Top 5 Non-Star Athletes

[Phishfan]

Zach Thomas wouldn't be in the top five players if you were listing the star players on the Dolphin Teams he played on.

Bwhat???

[Tenshot13]

In choosing my "non-star" athletes I focused more on the OP's guideline of being a "role player", not on some little known player.  McHale was the 6th man for Boston to start his career; Bird was the star player for those Celtics teams.  Without Bird McHale is an average player.  Same for Rodman, he was not the star player on either the Pistons or Bulls teams he played on.  Graig Nettles was a great defensive player, but he would not be considered the "star" player of the Yankees' Pennant Teams he played on.  Zach Thomas wouldn't be in the top five players if you were listing the star players on the Dolphin Teams he played on.

Care to elaborate?  Jason Taylor is about the only guy that would overshadow Zach, and he's already in the HOF.

[Dave Gray]

^ You could argue that Sam Madison, Ricky Williams, Patrick Surtain, and Jason Taylor were more important than Thomas, ....maybe (and Madison is a stretch).

I find it hard to take him out of the top 5, though.

[Tenshot13]

^ You could argue that Sam Madison, Ricky Williams, Patrick Surtain, and Jason Taylor were more important than Thomas, ....maybe (and Madison is a stretch).

I find it hard to take him out of the top 5, though.

I mean you could argue it, but...

Sam Madison--4 pro bowls
Patrick Surtain--3 pro bowls
Ricky Williams--1 pro bowl (Pro Bowl MVP)
Jason Taylor--6 pro bowls
Zach Thomas--7 pro bowls

[Dave Gray]

Zach's longevity with the team was also incredible.  I was just thinking in any given year, he might not've been in the top 5 and I'm struggling to even make that statement true.

He's definitely a star player, in my opinion.  He's one of a handful of guys that was the face of the franchise for a decade.

[BuccaneerBrad]

Joe Jurevicious

Michael Pittman

Ryan Neace

Booger McFarland

Greg Spires