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80s Sports

Danny White

These are the best quarterbacks of the 80s. Quarterbacks are the heart of any football team. The best NFL quarterbacks are part captain, part coach and all player. So when talking about the best 80s quarterbacks, you know that these players are some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-football-players-ever" target="_blank">greatest in NFL history</a>. Take a look at this list of 80s QBs and vote up your favorites!&nbsp;From Joe Montana to Steve Young, these are the&nbsp;best QBs of the 80s! Who do you think are the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-quarterbacks-in-the-nfl-right-now" target="_blank">best NFL quarterbacks</a> of the 1980s?Dan Marino is frequently mentioned as one of the greatest quarter backs of the 80s, and there's no argument here! The greatest QBs of the 1980s are all here, so take a look! Do you think Jim Kelly is one of the best? There aren't many that would argue with you. Be sure to vote up who you think are the top quarterbacks of the 80s!

Running Backs

Freeman McNeil

Running backs are the workhorses of a football team. They set the pace and take the biggest hits play after play. When talking about 80s running backs, well, you're talking about some of the greatest football players in the NFL... and some of the greatest football players of all time! Take a look at this list of RBs of the 80s and vote up your favorites!From Thurman Thomas to Christian Okoye, Bo Jackson and beyond, the top running backs of the 80s were some of the strongest players on the gridiron. And this was back when you could still really hammer people. You know, before concussion science. Barry Sanders and Billy Sims are some of the best 1980s Running Backs that you'd also have to consider all time greats! Who are the best <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-current-nfl-running-back/ranker-sports?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">NFL running backs</a> of the 80s in your opinion? The <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-nfl-running-backs-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best running backs</a> of the 80s.So take a look at our list of the greatest RBs of the 80s and vote for your favorites! Be sure to voice your opinion about the top running backs of the 80s!

Ernest Givins

Wide receivers are some of the flashiest and most exciting players in the NFL. They can very quickly turn the tide of a game with one spectacular catch. When talking about 80s wide receivers, there are plenty of great players to make this list of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-current-nfl-wide-receiver/ranker-sports?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best wide receivers</a> of the 80s! This was a decade of remarkable talent at the wide receiver position. So take a look at this list of 80s WRs and vote for up favorites!When looking at 1980s wide receivers, is Jerry Rice your favorite? Is it Michael Irvin? Or is it somebody else that really played at high level during the 80s? Take a look at the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-wide-receivers-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">top wide receivers</a> of the 1980s and vote up the players you think left an&nbsp;indelible&nbsp;mark on the game of football.Who are the greatest wide receivers of the 80s?&nbsp;

Football

Billy Joe DuPree

Tight ends are a versatile bunch. They can make or break a team. You can win without a great tight end... but sure is easier when you have one. Some tight ends are more on the receiving end, some on the blocking, but not matter what, the best tight ends have to be able to do both. Here is a list of great 80s tight ends, ranked from best to worst by you, the fans. Take a look at this list of TE's from the 80s to vote up your favorites! Who are the best 80s tight ends? The greatest NFL tight ends of the 1980s?From Mark Bavaro, to Brent Jones, and beyond, &nbsp;this list of 1980s tight ends has tons of great talent! The top tight ends of the 1980s are all listed here for you to look through and vote up your favorites. If you think a player is missing, be sure to add them! Who are the greatest 80s NFL tight ends?

The Best of the 1980s NFL

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1980s NFL Tight Ends, Ranked by Fans

The Best NFL Tight Ends of the '80s

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Kellen Winslow

Kellen Boswell Winslow Sr. (born November 5, 1957) is an American former football player in the National Football League (NFL). A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1995), he is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the league's history. Winslow played his entire NFL career from 1979 to 1987 with the San Diego Chargers after being selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Missouri, where he was a consensus All-American. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2002). 
Winslow is the former director of athletics at Florida A&M University. He has previously held administrative roles at Central State University where he was athletic director, and the vice president for athletics and wellness at Lakeland College (Wisconsin)

Ozzie Newsome

Ozzie Newsome Jr. (born March 16, 1956) is an American former football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, as well as a former general manager of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Newsome was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame (1994) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1999).

