Welcome back to another episode of Run It Back! Today’s article is going to be a little bit different from what I have discussed in the past. Since my birthday was this week, I thought it would be fun to celebrate by talking about a few of my favorite athletes from throughout sports history. Please keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list, nor is this list ordered in any way. Instead, this is simply a list of some of the athletes that have stood out to me over the years.
1. Joe Sakic
When I was starting to learn about NHL history, one of the first players I found out about was Joe Sakic.
Drafted by the Québec Nordiques in 1987, Sakic joined the team during a period of decline, but helped to steer things back on track. Sakic served as a co-captain alongside teammate Steven Finn in the 1990-91 season before earning the captaincy outright in 1992-93. Following two more seasons in Québec City, the Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995, rebranding as the Colorado Avalanche for 1995-96.
Sakic guided the Avalanche to the Western Conference’s second seed in the 1996 playoffs, and then tallied 34 points in 22 postseason games to lead Colorado to a Stanley Cup championship. For his efforts, Sakic was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.
In the 2000-01 season, Sakic had one of the best seasons of his career: he scored 54 goals (a new career high), 64 assists, and 118 points to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP. That year, the Avalanche finished first in the NHL during the regular season, and went on to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history.
Sakic retired from the NHL in 2009, finishing with 625 goals, 1,016 assists, and 1,641 points across 1,378 games played; he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012, three years after his retirement. In 2017, Sakic was named as one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players during the league’s 100th anniversary celebration. Today, Sakic serves as Colorado’s president of hockey operations, and won a third Stanley Cup as the team’s general manager in 2021-22.
2. Barry Sanders
My dad is an Oklahoma State alum and went to school while Barry Sanders was playing there. He would tell me about Sanders’s Heisman Trophy campaign in 1988, and I was amazed by how good he was on the field. In 1988, Sanders rushed for 2,628 yards (yards gained by a player running the ball on the ground) and 37 touchdowns, breaking the NCAA record for rushing yards in a season.
Drafted third overall by the Detroit Lions in 1989, Sanders made an immediate impact on the field, rushing for over 1,300 yards in each of his first four seasons in the NFL. In 1991, Sanders rushed for 1,548 yards in 15 games, helping the Lions to the NFC Championship Game for the first time.
Sanders was not done yet, however. In 1994, he finished with 1,883 rushing yards and averaged 117.7 yards per game, winning Offensive Player of the Year honors for his performance. At this point in time, Sanders was one of the best players in the NFL, finishing second to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young in MVP voting.
Following two more 1,500-yard seasons, Sanders had the best season of his career in 1997. That season, Sanders rushed for 2,053 yards, which was the second-highest total over a single season in NFL history at the time (and is still the fourth-highest today). At season’s end, Sanders was crowned as NFL MVP for the first time, sharing the honor with Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre.
Then, ahead of the 1999 season, Sanders retired from professional football, concluding his career with 15,269 rushing yards over 10 seasons. In 2004, Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Today, he is fourth in career rushing yards, behind only Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Frank Gore.
3. Pedro Martínez
I was barely conscious when Pedro Martínez was retiring from MLB, but I think he is one of the greatest pitchers from the last few decades.
Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Martínez debuted for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992 before breaking out as a star with the Montréal Expos several years later. In 1997, Martínez became the first Expos pitcher to win the National League (NL) Cy Young Award, finishing the year with a league-leading 1.90 earned-run average (ERA) and pitching 13 complete games over 241 ⅓ innings.
Martínez was traded to the Boston Red Sox during the 1997-98 off-season, and he evolved into an even better pitcher. In 1999, Martínez earned the Pitching Triple Crown, leading the American League (AL) in wins (23), ERA (2.07), and strikeouts (313). Martínez claimed his second Cy Young Award that winter, and finished second in AL MVP voting. In 2000, Martínez had another stellar season, finishing with a league-leading 1.74 ERA, 284 strikeouts, and four shutout victories to win his third Cy Young Award in four seasons.
