There is a phenomenon in sports where certain regions, cities or states continually produce world-class competitors who dominate their leagues and become icons. It is generally a result of fantastic college and university programs or a strong sports culture within the state and plenty of support for development at a young age.
One such state is Pennsylvania, and you may not know, but out of this state there have come some of the most iconic NFL players of all time. Many of these are retired NFL players, so you can’t bet on them at the best PA sportsbooks anymore, but it certainly gives inspiration and shows that Pennsylvania is one area to watch out for when you are placing your sports bets.
1. Joe Montana
The Comeback Kid, or Joe Cool as he is also known, is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks of all time and he was born and raised in New Eagle, Pennsylvania. Montana has achieved legendary status in the NFL and rightly has a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
During his 16-season career, Joe Cool won four Super Bowls, made eight Pro Bowl appearances and had two regular season MVPs back-to-back in 1989 and 1990. His renown is so great that he was voted onto the 1980s All-Decade Team, the NFL 75th Anniversary Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary team.
2. Dan Marino
Like Montana, Dan Marino is regarded as one of the greatest football quarterbacks of all time and had incredible success during the 1980s and 1990s for the Miami Dolphins. Marino hailed from Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and was selected 27th in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft.
While some NFL players went overseas later in their career to countries such as Germany, Marino played his entire career for the Miami Dolphins and has served as an executive for the club since 2014.
His player achievements included the 1984 MVP, nine Pro Bowl appearances, six All-Pro selections and the 1984 NFL Offensive Player of the Year. The only mark on this legend’s career is that he never won a Superbowl!
3. Jonny Unitas
Older NFL fans will remember Jonny Unitas as he is regarded as the first NFL superstar. His illustrious career spanned from 1955 to 1973 where he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers.
Unitas won three regular season MVP awards in 1959, 1964 and 1976 and had 10 Pro Bowl selections. He also made the All-Pro first time five times and had various regular season awards such as the passing touchdown leader four times in a row between 1957-1960.
Due to his legendary play and achievements, Unitas was part of the 50th, 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams and voted onto the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.
4. Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald is still going strong and has played his entire career for the Los Angeles Rams although he was born and raised in Pittsburgh. Donald is regarded as an elite defensive player and one of the greatest NFL defenders of all time.
This is evident in his three Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2017, 2018 and 2020. He’s also been selected to the All-Pro first team a staggering seven times — that’s every year except his rookie season! With nine Pro Bowl appearances too, Donald shows now signs of slowing down and at 32 still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
5. Marvin Harrison
Harrison was born in Philadelphia and is hailed as an incredible wide-receiver and was rightfully inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
He played his entire career for the Indianapolis Colts for 12 seasons, which included a Super Bowl win at Super Bowl XLI. His other accomplishments included eight Pro Bowl appearances, and eight All-Pro selections. During the 2002 season, Harrison was also the leader in receiving yards and receptions and was the touchdown co-leader in 2005.
6. Tony Dorsett
Lastly, we have Tony Dorsett, whose career was cut a little short due to injury. Nonetheless, during his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, he racked up four Pro Bowl selections, three All-Pro selections and was awarded the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year during his debut season in 1977. This Pennsylvania legend is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and also won Super Bowl XII with the Cowboys.
Can you name any other Pennsylvania state NFL legends?
These six legends are right up there in the annals of Pennsylvania NFL history, but are there any other names you feel we should have included? How about other current NFL players? Are there any Pennsylvania natives you think can progress to become all-time greats and end up on this list? There is already some stiff competition and knocking the likes of Joe Montana and Dan Marino off the list will be no small feat!
