After nine weeks, we are down to the top 10. Who will top the rankings?
The 10 greatest NFL players of 2011, as determined by current players, will be unveiled Sunday, July 3 at 8 p.m. ET in a two-hour series finale of "The Top 100: Players of 2011".
Prior to the conclusion of the series, a special "The Top 100: Players of 2011 -- Top 10 Preview" airs at 7 p.m. ET, featuring host Lindsay Soto and analysts Brian Baldinger and Solomon Wilcots. That leads into the two-hour finale unveiling five players in each hour. For the special final episode, multiple presenters will be featured for the top 10, giving their thoughts on why each deserves a spot among the top 10 current players in the NFL.
Two key questions remain: Who makes up the top 10? Who is No. 1? NFL Films President Steve Sabol has some notes and quotes on the top 10.
» "It's the internal that makes him so good and what he has in his guts isn't nearly so elegant. It's a taste, not just for winning, but for perfection." -- Sabol on the player ranked No. 1 on the list by his peers.
» The average age of the final 10 players is 31. The youngest player checks in at 25, while the oldest player recently celebrated his 36th birthday in May.
» "Every Sunday it looks as if he got a copy of the test before walking into the classroom while everyone came in cold. His preparation is legendary and his feel for the game is unsurpassed." -- Sabol on the second-ranked player.
» The final 10 players are equally split between offense and defense.
» "He is an impact player ... alters the game. Everyone is aware of his presence when the game is on the line." -- Sabol
» Since 1997, players in the top 10 have accumulated 65 Pro Bowl honors, eight Super Bowl titles and five Super Bowl MVP awards.
» "He has 'disruption ability.' He has the capacity to create a moment of pure wonder." -- Sabol
Among the presenters featured in the two-hour series finale are previously ranked players Patrick Willis (No. 23), Jonathan Vilma (No. 37), Terrell Suggs (No. 40), Ben Roethlisberger (No. 41) and Terrell Owens (No. 91), as well as head coaches Rex Ryan, Mike Tomlin, Sean Payton, John Harbaugh, Leslie Frazier and Jack Del Rio.
Immediately following the series finale of "The Top 100: Players of 2011," the final episode of "The Top 100: Players of 2011 -- Reactions" airs live at 10 p.m. ET. Vikings RB and four-time Pro Bowler Adrian Peterson will be live in-studio, joining Soto, Baldinger and Wilcots with their final thoughts on the entire list and the top 10 players.
The voice of the fan has been a large part of The Top 100 series, with viewer comments posted on Facebook and Twitter and fan video rants being featured on the reaction show. During "The Top 100: Players of 2011 -- Top 10 Preview" show, the top 10 players of 2011, as voted by the fans via NFL.com, will be revealed. With nearly 20 million votes cast online in eight weeks, viewers will be able to see how the voice of the fan and the voice of the player compare.
Produced by NFL Films, "The Top 100: Players of 2011" on NFL Network gave current players the opportunity to vote for the top 100 playmakers today, counting down from 100 to one. Each player on the countdown is saluted by an individual close to the subject, from a coach to a rival on the field.
For an updated list of the rankings and to see where the fans ranked each player, visit "The Top 100: Players of 2011"
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