Despite a down year in 2004, Martínez helped the Red Sox to a World Series championship, the franchise’s first in 86 years. In the postseason, Martínez helped Boston to victory in four of his five appearances, including Game 3 of the World Series versus the St. Louis Cardinals.
After five more seasons with the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies, Martínez retired with a career record of 219-100, which stands as the tenth-best win percentage in MLB history. In 2015, Martínez was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, cementing his place as one of the best Dominican players ever.
4. Sidney Crosby
Ever since he was drafted in 2005, Sidney Crosby has been arguably the best hockey player of the 21st century, and one of the best players in NHL history. Recording 100 points in each of his first two seasons, Crosby lived up to the hype as “The Next One” and made his mark on the league early on, winning his first Hart Trophy in 2006-07.
In 2007, Crosby was named the Penguins’ captain, a position he holds to this day. After losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, Pittsburgh came right back in 2009 to win the Cup for the first time in 17 years. During the 2009 playoffs, Crosby totaled 31 points in 24 playoff games, winning his first Stanley Cup as Penguins captain.
In the 2009-10 season, Crosby scored 51 goals to win his first goal-scoring title, tying with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos for the Rocket Richard Trophy. The following season, Crosby went down with a concussion after suffering multiple hits to the head in early January. Crosby returned to the lineup in 2011-12 and has largely remained there since then.
In 2013-14, Crosby won his second Hart Trophy, tallying an NHL-best 104 points during the regular season. Two years later, Pittsburgh won the first of back-to-back Stanley Cups, with Crosby winning Conn Smythe honors in both years. The Penguins became the first team to win consecutive Cups since the Red Wings did so in 1997 and 1998, and Crosby became the third player to win back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophies.
In 2017, Crosby was named as one of the 100 Greatest Players in NHL history during the league’s 100th anniversary festivities. Since then, Crosby has remained a perennial All-Star, consistently finishing at or above a point-per-game pace. Whenever he retires, Crosby is sure to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
5. Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, and one of the best football players of all time. Drafted 16th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 1985, Rice quickly became one of the league’s best players.
From 1986-1996, Rice obtained over 1,000 receiving yards every season, earning 11 Pro Bowl selections and two Offensive Player of the Year Awards along the way. Over this period, Rice averaged 1,405 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns every year.
Rice helped the 49ers to three Super Bowl championships, helping to assert the team’s place as an NFL dynasty. In Super Bowl XXIII, Rice recorded 215 receiving yards on 11 receptions for one touchdown, lifting San Francisco to a 20-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Rice was named Super Bowl MVP, becoming the first wide receiver to win the award in 12 years.
Around this time, the 49ers made some changes both on the field and off of it, with George Seifert succeeding Bill Walsh as head coach and Steve Young taking over for Joe Montana at quarterback. Rice remained a key component of San Francisco’s lineup, helping the team to nine playoff berths and two more Super Bowl championships between 1989 and 1998.
At age 40, Rice, then with the Oakland Raiders, had one of the best seasons of his career. He finished the regular season with 1,211 receiving yards, his highest total in six years. Rice and the Raiders reached Super Bowl XXXVII, losing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 48-21. Nevertheless, Rice earned his 13th Pro Bowl selection, and was presented with Second Team All-Pro honors.
Following two brief stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, Rice retired in 2005. Five years later, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, immortalizing his career as one of the best players in NFL history.
6. Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera is easily one of the best hitters in recent MLB history, perhaps ever.
After signing with the Florida Marlins as an amateur free agent in 1999, Cabrera made his MLB debut in 2003 at 20 years old. In his very first game, Cabrera hit a walk-off home run against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and swiftly became a fixture in the Marlins’ lineup. Down the stretch, Cabrera continued his stellar play, as Florida defeated the New York Yankees in six games to win the World Series. Cabrera finished fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, with teammate Dontrelle Willis taking home the award.
