30 Sports Legends Who Were Never Named MVP

These athletes were league leaders and are Hall of Famers, but none were ever honored as their sport’s best player.

30 Sports Legends Who Were Never Named MVP

The Most Valuable Player award is the most exclusive honor in all of sports. Just think about it, there are fewer MVP winners than there are Hall of Famers within any sport. While everyone plays to win a championship, every player on a championship-winning team gets a ring — but only one MVP trophy is handed out each year. And while the list of MVP winners in any sport is a who’s who of that sport, some of the greatest to ever lace them up came up short when it came to MVP awards.

Some of these players just had poor timing in regards to the era they were in, while others had accomplishments that just weren’t appreciated to their full extent at the time. For whatever reasons, many “pantheon-level” Hall of Famers never got the honor of being recognized as the singular most important player for a given season. We’ll take a look at the best of the best to never win a regular-season MVP award during their careers.

30. Patrick Ewing

New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing celebrates slam-dunk

Sport: Basketball

Career: 17 seasons (1985-2002)

All-Star Selections: 11

Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG

Bottom Line: Patrick Ewing

New York Knicks Patrick Ewing raises arms in victory

When it comes to his peers, Ewing is often slotted fourth behind the big man triumvirate of Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Thus, perhaps it's fitting that Ewing never finished higher than fourth in MVP voting with the other three each winning Most Valuable Player awards.

Despite his Hall of Fame career, Ewing wasn’t particularly great at any one thing as he never led the NBA in any statistical category — not points, not rebounds, not blocks, not field-goal percentage. He made seven All-NBA teams in his career but made the first team just once, which is essentially a prerequisite to winning MVP.

29. Reggie White

Green Bay Packers Reggie White in action

Sport: Football

Career: 15 seasons (1985-98, 2000)

Pro Bowl Selections: 13

Stats: 1,111 TKL, 198 SACK, 33 FF

Bottom Line: Reggie White

There’s a shortlist of greatest defensive players in NFL history, and White is on that exclusive list. He was every bit as dominant as Lawrence Taylor was during the 1980s, and his numbers with the Eagles are eye-popping: 124 sacks in 121 games. But perhaps voters didn’t see White’s impact on the field being as impressive as his statistics since the Eagles never even finished in the top three in scoring defense during his time with the team.

By the time White arrived in Green Bay, he was just a supporting actor, while Brett Favre was the headliner. The ol’ gunslinger won three MVPs during White’s Packers tenure.

28. Eddie Mathews

Sport: Baseball

Career: 17 seasons (1952-68)

All-Star Selections: 12

Stats: 2,315 H, 512 HR, 1,453 RBI

Bottom Line: Eddie Mathews

Hank Aaron sat with Braves skipper Eddie Matthews in dugout

Mathews made his MLB debut as a 20-year-old for the Braves in 1952, but just two years later, Hank Aaron joined the team. Thus, he always played in the shadow of one of the game’s greatest players, and Mathews never got his just do.

During the span of his career, only Aaron, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle accumulated more WAR than Mathews. The third baseman also racked up more WAR during that stretch than the likes of Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson and Ernie Banks; however, all of those players did win MVP awards. Mathews’ best finishes were a pair of runner-ups in 1953 and 1959, which were also the only two years he led the NL in home runs.

27. Jason Kidd

New Jersey Nets' Jason Kidd drives past LeBron James

Sport: Basketball

Career: 19 seasons (1994-2013)

All-Star Selections: 10

Stats: 12.6 PPG, 8.7 APG, 6.3 RPG

Bottom Line: Jason Kidd

New Jersey Nets' Jason Kidd races up court

Kidd’s peak came during his time with the New Jersey Nets, which was a lifeless franchise prior to his arrival. In the 2000-01 season, the Nets won 26 games but then traded for Kidd in the offseason. The next year, the Nets won 52 games and advanced to the NBA Finals.

Kidd was applauded for turning around the Nets but finished second in MVP voting, which would be his best-ever finish. That runner-up finish became even more glaring three years later when Steve Nash executed a similar turnaround with the Phoenix Suns when he joined them, except Nash was awarded the first of back-to-back MVP awards.

