Top 10 Best Kick Returners & Punt Returners in NFL History – #7 Mel Gray
#7 – Mel Gray
The returner that nobody likes to talk about. This isn’t a popular choice on this list, but he has every right to be in the top 10 for best returners.
This is a 7 time all-pro who would have been even further ahead on this list if he didn’t play his first two seasons in the USFL. His 10250 kick return yards and 6 kick return touchdowns both rank 4th all-time.
His best season was in 1994 with 1276 kickoff return yards for 3 touchdowns averaging 28.4 yards per return. Unlike Patterson, Mel Gray was also a punt return specialist averaging 10.9 yards per return and 3 return touchdowns.
Top 10 Best Returners in NFL History – #6 Josh Cribbs
#6 – Josh Cribbs
I talked about how Cordarrelle Patterson has the potential to break the all-time kickoff return touchdown record and he would have to go through this man. If it weren’t for injuries, I believe Josh Cribbs would have gone down as the best kickoff returner in NFL history. Patterson will most likely take that title, but Cribbs was also an extremely effective punt returner too who also contributed in other roles on special teams.
The crazy part about Cribb’s dominance was the fact that he recorded 10 of his 11 return touchdowns in his first 5 seasons in the NFL. Again, if it weren’t for injuries, i’m confident Cribbs would have been in the top 3 for best returners ever.
Top 10 Best Returners in NFL History – #5 Gale Sayers
#5 – Gale Sayers
If Gale Sayers stayed healthy, he would have been considered one of the football gods. He only really played 5 seasons in the NFL and was untouchable over that time. You look at the jukes he was able to do and it was clear that this man was way ahead of his time doing things nobody had seen before.
Currently the all-time leader in kickoff return average, Gale Sayers was magical in the open field. As I was writing this I felt the need to go watch his highlights again. It’s like he had eyes on the back of his head. He had a sixth sense for when people were closing in on him and seemed to always be steps ahead. There are a long list of tacklers he completely embarrassed over his short time in his NFL.
There is no doubt in my mind he would be one of the top 10 best running backs in NFL history if his career wasn’t cut short due to devastating knee injuries.