From 2004-2007, Cabrera was an All-Star every year and took home two Silver Slugger Awards, establishing himself as one of the best young players in baseball. Cabrera excelled at the plate, driving in over 100 runs every year, including a then-career-high 119 runs batted in (RBIs) in 2007. During the 2007-08 off-season, Cabrera was traded to the Detroit Tigers, where he went from a good player to one of the all-time best.
Over his first six seasons in Detroit, Cabrera tallied 30 home runs and 100 RBIs every year, powering the Tigers to the top of the AL Central division. In 2012, Cabrera had the finest season of his career, leading the AL in batting average (.330), home runs (44), and RBIs (139) to take home the Hitting Triple Crown. That year, Detroit reached the World Series for the first time in six years, losing to the San Francisco Giants in a four-game sweep. Despite the loss, though, Cabrera won AL MVP honors, beating out Rookie of the Year Mike Trout for the title.
In 2013, Cabrera had another fantastic campaign, achieving new career highs in batting average (.348) and on-base plus slugging (1.078). For his contributions, Cabrera won his second consecutive AL MVP Award, becoming the first AL player to win back-to-back MVPs since Frank Thomas did so from 1993-1994.
Cabrera stuck around with the Tigers for another decade, retiring at age 40 at the end of 2023. He concluded his major league career with 511 home runs, 3,174 hits, two MVP awards, and four batting titles. Cabrera is the best Venezuelan player in MLB history, and he will surely wind up in Cooperstown in 2029.
7. Mike Bossy
Before Wayne Gretzky burst onto the scene, Mike Bossy was the best goal scorer in the NHL at the time. Selected 15th overall by the New York Islanders in 1977, Bossy quickly became a phenom on the ice, scoring goals with ease.
In 1978, Bossy won the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie, recording 53 goals and 38 assists for 91 points; his goal and point totals were second and sixth, respectively. This was only the beginning, though, as Bossy continued to light the lamp for the rest of his career.
From 1977-78 to 1985-86, Bossy scored over 50 goals every season, notching as many as 69 in 1978-79. His domination on the score sheet was instrumental in helping the Islanders win four Stanley Cups from 1980-1983, as Bossy tallied a league-leading 17 playoff goals in each of the latter three Cup runs. In 1982, Bossy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP, finishing with 17 goals and 10 assists for 27 points in 19 playoff games.
Bossy had the best stretch of his career from 1980-81 to 1985-86, exceeding 50 goals and 100 points every year as New York cemented their place as an NHL dynasty. However, after a down year in 1986-87, Bossy’s career was cut short due to back and knee issues. Following a season away from the ice, Bossy retired in 1988, playing his final NHL game at just 30 years old.
Bossy retired with 573 goals and 553 assists for 1,126 points; his 573 goals remain the most goals scored by an Islanders player, and 23rd in NHL history. In 1991, Bossy was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and in 2017, Bossy was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players during the league’s centennial celebration.
8. Dan Marino
Arguably the greatest NFL player to never win a Super Bowl, Dan Marino was one of the best passers in the game. Drafted 27th overall by the Miami Dolphins in 1983, Marino rapidly emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
In just his second season, Marino won MVP honors, leading the NFL in passing yards (5,084), completed passes (362), pass attempts (564), and passing touchdowns (48). Thanks to Marino’s efforts, the Dolphins finished atop the American Football Conference (AFC) at 14-2. In the playoffs, Miami reached Super Bowl XIX, losing to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 38-16.
Over the next few years, the Dolphins began to struggle on the field, but Marino continued to shine nonetheless. Between 1985 and 1988, Marino led the league in completions and passing yards three times, and twice led in passing TDs. Marino earned two First Team All-Pro selections, and in 1986, he finished second in Offensive Player of the Year voting and third in MVP voting.
In the 1990s, Miami returned to postseason contention, reaching the AFC Championship Game in 1992. That year, Marino once again led the NFL in completions (330), pass attempts (554), and passing yards (4,116). In 1994, Marino finished with 4,453 passing yards, his most in eight years. Despite these accomplishments, the Dolphins could not reach the heights of their 1984 campaign, making it no further than the AFC Championship.
