Lacrosse is a team sport with a rich and ancient history, originating from the tribal games of the Indigenous peoples of North America.
Over the centuries, the game evolved significantly as European settlers adopted and adapted it, shaping the modern rules and organized formats seen today.
Now recognized as one of the most popular sports in the United States and Canada, lacrosse is played by both men and women across multiple levels of competition from youth and collegiate programs to professional leagues such as the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and National Lacrosse League (NLL).
Lacrosse players are celebrated for their exceptional skill, speed, coordination, and strategic intelligence, as well as their deep passion for the game. Throughout the sport’s history, many players have left a profound mark through their achievements, awards, and influence both on and off the field.
The following list highlights the top 10 greatest lacrosse players of all time, recognized for their outstanding performances, record-setting careers, and enduring impact on the development and popularity of lacrosse worldwide.
10. Casey Powell
Casey Powell is a retired American lacrosse player widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and versatile athletes in the sport’s history.
He achieved exceptional success in both college lacrosse and professional competition, leaving a lasting legacy on the game.
During his collegiate career at Syracuse University, Powell was a four-time USILA All-American and a two-time National Player of the Year, helping lead the Syracuse Orange men’s lacrosse team to victory at the 1995 NCAA National Championship.
Notably, he remains the only player in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse history to earn first-team All-American honors at more than one position, underscoring his rare adaptability and all-around excellence. Powell’s professional career was equally distinguished.
Competing in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) from 2001 to 2016, he ranked sixth in career goals (243), second in assists (237), and third in total points (484) on the MLL all-time leaderboards as of 2017. He also holds the record for most playoff points in MLL history with 40.
Powell earned the MLL Offensive Player of the Year award twice, in 2005 and 2014, and was named the MLL Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2014, an impressive feat achieved at the age of 38.
On the international stage, Powell represented the United States national lacrosse team, serving as team captain at both the World Lacrosse Championship and the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship.
He helped the U.S. capture a gold medal in 2006 and silver medals in 2010 and 2014, further cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s most influential and enduring figures.
9. Tom Schreiber
Tom Schreiber is the only player to win the professional outdoor lacrosse MVP award three times, with MVP honors in both Major League Lacrosse (2016, 2017) and the Premier Lacrosse League (2023).
He has won the PLL’s Midfielder of the Year four times and led the Archers LC to the 2023 regular season top seed, finishing with 37 points, which is the most among midfielders.
Schreiber helped the Ohio Machine win the 2017 MLL championship and scored the game-winning goal for Team USA in the 2018 World Championship gold medal match, earning two gold medals with Team USA.
He is Princeton University’s all-time leading midfielder in points and was a four-time All-American. Schreiber is considered one of the greatest midfielders for his elite passing, scoring, leadership, and consistent dominance across both outdoor and indoor lacrosse leagues.
8. Dave Pietramala
Dave Pietramala is the only person to win an NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse championship as both a player (1987, Johns Hopkins) and head coach (2005, 2007, Johns Hopkins).
He was a three-time First Team All-American and twice won the Schmeisser Award as top defenseman, plus the Enners Award for the nation’s best player in 1989.
He earned All-World selection and was named outstanding performer at the 1990 World Championships. As a coach, he compiled a 207–93 record, 18 NCAA tournament appearances, seven Final Fours, and mentored over 100 All-Americans.
Pietramala is considered one of the greatest lacrosse players because he redefined the defensive role through dominance, intelligence, and leadership, gaining Hall of Fame status and national acclaim as both a player and coach.
7. Brodie Merrill
Brodie Merrill is a Canadian former professional lacrosse player who is widely regarded as one of the best lacrosse player ever, particularly in the defensive and transition positions.
He played both indoor and outdoor lacrosse and achieved many records and awards throughout his career.
Merrill won the Jack Turnbull Award as the top attackman in Division I lacrosse four times, setting a record for his career points.
He is the only player from Syracuse University who won the W.H. Brine Award twice, another record. He also represented the United States in the World Lacrosse Championship in 2002 and 2006.
Merrill achieved many milestones throughout his career, such as being a four-time All-American, a three-time NCAA All-Tournament team member, and the Most Valuable Player at the 2005 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game.
Premier Lacrosse League recognized Merrill as having revolutionized the long-stick midfielder (LSM) position and is the namesake for the Brodie Merrill LSM of the Year Award.