26. Sammy Baugh

Sammy Baugh demonstrates the sidestepping ability

Sport: Football

Career: 16 seasons (1937-52)

Pro Bowl Selections: 6

Stats: 21,886 YDS, 187 TD, 31 DEF INT

Bottom Line: Sammy Baugh

The phrase “every-down player” is thrown around a little too often these days, but Slingin’ Sammy Baugh was the quintessential every-down player back in his day. On first, second and third downs, all he did was lead the league in completion percentage a record eight times. Then on fourth downs, Baugh stayed on the field as the punter and led the NFL in yards per punt five times.

But wait, we’re not done yet. Once the other team got the ball, Baugh didn’t trot to the sideline and put on a baseball cap because he also played defense. And he didn’t just “play” defense; he excelled as a defensive back and had 31 career picks. In 1943, Baugh led the NFL in completion percentage, yards per punt and defensive interceptions but lost out on the MVP to Sid Luckman who led the Bears to the NFL Championship.

25. Elvin Hayes

Sport: Basketball

Career: 16 seasons (1968-84)

All-Star Selections: 12

Stats: 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2.0 BPG

Bottom Line: Elvin Hayes

Washington Bullets' Elvin Hayes drives to basket

When Hayes retired in 1984, he had the third-most points in NBA history, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. He also had the third-most rebounds, trailing just Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

But while the players ahead of him — Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar and Russell — combined to win 15 MVP awards, Hayes is often forgotten when it comes to great big men. He never even finished runner-up in any year, as a pair of third-place finishes was the highest he got in the voting.

24. Doug Harvey

Sport: Hockey

Career: 19 seasons (1947-63, 1967-69)

All-Star Selections: 11

Stats: 447 PTS, 76 G, 371 A

Bottom Line: Doug Harvey

Winning should most definitely matter when it comes to awards, and few did that better than Harvey. The Canadian defenseman won six Stanley Cups and had five more Stanley Cup final appearances to go along with winning the Norris Trophy seven times. But the trophy he didn’t win was the Hart Memorial Trophy awarded to the NHL MVP.

In fact, no defenseman during his era won the award, as voters preferred what happened on the other end of the ice. Ironically, right after Harvey’s final NHL season, voters then realized the importance of defense and awarded Bobby Orr — a defenseman — the Hart Trophy for the 1969-70 season.

23. Brittney Griner

Sport: Basketball

Career: 8 seasons (2013-present)

All-Star Selections: 7

Stats: 17.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.8 BPG

Bottom Line: Brittney Griner

Defense-first players usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to MVP voting, but Griner is more than just a shot blocker. In addition to being a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, she’s also a two-time scoring champion. She even led the league in both in 2017 and 2019, but still no MVP.

No NBA player has ever led the league in scoring and blocks in the same season, and Griner’s done it twice in the WNBA. She’s been hurt by the fact that she’s played her entire career with Diana Taurasi, so Griner has often been looked at as the No. 2 player on her own team — thus, making it hard to be considered the No. 1 player in the league.

22. Eddie Murray

Baltimore Orioles' Eddie Murray watches his 3-run homer

Sport: Baseball

Career: 21 seasons (1977-97)

All-Star Selections: 8

Stats: 3,255 H, 504 HR, 1,917 RBI

Bottom Line: Eddie Murray

Charles Hudson watches Baltimore Orioles slugger Eddie Murray round the bases

Only 22,000 men have played in the Major Leagues, but just six of those have reached both the 3,000-hit and the 500-home-runs threshold. Murray is one of those, but he and Rafael Palmeiro are the only ones of that half-dozen to never win an MVP award. The other four: Mays, Aaron, A-Rod and Pujols combined for nine MVPs.

Murray’s best finishes were a pair of back-to-back runners-up in 1982 and 1983. Those two were part of five straight, top-five finishes for Steady Eddie, but his steadiness may have been a reason why he never claimed first. He was remarkably consistent but never had a season that jumped out at you statistically, as the only time he ever led the league in any of the Triple Crown categories came during the strike-shortened 1981 season.

