Vote for Emmitt in ESPN's Gutsiest Performance of All-Time Poll

[tunahelper]

What us should be added to the poll?

Jack Youngblood played in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XIV, with a broken leg.

I think Montana's cold or Gibson's sore Hammy were a little less tolerable?

 

[TEK2000]

I voted for Emmit but some of the stuff they showed on the NFL Film's show: NFL's 100 Toughest Players will really open your eyes to the way the game was played back in the day.

I can't remember what rank Emmit was on the show... I'll watch it again and post.

 

[smarta5150]

Where is TOs perfromance in the Superbowl after his leg/ankle injury?

 

[L-O-Jete]

What us should be added to the poll?

Jack Youngblood played in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XIV, with a broken leg.

I think Montana's cold or Gibson's sore Hammy were a little less tolerable?

I remember Kosar playing on a broken ankle with the Browns, much more guts than any Baseball, Golf, Tennis, Racing, non-injury situation.

And Hockey doesn't count, they're just plain crazy and would win everything hands down.

 

[burmafrd]

Actually Montana had the flu, they had given him an IV, and he also had hypothermia since that game was pretty close to an Ice Bowl, though not as cold. 3 TD passes in the last 5 minutes- the last one on the last play.
It is said that that is the game that decided Bill Walsh that Montana could really play.
Leftwich's game I actually was able to watch: he was carried down the field by his O linemen since he could barely walk. Pure guts.

 

[Rack]

How is Don Meredith playing with a punctured lung (and almost dying on the plane ride home after the game) not on that list?

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

What us should be added to the poll?

Jack Youngblood played in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XIV, with a broken leg.

I think Montana's cold or Gibson's sore Hammy were a little less tolerable?

I watched Youngblood in that game. He didn't just play, he played well and they were taking there shots at hims too. That was truely something to see.

For me, heart will always be exemplified by the photo of YA Tittle after the loss to the Steelers in 64, I believe. I did not see that game personally but it is one of the lasting legandary perfromances of the NFL. YA, playing for NY at the time, was battered, brused and beaten. Already injured, Tittle played in that game only to receive further injurey. The quinticential picture of a player leaving every ounce of it on the field.

 

[THUMPER]

I watched Youngblood in that game. He didn't just play, he played well and they were taking there shots at hims too. That was truely something to see.

For me, heart will always be exemplified by the photo of YA Tittle after the loss to the Steelers in 64, I believe. I did not see that game personally but it is one of the lasting legandary perfromances of the NFL. YA, playing for NY at the time, was battered, brused and beaten. Already injured, Tittle played in that game only to receive further injurey. The quinticential picture of a player leaving every ounce of it on the field.

Are you sure you don't mean the 1963 Championship game between the Giants and the Bears? I remember seeing that game and hoping Tittle would finally win a championship but it wasn't meant to be.

Tittle's knee was already injured and he twisted it again in the 2nd quarter. He couldn't plant his feet and his throws had no zip on them and he was picked off 5 times. They still had a chance to win that game as they were ahead until the 3rd quarter but Tittle kept getting picked off every time they got within range.

Y.A. (Yelberton Abraham) had an awesome year that season posting a 104.8 QB rating as well as setting the NFL record for most TD passes in a season with 36 (Blanda had thrown 36 in 1961 but that was in the AFL) which wasn't broken until 1984 when Dan Marino blew it away with 48.

This was the 3rd year in a row and the 6th in 8 years that the Giants were in the Championship game. They had a very well balanced team with a powerful offense and a dominating defense (courtesy of Tom Landry's innovations as their DC in the late 50s). The Bears were their typical tough, hard nosed, grind it out style that year, nosing out the Packers for the Western Conference title.

It was a very tough game with lots of big plays by both defenses but in the end the Bears defense got the better of Tittle and held on to win it.

I had become a football fan in late 1962 and a Cowboys fan in the pre-season of 1963 so this was the first championship game that I remember watching and really being excited about. I had watched the Championship game the year before when the Giants lost to the Packers (IMO the best Packers team ever) but had played them close in very cold weather in NY. I liked Tittle then even though he had lost and was looking for him to win it in 1963.

The picture of Tittle, kneeling on the field with his helmet off and blood from a cut on his head dripping down is one that has stayed with me all these years.

 

[bbgun]

http://img101.*************/img101/8149/8smithhb1.jpg

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Are you sure you don't mean the 1963 Championship game between the Giants and the Bears? I remember seeing that game and hoping Tittle would finally win a championship but it wasn't meant to be.

Tittle's knee was already injured and he twisted it again in the 2nd quarter. He couldn't plant his feet and his throws had no zip on them and he was picked off 5 times. They still had a chance to win that game as they were ahead until the 3rd quarter but Tittle kept getting picked off every time they got within range.

