The Greatest Cornerbacks in NFL History

The cornerback position is one of the hardest positions to play in all of sports.

Not only must you be quick enough to cover the speedy receivers, but you also have to be tough enough to go up against the big ones as well. Oh, not to mention you have to outsmart Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees for 60 minutes.

There are a few great young stars in the league right now such as Revis in New York, and Asomugha in Oakland. These guys are great now, but there were others that came before them that set the stage.

Ronnie Lott

A four time Super Bowl champion and ten time Pro Bowler, Lott was the linchpin in the San Francisco 49ers defense that was so dominant during the 80s.

Known for his devastating hits, Lott also had an incredible set of hands, picking off 63 passes, bringing back 5 for touchdowns. Had Lott played his entire career at cornerback, he might even have better statistics, which is scary.

Champ Bailey

Champ Bailey has arguably been the greatest cornerback in the game over the past decade, starring for both the Washington Redskins and the Denver Broncos.

He has an impressive eight Pro Bowl appearances on his resume in that time, and he has already racked up more than 40 interceptions during his relatively brief career.

Darrell Green

Darrell Green played a mind boggling 20 consecutive seasons, all with the Washington Redskins, before finally calling it a career in 2002. During that time he hauled in 54 INTs, bringing back 6 for touchdowns, and was a 4 time recipient of the NFL's Fastest Man award.

Another interesting note is that Green had at least one interception in 19 of his 20 years in the league.

Dick Lane

Dick Lane was a 7 time Pro Bowler and finished his career with a total of 68 interceptions, including a staggering 14 INTs in a single season, an NFL record that still stands today.

Most of Lane's best years were during his time on the Lions.

Not only did invented the modern cornerback position in the 1950s, he was voted the best cornerback of football's first 50 years.

Rod Woodson

Rod Woodson recorded a jaw-dropping 71 interceptions during his career, rushing them back for 1,483 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He amassed 32 fumble recoveries during his career as well, and was regularly used as both a kickoff and punt returner. 

Woodson appeared in the Pro Bowl 11 times during his playing days, and was a key member of the Super Bowl XXXV winning Baltimore Ravens.

Deion Sanders

The household name.

Deion is one of a select few NFL players to line up on both sides of the ball, and his 19 total defensive touchdowns as a back and a returner is an NFL record.

Sanders had eight Pro Bowl selections and won two Superbowls. He was also the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1994.

Perhaps the statistics don't match up against most other guys in this list, but his electrifying plays really stand out more than anything.