# NFL 1970s All-Decade Team

The National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team is a list of National Football League (NFL) players selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive, and special teams units, as well as a first- and second-team head coaches.
Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. Players that also made the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team (the first NFL all-decade list) were Bob Lilly, Dick Butkus, Merlin Olsen, Larry Wilson, and Jim Bakken. Walter Payton, John Hannah, Mike Webster, Ted Hendricks, Jack Lambert, Billy Johnson, Rick Upchurch, and Chuck Noll would also be named to the 1980s All-Decade Team.

## Offense

| 0*0 | Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame | ¤ | 0~0 | Hall of Fame Finalist |
| Position | First Team | Votes | Hall of Fame? | Second Team | Votes | Hall of Fame? |
| Quarterback | Terry Bradshaw* (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 13 | Yes | Roger Staubach* (Dallas Cowboys) | 3 | Yes |
| Quarterback | Terry Bradshaw* (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 13 | Yes | Ken Stabler* (Oakland Raiders) | 3 | Yes |
| Running back | O. J. Simpson* (Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers) | 22 | Yes | Earl Campbell* (Houston Oilers) | 8 | Yes |
| Running back | Walter Payton* (Chicago Bears) | 11 | Yes | Franco Harris* (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 7 | Yes |
| Wide receiver | Lynn Swann* (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 21 | Yes | Paul Warfield* (Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns) | 5 | Yes |
| Wide receiver | Drew Pearson* (Dallas Cowboys) | 7 | Yes | Harold Carmichael* (Philadelphia Eagles) | 2 | Yes |
| Tight end | Dave Casper* (Oakland Raiders) | 20 | Yes | Charlie Sanders* (Detroit Lions) | 3 | Yes |
| Tackle | Art Shell* (Oakland Raiders) | 13 | Yes | Dan Dierdorf* (St. Louis Cardinals) | 11 | Yes |
| Tackle | Rayfield Wright* (Dallas Cowboys) | 12 | Yes | Ron Yary* (Minnesota Vikings) | 5 | Yes |
| Guard | Larry Little* (Miami Dolphins) | 16 | Yes | John Hannah* (New England Patriots) | 9 | Yes |
| Guard | Joe DeLamielleure* (Buffalo Bills) | 12 | Yes | Gene Upshaw* (Oakland Raiders) | 6 | Yes |
| Center | Jim Langer* (Miami Dolphins) | 15 | Yes | Mike Webster* (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 6 | Yes |

## Defense

| Position | First Team | Votes | Hall of Fame? | Second Team | Votes | Hall of Fame? |
| Defensive end | Jack Youngblood* (Los Angeles Rams) | 18 | Yes | L. C. Greenwood ~ (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 10 | 6 time finalist |
| Defensive end | Carl Eller* (Minnesota Vikings) | 11 | Yes | Harvey Martin (Dallas Cowboys) | 5 | No |
| Defensive tackle | Joe Greene* (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 18 | Yes | Alan Page* (Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears) | 8 | Yes |
| Defensive tackle | Bob Lilly* (Dallas Cowboys) | 16 | Yes | Merlin Olsen* (Los Angeles Rams) | 5 | Yes |
| Middle linebacker | Dick Butkus* (Chicago Bears) | 9 | Yes | Jack Lambert* (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 6 | Yes |
| Outside linebacker | Jack Ham* (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 20 | Yes | Robert Brazile* (Houston Oilers) | 5 | Yes |
| Outside linebacker | Ted Hendricks* (Baltimore Colts, Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders) | 8 | Yes | Bobby Bell* (Kansas City Chiefs) | 4 | Yes |
| Cornerback | Willie Brown* (Oakland Raiders) | 13 | Yes | Louis Wright (Denver Broncos) | 7 | No |
| Cornerback | Jimmy Johnson* (San Francisco 49ers) | 8 | Yes | Roger Wehrli* (St. Louis Cardinals) | 7 | Yes |
| Safety | Ken Houston* (Houston Oilers, Washington Redskins) | 16 | Yes | Larry Wilson* (St. Louis Cardinals) | 7 | Yes |
| Safety | Cliff Harris* (Dallas Cowboys) | 15 | Yes | Dick Anderson (Miami Dolphins) | 3 | No |

## Special teams

| Position | First Team | Votes | Hall of Fame? | Second Team | Votes | Hall of Fame? |
| Kicker | Garo Yepremian (Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints) | 8 | No | Jim Bakken (St. Louis Cardinals) | 7 | No |
| Punter | Ray Guy* (Oakland Raiders) | 24 | Yes | Jerrel Wilson (Kansas City Chiefs) | 1 | No |
| Kick Returner | Rick Upchurch (Denver Broncos) | 10 | No | Billy "White Shoes" Johnson (Houston Oilers) | 6 | No |

## Coach

| Position | First Team | Votes | Hall of Fame? | Second Team | Votes | Hall of Fame? |
| Coach | Don Shula* (Miami Dolphins) | 11 | Yes | Chuck Noll* (Pittsburgh Steelers) | 9 | Yes |