Y.A. (Yelberton Abraham) had an awesome year that season posting a 104.8 QB rating as well as setting the NFL record for most TD passes in a season with 36 (Blanda had thrown 36 in 1961 but that was in the AFL) which wasn't broken until 1984 when Dan Marino blew it away with 48.

This was the 3rd year in a row and the 6th in 8 years that the Giants were in the Championship game. They had a very well balanced team with a powerful offense and a dominating defense (courtesy of Tom Landry's innovations as their DC in the late 50s). The Bears were their typical tough, hard nosed, grind it out style that year, nosing out the Packers for the Western Conference title.

It was a very tough game with lots of big plays by both defenses but in the end the Bears defense got the better of Tittle and held on to win it.

I had become a football fan in late 1962 and a Cowboys fan in the pre-season of 1963 so this was the first championship game that I remember watching and really being excited about. I had watched the Championship game the year before when the Giants lost to the Packers (IMO the best Packers team ever) but had played them close in very cold weather in NY. I liked Tittle then even though he had lost and was looking for him to win it in 1963.

The picture of Tittle, kneeling on the field with his helmet off and blood from a cut on his head dripping down is one that has stayed with me all these years.

It could be Thump. In my post, I was not certain if it was 64 and I actually thought it was the Steelers but it could very well have been the Bears. In fact, it probably was the Bears. Going off memory earlier which, I'm sorry to say, is not as good as it once was.

About that photo, I agree with you. I actually have a reproduction of that photo in my office at home. Makes me remember not to feel too sorry for myself when I think I've got it bad.

He was a heck of a player in his day. Sad to say, not many left to remember just how really good those older players were.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

On a side note, Rocky Bleier of the Steelers played with Schrapnel in his right leg for much of his career. Physically played and practiced in pain as a result during playing career. Another real tough guy.

 

[parchy]

Just hours after learning of his sister's death to cancer, Jansen attempted to win gold in the 500-meter speed skating event. Less than 10 seconds into the race, he fell rounding a turn, slid off the track, and was eliminated. The nightmare continued three days later at the 1,000-meter event, as Jansen fell again and failed to finish.

Not trying to be unsympathetic here, but....

 

[Rack]

Not trying to be unsympathetic here, but....

I agree. Gutsy doesn't mean you go out there and stink the place up.


Gutsy means you go out there with whatever it is that's "hindering" you and you perform well.

Toughness isn't measured by a player that plays through pain. It's measured by a player playing WELL through pain.

 

[Cowboy Junkie]

Emmitt is getting no respect...

I think the most gutsy performance is not even on the list..

My vote gose to Ronnie Lott who had the tip of his finger cut off just so he could continue to play , now that takes guts>>>>

 

[Seven]

Joe Montana (1979 Cotton Bowl) -- Montana battled through hypothermia most of the game, even needing a serving of bouillon to bring his temperature back up. With the Irish trailing Houston 34-12, Montana led a stunning comeback, culminated by his game-winning touchdown pass in the 35-34 Notre Dame victory.

That made me laugh.

Hardly a profile in courage.

Hypothermia makes you laugh? Ya know, that's exactly how Jeff Dahmer got his start. Takin' care of all the cats in your neighborhood are ya?

 

[Seven]

Emmitt is getting no respect...

I think the most gutsy performance is not even on the list..

My vote gose to Ronnie Lott who had the tip of his finger cut off just so he could continue to play , now that takes guts>>>>

How's about Steve DeBerg getting a pin shoved down the length of his finger, on the sidelines, cause it was broken? That hurt to watch.

 

[THUMPER]

A couple of others:

Johnny Unitas playing the 1960 season with cracked vertebrae in his back.

Bert Jones playing against the Raiders in a double overtime playoff game with a broken neck! That was the famous "Ghost to the post" game.

Bob Lilly's last couple of seasons playing with a wrecked back that made every movement extremely painful yet he never missed a game in his career.

I guess only Jones' would qualify as a "performance" though.

 

[dcfanatic]

Surprised this hasn't been brought up by anyone yet, but what about T.O.'s performance in the Super Bowl?

He did have a broken ankle that was not completely healed and put up some big numbers in that game. If his QB didn't eat 16 cans of soup with his momma in the locker room before the game they might have won that game.

I see that Leftwich is leading the vote and I was surprised at that. He had a badly sprained ankle, but I don't think it was broken.

Also I was shocked that McNabb wasn't on that list for the time he played with a lower leg that was broken in half.

 

[Concord]

Hypothermia makes you laugh? Ya know, that's exactly how Jeff Dahmer got his start. Takin' care of all the cats in your neighborhood are ya?

No the need to put in the article that he needed bouillon made me laugh...What about the hot cocoa he had?

As far as taking care of the Cats in my neighborhood..No I Love all animals...Now Humans...That's another story.

 

[joseephuss]

They left out Barry Switzer forgoing surgery on his neck in order to keep coaching the Cowboys for the full season.