Brent Jones

Brent Michael Jones (born February 12, 1963) is a former American football tight end who played almost his entire National Football League (NFL) career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1987 to 1997. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jones won three Super Bowl rings with the 49ers and was three times named All-Pro (1992–1994) and is a four-time Pro Bowler (1992–1995). He finished his 11 NFL seasons with 417 receptions for 5,195 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Shortly after his playing career ended, Jones became an analyst for The NFL Today. Jones worked for the NFL on CBS from 1998 to 2005. Jones decided to leave CBS Sports during the 2005 NFL season in order to focus on his business in California, Northgate Capital, which he founded with former teammates  Mark Harris and Tommy Vardell. Jones is a former member of the board of directors for San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises, which owns the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League.

Todd Christensen

Todd Jay Christensen (August 3, 1956 – November 13, 2013) was an American football player who played in the National Football League from 1978 until 1988, spending most of that time playing tight end for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders. Following his retirement Christensen became a commentator for both professional and collegiate games, working for NBC Sports, ESPN, and CBS Sports Network among others.

Mark Bavaro

Mark Bavaro (born April 28, 1963) is a former American football tight end who played for the New York Giants (1985–1990), Cleveland Browns (1992), and Philadelphia Eagles (1993–1994) in the National Football League (NFL). Bavaro was selected to the Pro Bowl for his performances in the 1986 and 1987 seasons and was a member of the Giants teams that won Super Bowls XXI and XXV.
After an All-American career at the University of Notre Dame, Bavaro was drafted by the Giants in the fourth round (#100 overall) in the 1985 NFL Draft. He quickly emerged as a starter in his rookie season and became renowned during his Giants career for his blocking, toughness, and receiving skills. After a degenerative knee condition forced him to sit out the 1991 season, he returned to play three seasons for the Browns and Eagles before retiring in 1995. Since retiring Bavaro has done work as a pro-life activist. His brother David also played in the NFL for four seasons.

Dave Casper

David John Casper (born February 2, 1952) nicknamed "the Ghost", is an American former football player best known for being a prominent member of the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League (NFL).  He was a tight end and also played as an offensive lineman. Casper has been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame (2012) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2002).

Keith Jackson

Keith Jerome Jackson (born April 19, 1965) is a former professional American football tight end who played for the Philadelphia Eagles (1988–1991), Miami Dolphins (1992–1994), and Green Bay Packers (1995–1996).

Russ Francis

Russell Ross Francis (born April 3, 1953), is a retired American football player, a tight end for thirteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers.
Francis finished his NFL career with 393 receptions for 5,262 yards and 40 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Jay Novacek

Jay McKinley  Novacek (born October 24, 1962) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals (1985–1989) and the Dallas Cowboys (1990–1995). Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995.  He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Steve Jordan

Steven Russell Jordan (born January 10, 1961) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings from 1982 to 1994.  He played college football at Brown and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Cameron Jordan, his son, currently plays defensive end for the New Orleans Saints.
Jordan was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls from 1986 through 1991 and finished his NFL career with 498 receptions for 6,307 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Doug Cosbie

Douglas Durant Cosbie (born March 27, 1956) is a former professional American football player in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Santa Clara University.

Dan Ross

Paul Coffman

Paul Randolph Coffman (born March 29, 1956) is a former professional American football player who played tight end for ten seasons for the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After attending high school in Chase, Kansas, he walked on to Kansas State University where he played tight end for four years. After completing college Coffman became an undrafted free agent and joined the Green Bay Packers.

Raymond Chester

Raymond Tucker Chester (born June 28, 1948) is a former American Football tight end. After graduating from Douglass High School in Baltimore, Maryland, Chester played college football at the historically Black University, Morgan State. He was a member of the Morgan State Bears’ 1968 undefeated team, scoring the Bears’ only touchdown in their historic victory over Grambling at Yankee Stadium. 
Drafted in the first round as the 24th pick overall in the 1970 NFL Draft, Chester began his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders. Pulling in seven touchdowns and over five hundred yards receiving in his NFL debut season, Chester received the Rookie of the Year award and secured his first of four career Pro Bowl selections. After a trade in 1973 to the Baltimore Colts, Chester played five seasons with them before returning to Oakland. He played with the Raiders in 1980, becoming a Super Bowl Champion after their defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mickey Shuler

Mickey Charles Shuler Sr. (born August 21, 1956), is a former professional American football tight end from 1978 to 1991. He played in 181 games over 14 seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played collegiately at Penn State University from 1975 to 1977, where his son Mickey Shuler, Jr., also a tight end, played.

