Top 10 Greatest NFL Players Without a Super Bowl Ring

Barry Sanders #20, Running Back for the Detroit Lions during the National Football Conference Central game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 10 November 1991 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida, United States. The Buccaneers won the game 30 - 21. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images) /

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#7: Bruce Smith

One would think the man with the all-time record in sacks should have a ring for claiming that prize. Especially given how important rushing the passer is in the game today. Bruce Smith is the only man in NFL history to crack the 200 sacks mark. On a team that was dominated by its offensive stars, he was the defensive balance that turned the Buffalo Bills into the greatest AFC powerhouse of the 1990s.

What makes it worse for Smith is that he knows exactly how close he came to getting a ring. He had a chance to cement himself in Super Bowl XXV against the Giants. He caught quarterback Jeff Hostetler in the end zone. Though it ended up being a sack for a safety, Smith actually had his hand on Hostetler’s wrist that gripped the football. If he’d been able to knock it out, it could’ve been a touchdown and possibly put the game out of reach for New York.

Instead the Bills lost in the final seconds and would end up losing four-straight Super Bowls.

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