21. Tom Seaver

New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver throws against Atlanta Braves

Sport: Baseball

Career: 20 seasons (1967-86)

All-Star Selections: 12

Stats: 311-205 (.603 W-L %), 2.86 ERA, 3,640 K

Bottom Line: Tom Seaver

New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver makes delivery

From 1967-86, six pitchers were named the league’s MVP. But none of those six was, perhaps, the best pitcher during that stretch in Terrific Tom Seaver. He led the league in wins three times, led in ERA three times and led in strikeouts five times.

He also won three Cy Young awards but never won the popular vote of sportswriters when it came to MVP awards. That was despite Seaver being as close to a two-way player as there was during that era, as he also smacked 12 career homers.

20. Nicklas Lidstrom

Nicklas Lidstrom upends Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby

Sport: Hockey

Career: 20 seasons (1991-2012)

All-Star Selections: 12

Stats: 1,142 PTS, 264 G, 878 A

Bottom Line: Nicklas Lidstrom

Nicklas Lidstrom holding Stanley Cup trophy

While the MVP trophy is an individual award, there’s no doubt that team success plays a factor in who wins. Thus, it’s shocking that someone of Lidstrom’s individual and team success never came away with the Hart Trophy. Not only was he named the NHL’s best defenseman seven times, but his Detroit Red Wings also claimed four Stanley Cups during his tenure.

However, even though Lidstrom never came away with the Hart Trophy, he did win a couple of other enviable awards. He was named MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2002 and was named the Player of the Decade for the 2000s by both Sports Illustrated and Sporting News.

19. Isiah Thomas

Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas goes up, twists, and shoots

Sport: Basketball

Career: 13 seasons (1981-94)

All-Star Selections: 12

Stats: 19.2 PPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG

Bottom Line: Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas signals number one as he wears the basketball net around his neck

Three players in NBA history have averaged 20 points and 12 assists in a season, but Thomas is the only to average 20 and 13 over a year. Before he became the team-first leader of the championship-winning Bad Boys, Thomas was an individual dynamo putting up crazy numbers.

But just as the Pistons were overlooked during the reigns of the Lakers, Celtics and Bulls, Thomas was overlooked with the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan winning MVPs. From 1984-92, Magic, Bird and Jordan accounted for all nine of the league MVPs. They each won three, while Thomas was left out of the winner’s circle, never finishing higher than fifth.

18. Randy Moss

Randy Moss gets past Green Bay Packers cornerback Rod Smith

Sport: Football

Career: 14 seasons (1998-2010, 2012)

Pro Bowl Selections: 6

Stats: 982 REC, 15,292 YDS, 157 TD

Bottom Line: Randy Moss

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss jumps into the crowd

Whenever a receiver has a great season, chances are that the QB throwing to him also puts up impressive numbers. And with the NFL centered around quarterbacks, it's them that often get most of the credit and most of the awards. When Moss burst onto the scene in 1998, he finished third in MVP voting but behind his QB in Randall Cunningham.

Then, in 2004, he had 13 touchdowns in 13 games, but it was Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper who got the acclaim. And, of course, there’s Moss’ tenure in New England, including his record-breaking 2007 season in which he set the new single-season receiving TD mark. However, Tom Brady just so happened to set the single-season passing TD mark that year, and it was he who was named MVP.

17. Al Kaline

Sport: Baseball

Career: 22 seasons (1953-74)

All-Star Selections: 18

Stats: .297 BA, 3,007 H, 399 HR

Bottom Line: Al Kaline

As a 20-year-old in 1955, Kaline finished runner-up in AL MVP voting. If someone would have told Kaline back then that he would play another 19 years after the 1955 season, he probably would have thought he’d won three or four MVPs.

But that runner-up would prove to be his best-ever finish despite a career in which he was a two-way superstar. He is one of eight players to hit 250-plus home runs and win at least 10 Gold Gloves, but Kaline and Andruw Jones are the only of those eight to never win an MVP award.