Following a blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1999 playoffs, Marino retired from the NFL. At the time of his retirement, Marino’s 61,361 passing yards and 420 touchdown passes were both career records; today, they rank ninth and seventh, respectively. Marino was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, and remains one of the greatest QBs in NFL history.
9. Ichiro Suzuki
You only need to say “Ichiro” for baseball fans to know who you’re talking about. Suzuki was a game changer for the sport, excelling in both Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and MLB. Prior to his MLB debut, Suzuki was lighting it up overseas, finishing as the NPB batting champion for seven consecutive seasons from 1994-2000.
In 2001, Suzuki joined the Seattle Mariners, putting together one of the greatest rookie seasons in MLB history. That year, Suzuki had 242 hits, the most by any MLB player since 1930. On top of this, Suzuki led the AL with a .350 batting average and led both major leagues with 56 stolen bases. Suzuki helped the Mariners to 116 wins, tying the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the most wins in a season. At season’s end, Suzuki took home AL Rookie of the Year, AL MVP, a Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger.
From 2002-2010, Suzuki continued to excel both at the plate and in the outfield. He won nine more Gold Glove Awards and two more Silver Sluggers, and in 2004, Suzuki set the MLB record for most hits in a season (262). By the end of 2010, Suzuki’s 10 Gold Gloves were tied for the second most by an outfielder, behind only Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays, who each had 12.
Seattle traded Suzuki to the New York Yankees in 2012, and his career began to wind down from there. After two-plus seasons with the Yankees, Suzuki signed with the Miami Marlins in 2015, where he played for three seasons. In 2018, Suzuki returned to the Mariners, taking on a role in the front office early on in the year.
The following year, Suzuki returned to the field at age 45 for Seattle’s opening series at the Tokyo Dome against the Oakland Athletics. Following the second game, Suzuki retired after 28 seasons in professional baseball. Appearing on the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, Suzuki should be inducted unanimously.
10. Patrick Marleau
The NHL’s all-time leader in games played, Patrick Marleau is one of the greatest players in San Jose Sharks history. Drafted second overall by the Sharks in 1997, Marleau played 23 seasons in the NHL, primarily in San Jose.
Though never a high goal scorer, Marleau was a dependable player for the Sharks for many years. That being said, Marleau was one of three players on San Jose’s roster to finish with over 80 points during the 2005-06 regular season, registering 86 points in 82 games. During this time, Marleau served as the Sharks’ captain, helping to lead the charge as the team won four straight division titles from 2007-08 to 2010-11.
On Apr. 9, 2009, Marleau began an “Iron Man” streak, playing 910 consecutive games through 2021. In 2016, Marleau played in his 1,400th NHL game, becoming the youngest player to do so. Later that year, the Sharks reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history; Marleau appeared in all 24 of San Jose’s playoff games, tallying five goals and eight assists for 13 points.
After two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Marleau returned to the Sharks for the 2019-20 season. At the 2020 trade deadline, Marleau was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins, appearing in four games in the expanded postseason as Pittsburgh lost in the qualifiers.
At age 41, Marleau reunited with San Jose once more in 2020-21. On Apr. 19, 2021, Marleau played in his 1,768th NHL game, breaking Gordie Howe’s record for most games played by an NHL player. Of those games, Marleau played 1,607 of them with the Sharks, a franchise record that still stands today. Marleau also leads San Jose in multiple other categories, including goals (522), points (1,111), and game-winning goals (101). Overall, Marleau retired with 566 goals and 631 assists for 1,197 points in 1,779 games played.
—
While not all of these players were considered the best, or even the best of their era, they all shaped the landscape of their sports in their own ways. Through dependability, scoring prowess, consistency, and hard work, each of these players achieved some semblance of greatness. Not all of them won a championship, but sometimes, it isn’t necessarily about winning it all. Instead, it is about being the best you can be day in and day out, and that is what makes these players stand out to me as athletes.