Billy Joe DuPree (born March 7, 1950) is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Michigan State University.

Jimmie Giles

Jimmie Giles, Jr. (born November 8, 1954) is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1977 NFL Draft.  A 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 238 lb tight end from Alcorn State University, Giles played in 13 NFL seasons from 1977 to 1989.  A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Giles's career flourished as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the early and mid-1980s, despite being used mainly as a blocker during several seasons in which he fell into disfavor with the coaching staff. Giles' benching coincided with a training-camp holdout, the first in Buccaneers history by a player under contract, and the difficult Doug Williams negotiations that resulted in his departure for the USFL. Giles' four touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins on October 20, 1985, tied Earl Campbell's record for the most touchdowns by a Dolphins opponent, and is still (as of 2017) the Buccaneers' single-game record; despite this, the Dolphins would win 41-38. Dolphins coach Don Shula said of the performance, "I can't remember any tight end dominating us that way". Buccaneer teammate Gerald Carter said that Giles could have been "one of the best all-time tight ends, if they'd used him more". In 1988 with the Philadelphia Eagles, he caught a touchdown on one of the most memorable plays in Monday Night Football. Quarterback Randall Cunningham escaped a tackle from Giants linebacker Carl Banks and threw a touchdown to Giles.
On July 13, 2011, the Buccaneers officially announced that Jimmie Giles would be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor on December 4, 2011, when the Buccaneers hosted the Carolina Panthers.



Rich Caster

Richard C. Caster (born October 16, 1948) is a former American football wide receiver and tight end who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mainly for the New York Jets. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1972, 1974 and 1975 seasons.  He played college football at Jackson State University.  He became a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity while a student at Jackson State University.

Riley Odoms

Riley Mackey Odoms (born March 1, 1950) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the University of Houston. In 1971, he had 45 catches for 730 yards and 8 TD after playing sparingly the two seasons prior.Played his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Odoms was drafted fifth overall in the 1972 NFL Draft, which made him the second highest tight end ever taken in the NFL Draft.
Odoms was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was a two-time All-Pro. He finished his career with 396 receptions for 5,755 yards and 41 touchdowns.
He is the grandson of Baseball Hall of Famer, Biz Mackey.

Pete Metzelaars

Peter Henry Metzelaars (born May 24, 1960) is a former American football tight end who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions in a sixteen-year career in the National Football League. Following his playing career, Metzelaars became a coach.

Rodney Holman

Rodney Holman (born April 20, 1960) is an American former professional American football player who played tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals (1982–1992), and the Detroit Lions (1993–1995).

Jerry Smith

Gerald Thomas Smith (July 19, 1943 – October 15, 1986) was a professional American football tight end for the National Football League's Washington Redskins from 1965 to 1977. By the time he retired he held the NFL record for most career touchdowns by a tight end. A 2014 documentary from the NFL Network's A Football Life series profiles his career, as well as his "double life as a closeted gay man and a star athlete".



Charle Young

Charle Edward Young (born February 5, 1951) is a former American football tight end who played for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles (1973–1976), the Los Angeles Rams (1977–1979), the San Francisco 49ers  (1980–1982), and the Seattle Seahawks (1983–1985). He was drafted by the Eagles in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He played college football at University of Southern California (USC).



Keith Krepfle

Keith Robert Krepfle (born February 4, 1952 in Dubuque, Iowa) is a former American football tight end who played for eight seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.

Jerome Barkum

Jerome Barkum (born July 18, 1950) is a former wide receiver and tight end in the National Football League. He played 12 years with New York Jets. He was drafted by the Jets out of Jackson State University with the 9th overall pick in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft. In 1973, he was selected to the Pro Bowl as a WR. His biggest catch in the NFL was made in Shea Stadium in a 1981 clash against the Miami Dolphins in the last seconds of the game to lift the Jets to victory 16-15. The Jets made the playoffs that year for the first time since their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1969. Barkum was also a part of the Jets team in the 1982 season that made it to that year's AFC Championship.



Tight ends are a versatile bunch. They can make or break a team. You can win without a great tight end... but sure is easier when you have one. Some tight ...