16. Eric Dickerson

Los Angeles Rams runningback Eric Dickerson (29) tries to fend off Buffalo Bills cornerback Mario Clark

Sport: Football

Career: 11 seasons (1983-93)

Pro Bowl Selections: 6

Stats: 13,259 YDS, 96 TD, 4.4 AVG

Bottom Line: Eric Dickerson

Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson breaks away

Dickerson is one of seven running backs since 1950 to win at least three rushing titles. But unlike the other six, ED never claimed an MVP award. Furthermore, he’s the only one of those players to win rushing titles with two different teams, thus showing he wasn’t just a good player in a great system.

One year stands out for ED getting robbed, and that’s 1984. He ran for 2,105 yards, which is the single-season record that still stands today. He also led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and yards from scrimmage for a Rams team that made the postseason. But that also happened to be the year Dan Marino broke both the single-season passing yards mark and the passing TDs mark. So, as is often the case, the quarterback won out when it came to awards voting.

15. Sue Bird

Seattle Storms' Sue Bird beats Los Angeles Sparks' Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton to loose ball

Sport: Basketball

Career: 20 seasons (2002-12, 2014-present)

All-Star Selections: 12

Stats: 12.0 PPG, 5.6 APG, 1.3 SPG

Bottom Line: Sue Bird

The WNBA’s all-time leader in games, minutes and assists, Bird is also the only player in league history to win titles in three different decades. Speaking of her longevity, she and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players in professional basketball to have made All-Star teams 19 years apart.

But despite all of that, Bird has been overlooked in the WNBA MVP discussion. Perhaps she just plays the wrong position, as no pure point guard has ever been named WNBA MVP.

14. Drew Brees

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees warms up

Sport: Football

Career: 20 seasons (2001-20)

Pro Bowl Selections: 13

Stats: 80,358 YDS, 571 TD, 67.7 CMP%

Bottom Line: Drew Brees

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees gestures to his family and fans

The NHL’s all-time leading scorer, Wayne Gretzky, won nine MVPs. MLB’s home-run king, Barry Bonds, won seven MVPs, and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, won six MVPs. However, Brees, who at one point was the NFL’s all-time leader in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, never hoisted a regular-season MVP award. He came awfully close many times, as he was a runner-up in four different seasons but lost to a different player each time.

Alas, even Brees’ passing records are now in second place; Tom Brady has since broken both of those marks.

13. Mel Ott

Sport: Baseball

Career: 22 seasons (1926-47)

All-Star Selections: 12

Stats: .304 BA, 511 HR, 1,860 RBI

Bottom Line: Mel Ott

Ott’s treatment from MVP voters is a bit similar to Colorado Rockies players during the ’90s and 2000s. That means the ballpark he played in negatively affected him, as many voters felt his career numbers were inflated by playing in the Polo Grounds, which had a short left field. The numbers bear that out; he hit 323 homers at home compared to 188 on the road. But it’s still hard to ignore him being a six-time home run champion who also maintained a career average above .300.

Another thing going against Ott was that he simply didn’t look the part. He was 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, and aesthetics mattered to voters — he simply didn’t look like a slugger.

12. Steve Yzerman

Detroit Red Wings' Steve Yzerman and San Jose Sharks' Jamie Baker fight for loose puck

Sport: Hockey

Career: 22 seasons (1983-2006)

All-Star Selections: 10

Stats: 1,755 PTS, 692 G, 1,063 A

Bottom Line: Steve Yzerman

As a rookie, the 18-year-old Yzerman became the youngest player ever selected to an All-Star roster, and that was just the beginning of his accomplishments. He became the Detroit Red Wings’ captain at 21 and served in that role for the next 20 years, thus becoming the longest-serving team captain in North American sports history.

But as a defenseman, Yzerman was often overlooked when it came to the NHL’s Hart Trophy, and he had just one top-three finish over his entire career.

11. Elgin Baylor

Sport: Basketball

Career: 14 seasons (1958-71)

All-Star Selections: 11

Stats: 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG

Bottom Line: Elgin Baylor

Los Angeles Lakers' Elgin Baylor makes fast break

Baylor played at a time when the game revolved around big men, and they received all of the acclaim. Thus, it comes as no surprise that, during his 14 NBA seasons, centers won 13 MVP awards. The one exception was Oscar Robertson in the 1963-64 season. Baylor had seven top-five MVP finishes but no trophy.

