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Best Rams Players Of All Time: Top 5 Legendary Athletes, According To Fans

January 1, 2024
by Matthew Sherdan

The Los Angeles Rams were the first professional football team located on the West Coast. In 1995, the Rams organization moved to St. Louis, where it played for a couple of decades before eventually moving back to LA in 2016. The Rams have been to four Super Bowls and have won two. The team has seen some truly all-time greats come through the organization, but only a few can be considered the best Rams players of all time. 

Speaking of players coming up through the ranks with an organization, a recent study suggests that fans prefer championship teams comprised of homegrown talent as opposed to teams stacked with pricey free agents. Researchers at the University of Kansas surveyed 1,500 Americans. They found that sports fans prefer championship teams comprised of drafted or ‘homegrown’ players as opposed to teams with rosters comprised of expensive free-agent players. Apparently, sports fans appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to build a championship team from the ground up. 

Rams fans can identify with both schools of thought. The Rams have drafted some all-time legendary players, but they’re also not afraid to go out and spend big money in free agency or make splash trades to get the players they need to compete for titles. It’s a big reason why their fans are so loyal and why they pack their stadium full every Sunday throughout the NFL season. 

Speaking of packing the stadium full of fans, another recent study suggests that simply getting out to watch a live sports event – whether it’s professional or amateur sports – is beneficial for your mental health. Scientists at Anglia Ruskin University say that attending live sporting events actually helps increase overall mental well-being and reduces feelings of loneliness. A survey of 7,000 adults found that those respondents who attended live sporting events scored better in terms of life satisfaction than those who had not recently attended events. That’s definitely a great reason to get out and watch the Rams play at SoFi stadium in the fall. 

So, which players are considered the greatest in Rams franchise history? StudyFinds did the research, consulting 10 sports and football-oriented websites in an effort to bring you a consensus list of the best Rams players of all time. Our list comprises the five most frequently listed players from across these sites. Think we missed one of your all-time favorite Rams players? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below! 

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The List: Best Rams Players, According to Sports Experts

1. Deacon Jones

The top spot on the list of the best players in Rams franchise history belongs to the legendary Deacon Jones. Jones was an absolute menace on the defensive side of the football field, and his legacy has never been in question. “Deacon Jones never won a Super Bowl for the Rams, but he is the ultimate Rams icon. While other players have trophies and stats, Jones has the folklore and legend factors working in his favor. Jones was so good at what he did that he was the inventor of the term ‘sack.’ The stat wasn’t important until he made it important. He also invented a move (the ‘head slap’) that was so good and effective that it was outlawed. He played 11 seasons for the Rams, and he was a dominant member of the ‘Fearsome Foursome.’ He represented the team in the Pro Bowl seven times, and was awarded All-Pro honors eight times during his entire career,” explains Bleacher Report. 

When Jones played, the league didn’t keep track of quarterback sacks. In fact, sacks didn’t become an official stat category until 1982. And yes, Jones coined the term “sack” while he was still a player. Undoubtedly, he was a true pioneer in terms of rushing the passer. “An eight-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Famer, Jones gets the nod as the greatest Ram of all time. He gave opposing offensive linemen nightmares, especially with his patented head-slap move, and would’ve had incredible sack numbers had they been officially recorded when he played,” writes The Rams Wire. 

If you go back and record all of Jones’ sacks, he’d have over 170 and be ranked about third on the all-time NFL sacks list. Given that teams passed a lot less when Jones played, that’s quite the accomplishment and one that deserves recognition. 

“Deacon Jones, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, is regarded as one of the best defensive players in NFL history. Jones was an eight-time Pro Bowler… and a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1967 and 1968). Sacks weren’t an official stat during Jones’ playing days, but Pro Football Weekly once reported that he unofficially had 173 1/2 sacks over his career, which would have been third on the all-time sack list,” furthers Fox News. 

2. Aaron Donald

The next name on the list of the best Rams players in franchise history is still playing in the NFL today and he’s widely regarded as one of the best interior defensive linemen ever. Aaron Donald was drafted by the Rams when the team was still located in St. Louis and helped make the move to LA. Throughout his entire career, Donald has been more than professional and he deserves his place as one of the top Rams players in history. “Donald, who is already a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, cemented his status as one of the all-time greats by leading the Rams to a Super Bowl victory following the 2021 season,” explains Stadium Talk. 