He played on five Canadian national teams, twice winning gold (2006, 2014). He was also named the World Lacrosse Championships Best Defenseman twice (2006, 2010) and selected to the All-World Team three times (2006, 2010, 2014).
Merrill won three World Indoor Lacrosse Championships representing Canada (2007, 2011, 2015).
He holds the all-time lacrosse records for most career ground balls, PLL/MLL; most career loose balls, NLL (2,778); most career Defensive Player of the Year awards; most career games played, PLL/MLL; and most seasons played in a career.
6. Jimmy Lewis
Jimmy Lewis is widely regarded as one of the best lacrosse players in history. An All-American player for the United States Naval Academy from 1964 to 1966, Lewis was originally from Long Island, New York, and is credited with influencing the style and pace of the game during his collegiate career.
Representing the Navy, Lewis led his team to three consecutive USILA National Championships (1964–1966), with the squad remaining undefeated throughout those seasons.
His dominance as an attackman earned him the prestigious Jack Turnbull Award each year, recognizing him as the best in the nation at his position.
Renowned for his skill and leadership, Lewis was described by The Baltimore Sun as “The Greatest Living Lacrosse Man” during his playing days.
His enduring impact on the sport was honored with induction into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1981.
Decades later, in 2014, he received the Tewaaraton Legends Award from the Tewaaraton Foundation, further cementing his status as a cornerstone figure in lacrosse history.
5. John Grant Jr.
John Grant Jr. is a Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player renowned for his achievements in both field and box lacrosse.
He has competed at the highest levels in Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the National Lacrosse League (NLL), and the Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA).
Born into a lacrosse legacy, Grant Jr. is the son of John Grant Sr., a celebrated player for the Ontario Lacrosse Association and the original Philadelphia Wings.
Known by the nickname “Junior,” he became one of the most versatile and dominant offensive players in the history of the sport.
During his collegiate career, Grant Jr. was named USILA National Collegiate Player of the Year and received the Jack Turnbull Award as National Attackman of the Year.
In his professional career, he won many accolades, including the 1999 Rookie of the Year award, multiple Offensive Player of the Year honors, and four All-Star selections in both the NLL and MLL.
Grant has won six NLL Championships with three different teams and holds several league records for goals and points. His combination of skill, creativity, and leadership allowed him to excel in both indoor and outdoor formats.
4. Michael Powell
Michael Powell is widely regarded as one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time, celebrated for his extraordinary skill, creativity, and influence on the sport’s modern evolution.
A standout at Syracuse University, Powell earned a legacy as one of college lacrosse’s most accomplished athletes.
During his collegiate career, Powell won the Jack Turnbull Award four times as the nation’s top Division I attackman, setting a career points record and redefining offensive play through his agility and vision. He remains the only Syracuse University player to win the W.H. Brine Award twice.
A four-time All-American and three-time NCAA All-Tournament Team selection, Powell was also named Most Valuable Player at the 2005 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) All-Star Game. Internationally, he represented the United States National Team at the World Lacrosse Championships in 2002 and 2006, contributing to Team USA’s continued dominance during that era.
Powell was a four-time finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy, recognized as lacrosse’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, and is one of only two male players ever to win it twice.
Following his decorated playing career, Mikey Powell transitioned into the arts and is now a singer-songwriter and touring solo artist, showcasing the same dedication and artistry that once defined his legendary lacrosse career.
3. Paul Rabil
Paul Rabil is one of the most popular lacrosse players, with a career that began at age 12.
He played high school lacrosse at DeMatha High School in Maryland, where he led his team to three Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) championships.
During this time, Rabil was honored as a two-time All-American, a two-time All-State selection, and the 2004 WCAC Player of the Year.
After high school, Rabil played collegiate lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University, where he was a four-time All-American and won two NCAA National Championships in 2005 and 2007. He set multiple records, including for most playoff goals, assists, and points at Johns Hopkins.
In 2007, he received the McLaughlin Award as the nation’s best midfielder and was inducted into the Johns Hopkins Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
Professionally, Rabil was selected first overall by the Boston Cannons in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft. He was named MLL MVP twice (2009, 2011) and Offensive Player of the Year three times (2009, 2011, 2012).
Rabil helped the Boston Cannons win their first MLL Championship in 2011 before being traded to the New York Lizards, where he won a second MLL championship in 2015 and was named Steinfeld Cup MVP. Over his MLL career from 2008 to 2018, he was a 10-time MLL All-Star and a 9-time First-Team All-Pro.