It also didn’t help Baylor’s case that his style of play was ahead of its time as an above-the-rim player. Sometimes, something different doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves at the time, and that accurately sums up Baylor’s MVP snubs.

10. Ray Lewis

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis jumps in

Sport: Football

Career: 17 seasons (1996-2012)

Pro Bowl Selections: 12

Stats: 2,059 TKL, 41.5 SACK, 31 INT

Bottom Line: Ray Lewis

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis struts and yells

For a defender to even merit MVP votes is pretty impressive, and Lewis did that in two years. Those seasons — 2000 and 2003 — were also the years he was named Defensive Player of the Year, and 2000 was the season the Ravens won the Super Bowl.

Baltimore set the NFL record for the fewest points allowed in a 16-game season, so that year would have been as good as any to crown Lewis as MVP. However, as usual, voters favored offense over defense and gave the award to RB Marshall Faulk of the St. Louis Rams.

9. Derek Jeter

New York Yankees' Derek Jeter celebrates

Sport: Baseball

Career: 20 seasons (1995-2014)

All-Star Selections: 14

Stats: .310 BA, 3,465 H, 260 HR

Bottom Line: Derek Jeter

New York Yankees' Derek Jeter acknowledges the crowd

With 22 MVP winners, no team has claimed more Most Valuable Player awards than the New York Yankees. But Alex Rodriguez is the only Bronx Bomber since 1986 to claim the award, leaving the most popular Yankee over the last 50 years — Derek Jeter — on the outside looking in.

While he was helped by the fact that he was in New York and playing for the sport’s most popular team, Jeter was hurt by having so many great teammates during his two decades in The Big Apple. It’s hard to stick out when you’re a good player on a great team, so Jeter had just three top-five finishes over his whole career.

8. Dwyane Wade

Sport: Basketball

Career: 16 seasons (2003-19)

All-Star Selections: 13

Stats: 22.0 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.7 RPG

Bottom Line: Dwyane Wade

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade holds up NBA Championship Trophy

When Wade won a Finals MVP at 24 years old, he was the fifth-youngest to ever win the award. He seemed destined to win a regular-season MVP, but that proved not to be the case. It didn’t help that he played in the shadow of LeBron James, both figuratively and literally, while King James was in Miami.

Wade never even had a runner-up finish in MVP voting, but he also would never trade away his Finals MVP for a regular-season one. The Finals MVP is a more exclusive club, as just 32 players in NBA history have won the award compared to 36 for the regular-season version.

7. Ray Bourque

Boston Bruins Ray Bourque playing for Campbell Conference

Sport: Hockey

Career: 22 seasons (1979-2001)

All-Star Selections: 19

Stats: 1,506 PTS, 395 G, 1,111 A

Bottom Line: Ray Bourque

Ray Bourque puts Randy Moller into the boards

No NHL defenseman has scored more goals, dished out more assists or tallied more points than Bourque. He also won the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman five times, but his best finish for the Hart Trophy was a pair of runner-up finishes. Maybe if had he come along a decade earlier, then Bourque would have broken through, but defensemen were all but ignored during his career.

No defenseman won the Hart Trophy from 1973-99 as only forwards claimed the MVP trophy. The only Most Valuable Player award that Bourque won was by being named MVP of the 1996 NHL All-Star Game.

6. Deion Sanders

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Deion Sanders intercepting pass

Sport: Football

Career: 14 seasons (1989-2000, 2004-05)

Pro Bowl Selections: 8

Stats: 53 INT, 22 TD, 5,722 RT YDS

Bottom Line: Deion Sanders

Dallas Cowboys' Deion Sanders celebrates

Teams are always searching for three-down players, but Sanders was the rare four-down player. After shutting down half the field at cornerback when the other team had the ball, he then went back as a punt returner and is arguably the greatest at that role in NFL history. He also dabbled on offense and had over 700 receiving yards in his career.

But maybe Sanders’ brash persona didn’t do him any favors with voters who were turned off by his cockiness. His best-ever MVP finish was in 1994 when he placed third, although he did win the Defensive Player of the Year award that season.

