The Football 100

By: The Athletic

Narrated by: Jaime Lincoln Smith

From The Athletic, powerhouse of sports reporting, comes the definitive story of the greatest football players of all time.

It is a question that has bedeviled football fans for generations: Who’s the best? Of the more than 25,000 men who have suited up during the NFL’s century of existence, which ones stood head and shoulders above all others?

At The Athletic, home to the best newsroom in sports, this question would become a labor of love for dozens of the best football writers on the planet, including Mike Sando and Dan Pompei. Over the course of 100 riveting profiles—each drawing upon unparalleled access and superlative storytelling to offer intimate perspective on what made the greatest players tick—these writers reveal their findings. In the process, they also uncover the history of football.

In the early days of the NFL, the game bore little resemblance to the product we see today. Points were scarce, the forward pass was an exotic strategic curiosity, and most players played all 60 minutes—both sides of the ball. It was on the shoulders of the many greats who starred in the League over the last century that the game of football blossomed. Each profile in The Football 100 uses the vivid narrative storytelling for which The Athletic is known to bring to life extraordinary athletic talents, tactical geniuses who changed the way the game is played, and legendary, outsized personalities. Based on many hundreds of interviews with players, coaches, broadcasters, and others, this is a penetrating look at the greatest players to ever don cleats and pads, as well as a view from the trenches of the harsh realities of a brutal game.

Deeply reported, beautifully written, and sure to spark heated debate among football fans of all stripes, The Football 100 sets a new standard for writing about the game.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

A Balance

I think the book did well covering the top 100 athletes without going too deep into their careers or leaving out too much. Each chapter tells you what you need to know about the player, what made them great…and not so great in some cases. There are two big omissions here - Bo Jackson and Jim Thorpe - who really deserved a place on the list, but overall they nailed everybody who was anybody. Highly recommended.

For every fan of the NFL

I really enjoyed this book. Short narratives of people and names I’ve heard all my life, but to hear their stories was often fascinating and some time heartbreaking. The narrative at times became frustrating, in that the tempo and inflections were unexpected and at times distracting. Overall, I highly recommend this book.

Many interesting stories of football greats

I liked the inclusion of players from different eras. It’s fascinating how so many of the great players had humble beginnings and were unheralded before their pro careers.

Awesome 👏🏾

Only stickleresque viewpoint I have with audiobooks is pronunciations. Samaje Perine is pronounced flawlessly, while Lyle Al-ZAH-do and Gary KUE-bee-ak are not. Not sure how the pre-narration proofreading process goes. Perhaps a phonetic chart?🤷🏾‍♂️
Really enjoyed this book. Kudos to the narrator 👌🏾🫡

Recommend for any football fan

I recommend this for any football fan that wants to learn about the past football, grades, and see how the game of football has evolved through the many years