The most famous names in football — and the greatest careers. Two different things, measured two different ways.
Cultural fame measures how well-known a player is right now, from Wikipedia readership — the names people are actually looking up. Career fame measures on-field greatness, from career production plus All-Pro, Pro Bowl, and Hall of Fame honors. The two often disagree, and that's the interesting part. How cultural fame is computed · How career fame is computed
O.J. Simpson is the most culturally famous player in football history (cultural 100.0 vs career 33.3) — and almost none of that fame comes from his playing days. Cultural fame measures attention, not admiration.
Derrick Brooks put together a Hall of Fame career (career 77.2) that the public barely notices (cultural 34.3). Linebackers don't trend; the accolades do the talking.
Top 100 by cultural fame, scored 0–100 from Wikipedia readership over the prior 12 months. Active players and recent storylines score well; it's a measure of the present, not of history.
| Rank | Player | Score | Views/mo | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | O.J. Simpson | 100.0 | 269.8K/mo | 57 langs |
| #2 | Aaron Rodgers | 72.8 | 180.9K/mo | 35 langs |
| #3 | Jerry Rice | 70.7 | 50.6K/mo | 36 langs |
| #4 | Joe Montana | 67.2 | 50.5K/mo | 33 langs |
| #5 | Brett Favre | 65.1 | 57.9K/mo | 31 langs |
| #6 | Johnny Unitas | 63.9 | 22.9K/mo | 32 langs |
| #7 | Eli Manning | 60.4 | 58.6K/mo | 27 langs |
| #8 | Russell Wilson | 59.4 | 157.0K/mo | 24 langs |
| #9 | Rob Gronkowski | 59.0 | 86.1K/mo | 25 langs |
| #10 | John Elway | 56.2 | 45.3K/mo | 24 langs |
| #11 | Ray Lewis | 53.9 | 46.8K/mo | 22 langs |
| #12 | Josh Allen | 53.4 | 151.4K/mo | 19 langs |
| #13 | Adrian Peterson | 52.7 | 47.5K/mo | 21 langs |
| #14 | Lamar Jackson | 52.6 | 70.0K/mo | 20 langs |
| #15 | Dick Butkus | 52.3 | 25.5K/mo | 22 langs |
| #16 | Steve Young | 50.4 | 30.9K/mo | 20 langs |
| #17 | Terrell Owens | 49.9 | 39.8K/mo | 19 langs |
| #18 | Philip Rivers | 49.9 | 39.6K/mo | 19 langs |
| #19 | Randy Moss | 49.3 | 78.8K/mo | 17 langs |
| #20 | Christian McCaffrey | 49.1 | 74.4K/mo | 17 langs |
| #21 | Joe Flacco | 48.5 | 93.6K/mo | 16 langs |
| #22 | Chad Johnson | 48.4 | 56.0K/mo | 17 langs |
| #23 | Myles Garrett | 47.9 | 116.7K/mo | 15 langs |
| #24 | Matt Ryan | 47.4 | 24.0K/mo | 18 langs |
| #25 | Michael Vick | 47.4 | 60.7K/mo | 16 langs |
| #26 | Alex Smith | 47.0 | 20.1K/mo | 18 langs |
| #27 | Marshawn Lynch | 47.0 | 80.3K/mo | 15 langs |
| #28 | Matthew Stafford | 46.8 | 75.2K/mo | 15 langs |
| #29 | Tyreek Hill | 46.5 | 66.5K/mo | 15 langs |
| #30 | Antonio Brown | 46.5 | 66.5K/mo | 15 langs |
| #31 | Jared Goff | 46.3 | 39.2K/mo | 16 langs |
| #32 | Troy Polamalu | 45.8 | 32.0K/mo | 16 langs |
| #33 | Derrick Henry | 45.8 | 51.9K/mo | 15 langs |
| #34 | Jason Kelce | 45.3 | 104.9K/mo | 13 langs |
| #35 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 44.4 | 29.3K/mo | 15 langs |
| #36 | Von Miller | 44.1 | 41.8K/mo | 14 langs |
| #37 | Stefon Diggs | 44.1 | 167.5K/mo | 11 langs |
| #38 | Justin Jefferson | 43.1 | 45.1K/mo | 13 langs |
| #39 | Emmitt Smith | 43.0 | 43.2K/mo | 13 langs |
| #40 | Herschel Walker | 42.6 | 94.1K/mo | 11 langs |
| #41 | Ryan Tannehill | 41.9 | 17.7K/mo | 14 langs |
| #42 | Tony Gonzalez | 41.8 | 43.3K/mo | 12 langs |
| #43 | Andy Dalton | 41.7 | 26.2K/mo | 13 langs |
| #44 | Brandon Marshall | 41.5 | 15.6K/mo | 14 langs |
| #45 | Brandon Marshall | 41.5 | 15.6K/mo | 14 langs |
| #46 | Jalen Ramsey | 41.4 | 23.6K/mo | 13 langs |
