Playing most of the rest of his career with Brady, and then Peyton Manning, Welker was a remarkably productive and reliable player, going to 5 Pro Bowls and leading the league in receiving three times. He may go down as one of the best players to never win a Super Bowl. Mark McMillian, a journeyman cornerback from the mid 90s, might be the shortest ever to do it at the pro level.
Known for excellent closing speed and his hard hitting, Leonhard carved out a productive career at a position that typically rewards much bigger athletes. His high football intelligence and tremendous leadership skills led him into the world of coaching, where he eventually became the defensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Winfield was known for being a relentless tackler with a knack for forcing fumbles, and went on to earn three Pro Bowl bids during an illustrious career. There may be no better example of this than Bob Sanders. Sanders was famous for throwing his body around with reckless abandon at the safety position, knocking biggers receivers out of their cleats, and being an aggressive ball-hawk.
Though injuries hindered his career, he went out having earned an elusive Defensive Player of the Year award and a Super Bowl ring. Perhaps no other position is subjected to such intense height scrutiny as quarterback, with stars like Drew Brees and Russell Wilson falling in the NFL draft due in great part to their stature.
Dumervil, or Doom, is one of the few outside linebackers in the modern era to measure in under six feet tall. But boy, did he use his stature to his advantage, bending the edge and getting even lower for insane leverage against lanky offensive tackles. He signed a three-year contract with Oakland in , appearing in 12 games unworthy of mentioning.
At 29, he announced his retirement in He resigned with the Jaguars for one game in April, so his official retirement papers would come from Jacksonville. The Bengals picked him up the same day. In , he signed with the Browns.
His first year in Cleveland, he made 63 catches for yards and made two touchdowns. But, in , he was placed on injured reserve. In May , he signed a one-year contract with the Patriots, but a few months later announced his retirement. During his rookie year, he caught a yard punt return for his first career touchdown. Villanueva absolutely towers over defensive linemen, and has established himself as a multiple Pro Bowler as a result. Harris played a key role on special teams during his rookie year, despite his size.
If last year was any indication, Harris should find success in the league as a return man. Share Share Tweet Email. Related Topics NFL nfl. Adriano Valente 77 Articles Published. Aspiring writer.
In his career so far, he has tackles, 32 turnovers, 2 defensive touchdowns, 71 deflected passes, and even a few blocked field goals. His experience has molded him into one of the top corners in the league today. He understands how to read quarterbacks and make the play. He rarely misses tackles. And he can stuff backs at the line.
For such a small body, he has become one of the top hard-hitting defenders in the league today. Perhaps the smallest receiver in NFL history to be so dangerous, fast, and hot-tempered at the same time, Smith has defenses guessing and arguing over defending him week after week.
Smith is a nine year veteran that still has a lot of gas left in his tank. He has been a Carolina Panther since the start of his career in In his nine NFL seasons, Smith has recorded over 1, offensive yards six times. In he led every receiver in the league in every major receiving category.
He had the most receptions , receiving yards 1, , and receiving touchdowns One of the most versatile running backs in the game today, Jones-Drew can pound it through the line for a first down. Or he can split to the outside and outrun the entire defense for an 80 yard touchdown. Or he can run a 20 yard pattern and catch a deep pass, acting as a receiver.
He plays the every-down back role that every team needs to have in their running back. After having a couple above-average seasons as only the second string running back in Jacksonville, Jones-Drew was made the starter for Then, he really broke out. He accumulated 1, all purpose offensive yards, and 16 offensive touchdowns.
Not to mention he returned kicks a few times, too. Now a Pro-Bowler and known as one of the best backs in the game today, Jones-Drew is the perfect example of NFL superstar talent in a smaller body. Of course, this San Diego running back tops the list.
Sproles is the face of the little man of the NFL. Easily one of the most versatile players in the league, Sproles has the perfect blend of rushing, receiving, and returning skills in the NFL. He was listed as the third string running back. But he missed the entire season due to an ankle injury, and he fell off the radar again. In , he moved up to the second string running back.
He jumped in for a few offensive plays here and there, but he mainly stayed on special teams. Finally in , he got his chance. LaDainian Tomlinson sustained an injury in a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. Sproles absolutely exploded against the Colts, running for two touchdowns, one being the game winner.
But what really impressed were his perfect blend of rushing, receiving, and kick-return yards.
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