The All-Time Best Football Players from Massachusetts

Every state produces their fair share of great football players, and the state of Massachusetts has given the sport some tremendous and memorable talent. To infer that there is a concrete list of all-time great football players from Massachusetts is misleading to the topic, as the criteria for inclusion on such a list is subjective to personal perspective. However, there is a singular component that must be recognized - any player considered to be among the all-time best from Massachusetts must have demonstrated a long career at the highest possible level of competition. This would instantly exclude high school and college football stars that never made it to the National Football League. With these aspects in mind, here are some of the all-time best football players from Massachusetts:

Nic Buoniconti (Springfield) - After being a standout at Notre Dame, Buoniconti went on the play for the New England Patriots in the AFL and the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. Named a six-time AFL All-Star and elected twice to the NFL Pro Bowl, Buoniconti was the leader of the Miami Dolphins "No-Name" defense and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Howie Long (Somerville) - Widely considered among the most dominant defensive linemen of his era, Long was a game-changer and could not be blocked by a single offensive lineman. In a professional career that lasted from 1981 to 1993, Howie Long had 91.5 sacks and 2 interceptions in 179 career games, was named to 8 Pro Bowls and was 3 times honored as an All-Pro. Howie Long was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of fame in 2000.

Mark van Eeghen (Cambridge) - As a third round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders, van Eeghen went on to an excellent professional career lasting 11 seasons. In that time he had three 1,000 yard rushing years, and for his career finished with 6,651 rush yards good for 37 touchdowns.

Don McCauley (Worcester) - Selected as a running back by the Baltimore Colts in 1971, McCauley lasted a decade in the NFL and was respected as a versatile back with excellent rushing and receiving skills. In addition to a career that amassed 2,627 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns, McCauley finished with 333 receptions for 3,026 yards and 17 touchdowns.

A few of the other football players from Massachusetts worthy of consideration as the all-time best are Mark Chmura, Fred Smerlas, Joe Nash and Bruce Laird.