| #47 | Julio Jones | 40.7 | 28.2K/mo | 12 langs |
| #48 | Micah Parsons | 40.3 | 38.4K/mo | 11 langs |
| #49 | Richard Sherman | 40.0 | 21.6K/mo | 12 langs |
| #50 | Donovan McNabb | 40.0 | 21.9K/mo | 12 langs |
| #51 | Carson Palmer | 39.7 | 19.3K/mo | 12 langs |
| #52 | Fred Warner | 39.5 | 27.5K/mo | 11 langs |
| #53 | Davante Adams | 39.3 | 26.4K/mo | 11 langs |
| #54 | Jim Kelly | 38.7 | 20.2K/mo | 11 langs |
| #55 | Howie Long | 38.6 | 19.7K/mo | 11 langs |
| #56 | Drew Bledsoe | 38.6 | 30.9K/mo | 10 langs |
| #57 | Khalil Mack | 38.5 | 30.4K/mo | 10 langs |
| #58 | Clay Matthews | 38.4 | 18.3K/mo | 11 langs |
| #59 | Champ Bailey | 38.3 | 17.4K/mo | 11 langs |
| #60 | Marvin Harrison | 38.0 | 15.7K/mo | 11 langs |
| #61 | Marshall Faulk | 37.9 | 24.3K/mo | 10 langs |
| #62 | Mike Evans | 37.8 | 36.2K/mo | 9 langs |
| #63 | DeAndre Hopkins | 37.7 | 35.3K/mo | 9 langs |
| #64 | Warren Sapp | 37.4 | 19.4K/mo | 10 langs |
| #65 | Reggie Wayne | 37.4 | 12.3K/mo | 11 langs |
| #66 | Bobby Wagner | 37.3 | 30.4K/mo | 9 langs |
| #67 | Trent Williams | 36.9 | 25.9K/mo | 9 langs |
| #68 | Ollie Matson | 36.8 | 1.6K/mo | 15 langs |
| #69 | Alvin Kamara | 36.8 | 25.1K/mo | 9 langs |
| #70 | Jared Allen | 36.7 | 15.2K/mo | 10 langs |
| #71 | Steve Largent | 36.5 | 13.8K/mo | 10 langs |
| #72 | Darrelle Revis | 36.4 | 21.0K/mo | 9 langs |
| #73 | Chandler Jones | 36.4 | 21.1K/mo | 9 langs |
| #74 | Jerome Bettis | 36.3 | 20.5K/mo | 9 langs |
| #75 | Anquan Boldin | 36.3 | 13.0K/mo | 10 langs |
| #76 | Eddie George | 36.0 | 18.2K/mo | 9 langs |
| #77 | Terrell Davis | 35.9 | 17.6K/mo | 9 langs |
| #78 | Vince Wilfork | 35.9 | 11.2K/mo | 10 langs |
| #79 | Matt Hasselbeck | 35.6 | 15.6K/mo | 9 langs |
| #80 | Nick Mangold | 35.1 | 8.1K/mo | 10 langs |
| #81 | Joe Thuney | 34.9 | 11.7K/mo | 9 langs |
| #82 | Eric Dickerson | 34.8 | 18.2K/mo | 8 langs |
| #83 | Minkah Fitzpatrick | 34.8 | 18.0K/mo | 8 langs |
| #84 | Keenan Allen | 34.8 | 18.2K/mo | 8 langs |
| #85 | Darius Slay | 34.8 | 11.2K/mo | 9 langs |
| #86 | Boomer Esiason | 34.6 | 26.1K/mo | 7 langs |
| #87 | Derrick Brooks | 34.3 | 9.3K/mo | 9 langs |
| #88 | Aqib Talib | 34.3 | 14.9K/mo | 8 langs |
| #89 | Harrison Smith | 34.1 | 14.0K/mo | 8 langs |
| #90 | Orlando Pace | 34.0 | 8.4K/mo | 9 langs |
| #91 | DeMarcus Lawrence | 34.0 | 13.3K/mo | 8 langs |
| #92 | John Lynch | 33.9 | 12.7K/mo | 8 langs |
| #93 | LeSean McCoy | 33.9 | 20.4K/mo | 7 langs |
| #94 | Stephon Gilmore | 33.9 | 12.8K/mo | 8 langs |
| #95 | Jamaal Charles | 33.9 | 13.0K/mo | 8 langs |
| #96 | Alan Page | 33.6 | 11.3K/mo | 8 langs |
| #97 | Fletcher Cox | 33.5 | 11.0K/mo | 8 langs |
| #98 | Danielle Hunter | 33.5 | 10.9K/mo | 8 langs |
| #99 | Jason Taylor | 33.4 | 16.4K/mo | 7 langs |
| #100 | Demario Davis | 33.4 | 10.4K/mo | 8 langs |
Top 100 by career fame, scored 0–100. Jerry Rice is the maximum at 100.0.
| Rank | Player | Score | Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Jerry Rice | 100.0 | HOF · 10× All-Pro · 13× Pro Bowl |
| #2 | Ray Lewis | 89.8 | HOF · 7× All-Pro · 12× Pro Bowl |
| #3 | Derrick Brooks | 77.2 | HOF · 5× All-Pro · 11× Pro Bowl |
| #4 | Brett Favre | 75.9 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 11× Pro Bowl |
| #5 | Aaron Rodgers | 73.8 | 4× All-Pro · 10× Pro Bowl |
| #6 | Tony Gonzalez | 68.5 | HOF · 6× All-Pro · 14× Pro Bowl |
| #7 | Bobby Wagner | 67.6 | 6× All-Pro · 10× Pro Bowl |
| #8 | Emmitt Smith | 67.3 | HOF · 4× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #9 | Terrell Owens | 66.0 | HOF · 5× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #10 | Willie Roaf | 64.5 | HOF · 4× All-Pro · 11× Pro Bowl |