Donald led the Rams to two Super Bowl appearances, losing his first title game to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Still, Donald wouldn’t be denied his shot at glory. Donald helped lead the Rams back to the Super Bowl following the 2021 season where he made the game-winning sack on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. 

“He has a relentless motor and a nose for the football, tallying 24 forced fumbles in his nine-year career. This is good for 24th all-time; he has also played the 3rd fewest games amongst that group. Donald has won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and is often talked about as being amongst the most impactful defensive players of all time. Even though his career is still going, Donald is already the greatest player in franchise history,” writes Defiant Takes Football. 

Regardless of where experts want to rank Donald’s greatness, fans can’t and won’t deny the fact that he’s one of the greatest defensive linemen of all time. Donald’s greatness was apparent from his very first season in the NFL. “As a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and one-time Super Bowl champion, Aaron Donald’s name is in the mix for the title of best defensive player in NFL history. Since he was drafted by the Rams in 2014, the Pittsburgh alum has taken the league by storm, becoming a threat to any quarterback,” furthers Rookie Road. 

3. Merlin Olsen

Like Donald, Merlin Olsen was one of the premier interior defensive linemen of his generation, and he’s easily one of the greatest players Rams fans have ever seen. “After agreeing to join the Rams in 1962, Olsen would go on to make an immediate impact on the defense by playing well enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors and a trip to the Pro Bowl. In fact, Olsen’s trip to the Pro Bowl as a rookie would be the first of 14 in a row for the defensive superstar. This is basically unheard of at the NFL level, no matter what the position may be. Unfortunately, Olsen was one of those members of the Rams that never won the Super Bowl despite numerous attempts to make a run in the playoffs,” explains Ramblin Fan. 

Olsen played alongside other Rams greats such as Deacon Jones and Lamar Lundy. It’s hard to believe that one defensive unit could have so many great players and not win a championship but that’s exactly what Rams fans and players of that era experienced. For well over a decade, Olsen was one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. 

“Olsen was the other big star on the Rams’ Fearsome Foursome defensive line and for 15 years he was one of the best players in the game. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 14 times. He made the All-Decade team in both the 60s and the 70s. Olsen was adept at defending the run and the pass. He played on 10 winning teams, but alas, never won a playoff game. Olsen retired and went to great acclaim as an NFL broadcaster and actor. He was put in the NFL Hall of Fame in 1982, the first year he was eligible,” adds Greatest Blog on Turf. 

Olsen was a first-ballot NFL Hall of Fame inductee, and he’s widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive tackles to ever play. “Merlin Olsen was the oldest of three brothers in his family to play in the NFL and became one of the most dominant defensive linemen of all time, earning a staggering 10 NFL All-Pro selections and making the Pro Bowl 14 times in his 15-year career. Olsen never got to play in the Super Bowl but was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility,” furthers Stadium Talk. 

4. Marshall Faulk

Marshall Faulk was one of the top running backs of his generation and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well as rush between the tackles made him a true dual threat back. 

“Faulk, the NFL MVP in 2000, finished with 12,279 career rushing yards and 100 rushing touchdowns, and 6,875 receiving yards and 36 receiving touchdowns. Faulk is the only running back in NFL history to have 12,000+ rushing yards and 6,000+ receiving yards in his career, and he was considered by many as the first greatest dual-threat running back ever,” explains Fox News. 

Although Walter Payton might have something to say about Faulk being the first great dual-threat running back, Faulk truly was a special player and an excellent all-around running back. Faulk could beat defenses running inside between the tackles, outside on the edges, and downfield in the passing game. When Faulk got his hands on the ball, fans anticipated something great. 

“Originally drafted by the Colts, they traded Faulk to the Rams for two picks in one of the most lopsided trades in history. Faulk became the catalyst for the Greatest Show on Turf. He had 2,429 all-purpose yards in the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning season. In his seven years with the Rams in St. Louis, he was three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He has the most games of any player with 250 yards from scrimmage or more. He’s the only NFL player with over 6,000 yards rushing and 6,000 receiving. No one was more exciting than No. 28,” writes Greatest Blog on Turf. 

