This column appeared in the Arizona Daily Sun in October 2004.

Polling the public about the all-time greats

By Ed Odeven

When you least expect it, the following question comes up at barber shops, barbecue joints, bars, ballgames — name a place, and it’s probably been discussed there.

Who is your favorite football player ever?

This is a question I posed to some three dozen people by e-mail in recent days. But I didn’t just want to know why Joe Jock is someone’s favorite player. Having an inquisitive mind, I also wanted to know why a player became someone’s favorite.

Individuals young and old submitted their answers. Here’s a sampling of the best replies.

“My favorite player (is) Johnny Unitas because he was a talented gambler who had an uncanny sense how the defense was playing him and he took advantage of their lapses. Never saw any other QB do…