| #11 | Champ Bailey | 64.2 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 12× Pro Bowl |
| #12 | Marshall Faulk | 64.2 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #13 | Randy Moss | 63.9 | HOF · 4× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #14 | Warren Sapp | 62.7 | HOF · 4× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #15 | Marvin Harrison | 62.3 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #16 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 61.4 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #17 | John Elway | 59.3 | HOF · 9× Pro Bowl |
| #18 | Jason Taylor | 59.0 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #19 | Steve Hutchinson | 58.6 | HOF · 5× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #20 | Walter Jones | 58.6 | HOF · 4× All-Pro · 9× Pro Bowl |
| #21 | Aeneas Williams | 58.3 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #22 | Eric Dickerson | 57.1 | HOF · 5× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #23 | Troy Polamalu | 57.1 | HOF · 4× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #24 | Chris Doleman | 56.5 | HOF · 2× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #25 | Jason Kelce | 56.5 | 6× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #26 | Jared Allen | 55.9 | HOF · 4× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #27 | Orlando Pace | 55.6 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #28 | Darrelle Revis | 55.2 | HOF · 4× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #29 | Cortez Kennedy | 54.3 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #30 | Myles Garrett | 54.0 | 5× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #31 | Trent Williams | 54.0 | 3× All-Pro · 12× Pro Bowl |
| #32 | Philip Rivers | 53.7 | 8× Pro Bowl |
| #33 | Tyreek Hill | 53.1 | 5× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #34 | Russell Wilson | 52.5 | 10× Pro Bowl |
| #35 | Matt Ryan | 51.9 | 1× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #36 | Richard Seymour | 51.5 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #37 | Howie Long | 50.6 | HOF · 2× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #38 | Adrian Peterson | 50.0 | 4× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #39 | Khalil Mack | 50.0 | 3× All-Pro · 9× Pro Bowl |
| #40 | John Lynch | 49.4 | HOF · 2× All-Pro · 9× Pro Bowl |
| #41 | Von Miller | 49.1 | 3× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #42 | Antonio Brown | 47.2 | 4× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #43 | Jim Kelly | 47.2 | HOF · 1× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #44 | Curtis Martin | 46.9 | HOF · 1× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #45 | Lamar Jackson | 46.9 | 3× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #46 | Matthew Stafford | 46.9 | 1× All-Pro · 3× Pro Bowl |
| #47 | Andre Tippett | 46.3 | HOF · 2× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #48 | Steve Atwater | 46.3 | HOF · 2× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #49 | Eric Allen | 46.0 | HOF · 1× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #50 | Steve Wisniewski | 45.1 | 2× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #51 | Russ Grimm | 44.8 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #52 | Jerome Bettis | 44.4 | HOF · 2× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #53 | Reggie Wayne | 44.4 | 1× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #54 | Julio Jones | 43.8 | 2× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #55 | Richard Sherman | 43.8 | 3× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #56 | Calais Campbell | 43.5 | 1× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #57 | Charles Haley | 43.5 | HOF · 2× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #58 | Davante Adams | 43.2 | 3× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #59 | Bob Lilly | 42.6 | HOF · 7× All-Pro · 11× Pro Bowl |
