Tom Brady may be the GOAT of all GOATS. He is the winningest football player in history and holds basically all regular-season and post-season passing records. His name is synonymous with winning and with the Super Bowl. Even when other teams and great quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes are discussed, Tom Brady becomes part of the conversation. Brady retired after the 2022 season. The Hall of Fame is his next chapter.
- Seven-time Super Bowl Champion (10 SB appearances)
- Five-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player
- Three-time NFL Most Valuable Player
- 89,214 Yards
- 649 touchdowns
The Philadelphia Eagles had a great run in the past decade due in large part to center Jason Kelce. He spearheaded the offensive line that helped the Eagles to Super Bowls in 2018 (beating New England 41-33) and 2023 (losing to Kansas City 38-35). Kelce was part of one of the best lines in the NFL that allowed the Eagles to be balanced with a good running game and a great passing game.
- First Team All-Pro six times
- Pro Bowl seven times
- Super Bowl Champion
- Rated as top 10 center in NFL history
Winner. Record holder. Serena Williams. She symbolizes what a winner is. She holds so many career records and is unmatched in history. She took the tennis world by storm in 1999 by winning her first Grand Slam major (The U.S. Open) at only 17 years old. She gave it all up in 2022.
- Record 13 Grand Slam singles titles on hard court.
- 7 Wimbledon Championships
- Open Era record for most women’s singles titles at the Australian Open (7)
- Shares the Open Era record for most titles won at the U.S. Open (6)
- Only tennis player to win three of the four Grand Slams at least 6 times.
The St. Louis Cardinals have had star power for over 100 years. Albert Pujols was the latest in a line from Rogers Hornsby to Stan the Man Musial to Bob Gibson to present day. Pujols put up the biggest numbers and won the World Series twice along the journey. He is regarded as one of the five greatest first basemen in history, with career numbers that challenge even the immortal Lou Gehrig. He retired in 2022.
- National League MVP 2005, 2008, 2009
- 11-time All-Star
- World Series Champion 2006, 2011
- 703 home runs
- 3384 hits
- 2218 RBI
In tennis, Roger Federer is considered by many to be the greatest player in history. He won his first major at age 21 and, by 27, had surpassed Pete Sampras as the all-time winner of majors with 15. At one point, he held the number-one ranking in the world for an astounding 237 consecutive weeks! He called it quits in 2022.
- A record 8 Wimbledon titles
- 1st man to 20 major singles titles
- 6 Australian Open titles
- 5 U.S. Open titles
- 1 French Open title
- Career Grand Slam
- Career singles record of 1251 wins and 275 losses for an 82% winning percentage.
Sue Bird is the word in women’s basketball. She has accomplished everything a basketball player can do. She has won collegiate championships, professional championships, and Olympic and World Championship gold medals. Among her numerous accolades, she has been named MVP and Outstanding Player of the Year. She is quite possibly the greatest player ever and hung it up in 2022.
- Five-time Olympic gold medalist with USA Basketball (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020)
- Four-time WNBA Champion (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)
- Two-time NCAA Champion with UCONN Huskies
- College Player of the Year 2002
(Images via Lorie Shaull, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; at 2 August 2015 game, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Rob Gronkowski is the epitome of a football player: strong, tough, athletic, with an intense burning desire to win. Playing tight end for the New England Patriots, Gronk made his name known to opponents and fans alike. He was the go-to guy for Tom Brady and seemed to always come through with a key first down or touchdown.
- 4 Super Bowl titles
- NFL 100th Anniversary Team
- Four-time All Pro
- Five-time Pro Bowler
- Holds NFL records for touchdowns in a season for a tight end, with 18
- Receptions 621
- Touchdowns 92
Speed, speed, and more speed to burn. Allyson Felix was born to run. She is the most decorated track and field athlete in U.S. history, with 11 Olympic medals over the course of her amazing career, which spanned from 2003 through the 2020 Summer Olympic games. She competed at the Olympics in Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, Rio in 2016, and Tokyo in 2020.
- 7 Olympic Gold medals
- 3 Olympic Silver medals
- 1 Olympic bronze medal
- 20 World Championship Medals, including 14 Golds
- 10-time U.S. National Champion
Drew Brees is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Where he ranks is hard to say. He played at the same time as other legends, including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers, yet he held his own in every way. He was a Super Bowl champion, All-Pro, and set records. He hung up his helmet in 2020.
- Super Bowl Champion
- Super Bowl MVP
- Five-time All Pro
- 13 time Pro Bowler
- Offensive Player of the Year
- NFL record highest completion percentage in a season (74.4% in 2018)
Sylvia Fowles retired in 2022, but not before shaping a Hall of Fame career. She was league MVP and a four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, leading her team to championships. She rose to the occasion in the biggest moments.
- Two-time WNBA Champion (2015, 2017)
- Two-time finals MVP (2015, 2017)
- WNBA MVP 2017
- Eight-time All-WNBA
- Four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year 2011, 2013, 2016, 2021)
- 11 time WNBA All-Defensive Team
- 2008 SEC Player of the Year in college at LSU
When it comes to track and field, there is fast, and then there is Usain Bolt. He holds virtually all speed records at the Olympics, World Championships, and any other competition in the 100m and 200m dashes. He amazed the international community by smashing world records and then charming them with his infectious smile. His last Olympics were in 2016, and he retired in 2017.
- Eight-time Olympic Gold medalist
- 14 World Championship medals with 14 golds
- World Record 100 meter dash 9.58 seconds
- World Record 200 meter dash 19.19 seconds
- World Record 4x100 meter relay (Jamaica) 36.84 seconds
J.J. Redick was a specialist and a great shooter. He first received national acclaim with the Duke Blue Devils. He was ACC player of the year and National Player of the Year. Redick was an All-American. He played 15 seasons in the NBA and finally retired in 2021.
- Two-time Rupp Award winner as college Player of the Year in 2005 and again in 2006
- Three-time All-American (2004, 2005, 2006)
- Two-time ACC Player of the Year (2005, 2006)
- Two-time ACC Tournament MVP (2005, 2006)
Ryan Lochte says he is not retired, but he last competed in trials in 2021. This legendary swimmer competed in the Olympics from 2004 through 2016 in freestyle, backstroke, and medleys. He has accumulated 12 Olympic medals in that time. He has been named U.S. Swimmer of the Year and World Swimmer of the Year. His 50 international medals are one for the books.
- 6 Olympic Gold medals
- 3 Olympic Silver medals
- 3 Olympic Bronze medals
- 21 World Championship Gold medals
- 10 World Championship Silver medals
- 7 World Championship bronze medals
Lindsey Vonn is an American alpine skier. She is the best. From 2008 through 2012, she won four of the five Overall World Cup Championships. She also won Olympic medals and World Championship medals. She became the first woman to win 82 World Cup races. Her disciplines included downhill, super-G, giant slalom, and combined. She competed for 19 seasons before retiring in 2019.
- 4 U.S. Winter Olympic teams
- 3 Winter Olympic medals
- 1 Winter Olympic Gold medal
- 2 World Championship Gold medals
- 3 World Championship Silver medals
- 3 World Championship Bronze medals
Patrick Willis is one of those players who comes around once in a great while. He makes an immediate impact on any team. That is what happened in 2007 when he joined the San Francisco 49ers. His career highlight was leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013, coming up just short to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31. Willis was gone from the game after the 2014 season. He is now in the Hall of Fame.
- Defensive Rookie of the Year 2007
- Six-time All Pro
- Seven-time Pro Bowler
- Butkus Award NFL 2009
- Butkus Award college 2006
- All American 2005, 2006
