With pro football a week away from returning to center stage, it’s time to audit the thrill-and-chill makers who helped make the sport such a success in the first place. This is one man’s choice of the game’s most exciting players ever. They are not necessarily the best, but the 10 who brought us out of our chairs with their brilliance.

1 Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns fullback. The first thing that comes to mind about Brown is power, but he was far beyond that with his amazing speed for a big man, great balance, change of direction and the most underrated athletic asset, body control. In college at Syracuse he had been a starting guard in basketball and All-America in lacrosse, a sport that changed its rules because of his dominating style. 2 Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears running back. As a rookie he scored a record 22 touchdowns. American Express came out with a highlight film of his season and it looked like the greatest runs of all time.

3 Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers quarterback. He was a third-round draft choice without a bazooka arm, but he found ways to win and they were a pleasure to watch. He was the MVP in three Super Bowls.

4 O. J. Simpson, Buffalo Bills running back. Put aside what happened after his football career; on the field he was magic, overdrive in all directions; stop, start, shifting from football stride to world-class sprinter’s stride.

5 Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions running back. His ankles seemed to be constructed of rubber. Lean to his right, lean to his left, he seemed to defy the laws of gravity. The Lions of his era weren’t much better than the present disaster but he excelled.

6 John Elway, Denver Broncos quarterback. Ask Art Modell, former owner of the outstanding Browns teams that Elway personally frustrated in three AFC Championship Games to decide the conference’s Super Bowl representative. Modell watched in anguish from his box as Elway destroyed his team’s chances in the dying minutes of the 1986 title game with a great arm and nimble feet in old Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

7 Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants linebacker. Bruce Smith will disagree but L. T. was the greatest pass rusher ever. His speed, strength and agility were so devastating from whatever point at which he lined up that opposing offensive coordinators were forced to concoct special alignments just to account for him.

8 Marion Motley, Cleveland Browns fullback. He exploded upon pro football in the post-war ’40s when the position of fullback was a vital part of the offense. His coach, Paul Brown, brought about football’s version of the industrial revolution and Motley, on the business end of a screen pass, a Brown innovation at the pro level, was a sight to make you cringe if it was used against your team.

9 Deion Sanders, Atlanta, Dallas, etc. cornerback/returner. Remember that we’re not talking about the best but the most exciting. Tackling was not part of Neon Deion’s game but you held your breath when he held the ball. 10 Jerry Rice, San Francisco wide receiver. Whether the quarterback was Montana or Steve Young, Rice was the ultimate in exciting receivers.

Personal note: I never saw him play in person but in my Army days I cadged one cushy week showing old sports movies at the non-com’s club. One film was a highlight of wide receiver Don Hutson’s career (1935-45) with the Green Bay Packers when the passing game was in its infancy. He scored 99 touchdowns and won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award in 1941 and ’42.

He was so good that if he were playing now he’d still be an every-season Pro Bowler.

Larry Felser, former News columnist, appears in Sunday’s editions.