| #60 | Jalen Ramsey | 42.6 | 3× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #61 | Terrell Davis | 42.3 | HOF · 3× All-Pro · 3× Pro Bowl |
| #62 | Tom Nalen | 42.3 | 2× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #63 | Marshal Yanda | 42.0 | 2× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #64 | Bryant Young | 41.7 | HOF · 1× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #65 | Haloti Ngata | 41.7 | 2× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #66 | Jim Ringo | 41.7 | HOF · 7× All-Pro · 10× Pro Bowl |
| #67 | Johnny Unitas | 41.7 | HOF · 5× All-Pro · 10× Pro Bowl · MVP |
| #68 | Fred Warner | 41.4 | 4× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #69 | Earl Thomas | 41.0 | 3× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #70 | Eli Manning | 41.0 | 4× Pro Bowl |
| #71 | Greg Lloyd | 41.0 | 3× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #72 | Logan Mankins | 41.0 | 1× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #73 | Pat Swilling | 41.0 | 2× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #74 | Quenton Nelson | 41.0 | 3× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #75 | Rob Gronkowski | 41.0 | 4× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #76 | Alan Page | 40.7 | HOF · 5× All-Pro · 9× Pro Bowl · MVP |
| #77 | Ken Houston | 40.4 | HOF · 2× All-Pro · 12× Pro Bowl |
| #78 | DeAndre Hopkins | 39.8 | 3× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #79 | Rich Gannon | 39.8 | 2× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #80 | Boomer Esiason | 39.5 | 1× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #81 | Christian McCaffrey | 39.5 | 3× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #82 | Andy Robustelli | 38.9 | HOF · 6× All-Pro · 7× Pro Bowl |
| #83 | Darren Woodson | 38.9 | 3× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #84 | Eric Weddle | 38.9 | 2× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #85 | Joe Thuney | 38.9 | 3× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #86 | John Abraham | 38.9 | 2× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #87 | Roquan Smith | 38.9 | 3× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl |
| #88 | Donovan McNabb | 38.6 | 6× Pro Bowl |
| #89 | Nick Buoniconti | 38.3 | HOF · 5× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #90 | Chad Johnson | 38.0 | 2× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #91 | Fletcher Cox | 38.0 | 1× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #92 | Josh Allen | 38.0 | 4× Pro Bowl |
| #93 | Jared Goff | 37.3 | 5× Pro Bowl |
| #94 | LeSean McCoy | 37.3 | 2× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl |
| #95 | Demario Davis | 37.0 | 1× All-Pro · 2× Pro Bowl |
| #96 | Lou Creekmur | 36.7 | HOF · 6× All-Pro · 8× Pro Bowl |
| #97 | Drew Bledsoe | 36.1 | 4× Pro Bowl |
| #98 | Carson Palmer | 35.8 | 3× Pro Bowl |
| #99 | Cornelius Bennett | 35.8 | 1× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
| #100 | Duane Brown | 35.8 | 1× All-Pro · 5× Pro Bowl |
Player names link to their trade-history pages where one exists.