1. John Elway, QB, Baltimore Colts (1983)
Many apologies to Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning. Manning might take this spot before it's all over, but Elway gets the nod for having the ultimate mix of credentials: arm strength, clutch play, toughness and statistics. Not to mention the fact that he never had the dominant defenses provided Bradshaw and Aikman. Elway's five Super Bowl appearances are still plenty impressive, particularly the back-to-back championship wins. He hung up his cleats with one more Super Bowl run likely left in him, too. And while he never actually played for the Colts, that doesn't mean they didn't take the right guy.
