"Concrete Charlie" played a long time ago.
Chuck Bednarik famously is remembered as the NFL's last 60-minute man, never coming off the field as he played center, linebacker and special teams for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bednarik retired after the 1962 season. Since then there have been many players who have played one side of the ball and seen snaps on the other side, but that's rare. And the list of players like Travis Hunter, who could go No. 2 in the NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns and has a chance to play regularly at cornerback and receiver, is very small. The Browns have said they see Hunter primarily as a receiver but believe he can play both ways.
Here's a history of some of the notable players who have had an impact on both sides of the ball since the days of "Concrete Charlie" and the true two-way player in the NFL:
Roy Green
Green's time as a two-way player is largely forgotten because he became a great receiver once he transitioned to offense full time. He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1983 and receiving yards in 1984. But he started his career as a defensive back and by his third season he was playing regularly both ways. In a 1981 game, he played 108 snaps according to the Arizona Republic. In 1981 he had a receiving touchdown and an interception in the same game, the first player to pull that off since 1957. It's tough to maintain that over a full career, which is one reason he transitioned to offense for most of his career.
“Just common sense tells you when everyone else is playing 45, 50 plays and you’re playing 104, 105, I mean, duh? It’s very taxing," Green told the Arizona Republic. "But because of your love for the game, how exciting it is, the adrenaline, the love to compete, you don’t really consider all that until Monday and Tuesday.”
William Perry
Perry became a phenomenon, not because of his work at defensive tackle for the 1985 Chicago Bears, but for a few snaps on offense. Perry is remembered for that but it's not like he was a two-way player. "The Refrigerator" had five carries in 1985 (just three after that) and one reception. He had three touchdowns in the regular season and a famous one in Super Bowl XX. It was fun but nothing comparable to what Hunter wants to do.
Lawrence Taylor
The story of Taylor crossing the picket line during the 1987 strike and playing both ways has been oversold. Taylor did play some tight end in his one game surrounded by replacement players, but it was limited and he didn't catch a pass. Taylor never caught a pass in his career. Taylor is listed because of the memory of him playing tight end in replacement games, but it's more legend than reality.
Deion Sanders
Sanders coached Hunter at the University of Colorado, and along with Green he's the ...