Paul Rabil is the all-time leading scorer in professional field lacrosse, scoring 657 points over 14 seasons.
Rabil also played box lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), winning a championship with the Washington Stealth in 2010 and earning two All-Star selections. Internationally, he won two World Lacrosse Championships with Team USA and was named to multiple All-World teams.
Beyond his playing career, Paul Rabil co-founded the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) in 2018 with his brother Mike Rabil, revolutionizing professional lacrosse with a more player-centered and equitable league structure. He remains a key figure in the growth and promotion of the sport worldwide, widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders and shooters in lacrosse history.
2. Jim Brown
Jim Brown is widely regarded as one of the greatest lacrosse players and athletes in history, as well as an iconic figure in professional football.
Brown was a multi-sport athlete who excelled in multiple sports during his time at Syracuse University, where he was a letterman in football, basketball, lacrosse, and track and field.
He earned two-time lacrosse All-American honors and played a pivotal role in leading Syracuse to three consecutive national lacrosse championships from 1957 to 1959.
In lacrosse, Brown was a First Team All-American in 1956, 1957, and 1959 and finished his senior year as the nation’s second-leading scorer with 43 goals and 21 assists.
Notably, he scored five goals in one half during the 1957 North/South Collegiate All-Star game, showcasing his dominance.
Jim Brown was the first African American inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1983 for his groundbreaking impact and exceptional play, breaking color barriers and becoming the sport’s first African American superstar. He is also honored on the Lacrosse Magazine All-Century Team.
Jim Brown’s legacy bridges lacrosse and football, celebrated for his extraordinary athleticism, pioneering achievements, and enduring influence in sports history. The Premier Lacrosse League MVP Award is named in his honor, recognizing his lasting contribution to lacrosse.
1. Gary Gait
Gary Gait is widely considered the greatest lacrosse player of all time. A Canadian retired Hall of Fame professional, he is currently the head coach of the Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Gait played collegiately for Syracuse from 1987 to 1990, where he won three NCAA Division I national championships (1988–1990) and earned four-time All-American honors, including three first-team selections.
He holds the Syracuse career goals record with 192 and the single-season goal record of 70, which stood as an NCAA record until 2008. Gait won the prestigious Lt. Raymond Enners Award as the NCAA’s most outstanding player twice, in 1988 and 1990.
Gait is famed for his pioneering moves, such as the “Air Gait,” an acrobatic scoring technique where he would leap from behind the goal crease and dunk the ball over the crossbar mid-air, a move later outlawed in NCAA play but iconic in lacrosse history.
Along with his twin brother Paul Gait, he popularized innovative techniques like behind-the-back passing and shooting that changed the modern game’s offensive strategies.
Professionally, Gait had a remarkable 17-year career in the indoor National Lacrosse League (NLL), winning three league championships and earning league MVP honors six times, including five consecutive seasons from 1995 to 1999.
He retired as the National Lacrosse League’s all-time leading scorer with 1,091 points.
In the outdoor Major League Lacrosse (MLL), Gait won three league titles (2001, 2002, 2005), serving as a player-coach for the Baltimore Bayhawks and earning co-MVP honors in 2005.
Internationally, he was instrumental in Canada’s victory at the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship, scoring four goals in the final against the United States.
After his playing career, Gait served as an assistant coach for the University of Maryland’s women’s team, where he helped them win seven NCAA championships between 1995 and 2001.
In 2007, he returned to Syracuse as head coach of the women’s team, and in 2021, he became head coach of the men’s team, continuing his long-standing influence on the sport.
These top 10 lacrosse players of all time are celebrated not only for their exceptional talent and dedication but also for their profound impact on the sport’s history and culture.
Gary Gait, John Tavares, John Grant Jr., Casey Powell, Tom Schreiber, Jim Brown, Brian Dougherty, Brodie Merrill, Colin Doyle, and Jim Veltman have set industry benchmarks through record-breaking performances and multiple championships playing through the game time.
Their contributions have transcended statistics, inspiring generations through innovative playing styles, leadership, and championship success in both field and box lacrosse.
While many other talented players have made significant impacts, this list stands out for recognizing those whose legacy continues to shape lacrosse’s evolution and inspire aspiring players at all levels of the game.