Only four players can make the cut.
Who would make the Los Angeles Rams Mount Rushmore? The Rams have had some great players in their franchise history, and have retired the numbers of eight players so far. Here are the four select players who earn a spot on the team’s Mount Rushmore, and the many also-worthy honorable mentions.
The No-Brainers
Aaron Donald
A three-time Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time first-team All-Pro, and one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, Donald is one of the easiest choices for the team’s Mount Rushmore. He accomplished practically everything in his career, winning the Super Bowl, leading the NFL in sacks, and making the 2010s All-Decade Team, making him a clear choice for one of the top four Rams.
Deacon Jones
Long before Donald, Deacon Jones was the most intimidating player to grace the Rams’ defensive front. Nicknamed the ‘Secretary of the Defense’ and the player who came up with the term ‘sacking the quarterback,’ Jones was a five-time first-team All-Pro and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Sacks were not an official statistic during his playing days, but according to unofficial sack totals, he led the NFL in sacks five different times. He was part of the 1960s All-Decade Team, as well as the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams.
The Final Two
Jack Youngblood
Youngblood was the epitome of what it meant to be a Ram, having played for the Rams in a record 201 consecutive games. He only missed one game in his entire career and was named a Rams captain from 1977-1984. Youngblood was a five-time first-team All-Pro and led the NFL in sacks twice before they became an official stat. He was part of the Rams’ all-century team, the team’s MVP three times, and part of the 1970s All-Decade Team. He was the NFC Defensive Player of the Year twice.
Marshall Faulk
While Faulk spent the first four years of his career with the Indianapolis Colts, the best part of his career came with the Rams. He was the NFL MVP in 2000, a three-time Offensive Player of the Year, three-time first-team All-Pro, and twice the NFL leader in scoring. He is tied atop the Rams franchise record for rushing touchdowns, and the sole franchise leader in total scrimmage touchdowns.
Honorable Mentions
Kurt Warner – A controversial player left off the list, Warner had two of the best seasons in Rams history, winning the NFL MVP twice and bringing the team to their first Super Bowl victory. Warner is left off the list due to his lack of longevity with the team. He ranks just fifth on the Rams’ all-time passing yards and touchdowns list, despite the Rams’ all-time leading passer, Jim Everett, only throwing for 23,758 yards. Warner has not had his number retired by the Rams either.
Norm Van Brocklin – Brocklin played for the Rams long before the NFL became known as a passing league, yet was one of the most productive throwers of his time. He helped lead the Rams to two NFL Championships and was also an NFL MVP. A nine-time Pro Bowler, Brocklin still holds the NFL’s all-time single-game passing yards record with 554 yards in a game back in 1951.
Elroy ‘Crazy Legs Hirsch’ – Elroy Hirsch became just the third receiver in NFL history to win the triple crown when he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 1951. An NFL champion, member of the 1950s All-Decade team, and the NFL’s 50th and 100th Anniversary Teams, Hirsch’s numbers hold up relatively well to the present day. He went for over 7,000 receiving yards and 60 touchdowns and even had a season in which he went for 1,495 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Eric Dickerson – Had Dickerson spent more of his career with the Rams, he would be a surefire player in their Hall of Fame. Still, his time with the Rams was unmatched. He led the NFL in rushing yards four times, was a five-time first-team All-Pro, an NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and part of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team. He still holds the NFL single-season rushing record after rushing for 2,105 yards in 1984.
Merlin Olsen – A 14-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro, Olsen made the Pro Bowl in all but one of his seasons in the NFL. He and Deacon Jones formed the ‘fearsome foursome’ Rams defensive line. He was part of both the 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Teams, as well as the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams.
Isaac Bruce – The Rams’ all-time leading receiver in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, Bruce had an outstanding career 13-year career with the Rams. A Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowler, Bruce is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has his No. 80 retired on the Rams.
Orlando Pace – Perhaps the most undervalued piece of The Greatest Show on Turf, Pace blocked for Faulk and Warner during the team’s great years. He is a Super Bowl champion, three-time first-team All-Pro, and part of the 2000s All-Decade Team.
Jackie Slater – The father of New England Patriots special teamer Matthew Slater, Jackie played in a Rams-record 259 games during his Pro Football Hall of Fame career as an offensive tackle.
Sean McVay – McVay is someone who would need to accomplish quite a bit more to become in true consideration for a place on Mount Rushmore. He’s in a good spot, though. He is already only six wins away from becoming the Rams’ most-winning head coach in franchise history. If he can lead the Rams to another Super Bowl championship or two, it might be hard to keep the offensive genius off the top-four Rams.