5. Greg Maddux

Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux pitches against Chicago Cubs

Sport: Baseball

Career: 23 seasons (1986-2008)

All-Star Selections: 8

Stats: 355-227 (.610 W-L %), 3.16 ERA, 3,371 K

Bottom Line: Greg Maddux

Chicago Cubs starter Greg Maddux throws pitch

While the Cy Young award is seen as the “pitcher’s MVP award,” there have been 25 pitchers who have won the award. So, it can be done, but Maddux played at a time when some sportswriters refused to even include starting pitchers on their MVP ballots. Their rationale was that starting pitchers only played once out of every five games, so there were far better options.

That belief was best illustrated during the 1992 season in which Dennis Eckersley, a relief pitcher who essentially pitched in every other game, won both the AL Cy Young and the AL MVP. Maddux won the NL Cy Young that year, yet he finished just 11th in NL MVP voting. Maddux would have an astonishing nine top-five finishes in Cy Young voting in his career but just two top-five finishes in MVP voting.

4. Chris Paul

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Theo Maledon

Sport: Basketball

Career: 17 seasons (2005-present)

All-Star Selections: 11

Stats: 18.3 PPG, 9.4 APG, 2.1 SPG

Bottom Line: Chris Paul

The “Point God” is considered the best point guard of his generation and has the accolades to back up that claim. He’s led the NBA in assists four times and in steals six times, as he’s a true two-way player. Paul ranks top five all-time in both assists and steals and is a 10-time All-NBA selection.

Paul’s best MVP finish was in 2007-08 when he finished second to Kobe Bryant. For all of Paul’s greatness, he’s someone who is on two undesirable lists: the best player to never win an MVP and the best player to never win a championship.

3. Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson follow his shot out of bunker

Sport: Golf

Career: 30 seasons (1992-present)

All-Star Selections: xx

Stats: 56 Wins, 45 PGA Tour Wins, 6 Majors

Bottom Line: Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson watches his shot off first tee

Golf doesn’t have an MVP award, but it has two player-of-the-year awards. There’s the PGA Player of the Year, which is awarded by the PGA of America, and then there’s the PGA Tour Player of the Year, which is awarded by the PGA Tour. Mickelson, who ranks second all-time in career earnings, has never won either award in his 30-plus years on tour.

Of course, being a contemporary of Tiger Woods hasn’t helped with that cause, as Woods has won 11 of each award. Mickelson has also never reached the No. 1 ranking in the world despite being in the top 10 rankings for 775 weeks — third-most all-time.

2. Jerry West

Los Angeles Lakers Jerry West passes the ball

Sport: Basketball

Career: 14 seasons (1960-74)

All-Star Selections: 14

Stats: 27.0 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.8 RPG

Bottom Line: Jerry West

Los Angeles Lakers' Jerry West fouled as he tries to get around Houston Rockets' John Vallely

While Jerry West’s silhouette is the NBA’s logo, his likeness wasn’t used in the creation of the NBA MVP Trophy. Actually, no specific person’s likeness is used, as it’s simply a generic player that the trophy is modeled after. (However, it is named the Maurice Podoloff Trophy in honor of the NBA’s first president.)

Jerry West’s name also never appeared on the trophy, although he did have a Buffalo Bills-like stretch at one point. West finished second in MVP voting four straight times but lost to Wilt Chamberlain, Willis Reed and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar twice.

1. Jerry Rice

San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice gets ride from tackle Steve Wallace

Sport: Football

Career: 20 seasons (1985-2004)

Pro Bowl Selections: 13

Stats: 1,549 REC, 22,895 YDS, 208 TD

Bottom Line: Jerry Rice

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice dives into end zone

Take a look at Rice’s career stats. You could cut all of those numbers in half, and you would have two Hall of Fame careers! However, the GOAT never won an AP MVP award. He did win MVPs from minor organizations in 1987 and 1990, but the AP MVP is considered the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award.

No receiver has ever won the award, but Rice is the only wideout with two runner-up finishes. He finished second when he broke the single-season receiving TD mark in 1987 and second again in 1995 when he broke the single-season receiving yards mark.