As great a running back as he was, I always thought he was miscast and should have been a wide receiver. After Hutson, he was really the NFL's next big breakaway player, a guy who could take the ball 80 yards. I remember once checking and I think he has by far the highest percentage of touchdowns in excess of 60 yards of any player in pro football history. From what little film I have seen of him, I think Moore was one of the best receivers I've ever seen as a running back, and he was one of the few backs who would go deep.

Randy Moss
Jerry Rice
Don Hutson
Lance Alworth
Larry Fitzgerald