For the record, the Colts eventually drafted Edgerrin James as Faulk’s replacement and that move worked out well in the long run for Colts fans. Still, Faulk was in his prime when the Colts made the trade to send him to the Rams. It will go down in history as one of the Rams’ best moves in franchise history. 

“Rams fans will always remember how Faulk’s first season with the team in 1999 happened to be the first year of The Greatest Show on Turf. The star running back became quite the dynamic duo with quarterback Kurt Warner on offense. In fact, the three-year span of Faulk playing for St. Louis from 1999-2001 had some of the most ridiculous numbers. He appeared in 44 games, recording 6,765 yards from the line of scrimmage while finding the end zone a total of 59 times. These kinds of statistics are basically unheard of at the NFL level. As great of a player as Dickerson was, it’s tough to deny Faulk the honors of being the top team’s top running back in franchise history,” furthers Ramblin Fan. 

5. Jack Youngblood

Rounding out the list of the best players in Rams franchise history is yet another defensive lineman – this time it’s Jack Youngblood. Youngblood is one of the best defensive ends in NFL history, so it’s no surprise that he’s widely regarded as one of the best Rams players ever. 

“Jack Youngblood was a defensive end who played for the Rams his entire professional football career of fourteen seasons. He played college football for the University of Florida and is considered one of its all-time best players. The seven-time Pro Bowler joined the Hall of Fame in 2001. He eventually ventured into broadcasting, acting, and even wrote an autobiography,” explains Diario AS. 

Youngblood was a defensive captain and the unquestioned leader of the Rams’ defense throughout the ‘70s. Youngblood had an incredible career that saw him play in a whopping five NFC Championships. However, Youngblood is probably best known for his toughness and competitiveness. 

“Jack Youngblood is one of the most severely underrated players in NFL history. Jack was a first-round pick in 1971 and played his entire career with the Rams’, retiring in 1984. During his career with the Rams Jack wreaked havoc on opposing offenses racking up a total of 151.5 sacks. He was a seven-time pro bowl selection and known as one of the grittiest players in the NFL. Many know the story of Youngblood playing with a broken leg. In the divisional round of the 1979 playoffs against the Cowboys, Jack broke his left fibula while sacking Roger Staubach and continued to play through the pain,” adds Defiant Takes Football. 

Playing through a broken leg is the personification of tough, and that’s exactly what Youngblood was. Still, Youngblood’s only shortcoming as a player was that he never won a Super Bowl. Although Youngblood led his Rams to a Super Bowl in 1979, his team lost a tough game to an excellent Pittsburgh Steelers team. 

“Youngblood’s name is almost synonymous with the Rams, playing his entire career in Los Angeles. Despite all those playoff appearances, he never won a Super Bowl, making it all the way there in 1979 – on a broken leg, nonetheless. Like countless others, his sack totals would’ve been incredible as he recorded 20 in his final two seasons in the NFL alone,” furthers The Rams Wire. 

Honorable Mention: Kurt Warner

It’s only fitting that we expand on our typical list to include one of the most inspirational players in Rams franchise history and the history of professional sports, for that matter – Kurt Warner. Warner was never supposed to be an NFL quarterback not to mention one of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time. Warner was undrafted out of college and he had to make a name for himself playing in the Arena Football League. But, when starting quarterback Trent Green went down in the 1999 preseason, Warner got the call from the Rams and the rest is history. 

Warner went on to win the league MVP that season while leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl victory over the Tennessee Titans. From there, Warner became the first quarterback to lead two different teams to a Super Bowl appearance when he brought the lowly Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl following the 2007 NFL season. 

“Undrafted out of FCS Northern Iowa (then Division I-AA), Warner started just one year in college before playing in the Arena Football League and stocking shelves in a grocery store at night. His success there led him to NFL Europe, then to the Rams, where he won two NFL MVP awards and led the Rams to two NFC Championships and a Super Bowl win following the 1999 season. Warner also led the Arizona Cardinals to a Super Bowl and is the only player in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Football Hall of Fame,” explains Stadium Talk. 

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