One of the coolest things about Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend was the announcement that next year they're expanding the number of inductees to 20. This is a special one-time change designed to further celebrate the NFL's centennial season. And what a fitting way to do it!
This won't change the traditional day-before-the-Super Bowl knock on the door for the Modern Era finalists. That group of five, likely to be headlined by former Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, will be exactly the same as usual. The other 15, though, is where the expansion takes increased significance. They'll be inducting three Contributors, two coaches (who are normally considered alongside the Modern Era players and take one of those five spots if elected) and, most importantly 10 Senior candidates.
Frankly, there are a lot more players who SHOULD be in the Hall of Fame than they have spots for. And the one or two seniors that get put in each year doesn't really put much of a dent in that backlog. This special Centennial Class won't completely clear it, either, but it'll go a long way in getting those players some long overdue recognition. It's also a fun, unique way to celebrate 100 years of the NFL. Because the Hall of Fame class won't just feature the five Modern Era players, it'll have players covering every era of the league's history.
There are plenty of deserving coaches, too, and I kinda wish they had more than two coaching spots available. But I'm especially happy for the senior players who will finally get their due. They could easily have the entire 20-member class consist of Seniors, but since it's limited to 10, this is who I would select:
Roger Craig, Running Back (1983-90 49ers, 1991 Raiders, 1992-93 Vikings): It still blows my mind that Roger Craig hasn't been elected to the Hall of Fame yet! He should be a no-brainer here (and, since he retired in 1993, that's more than 25 years, which makes him a Senior). Craig won three Super Bowls with the 49ers and was as integral to that offense as Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. He was on the 1980s All-Decade Team and was the first player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. This is seriously one of Canton's most glaring omissions.
L.C. Greenwood, Defensive End (1969-81 Steelers): Another glaring omission is that of L.C. Greenwood. They've already enshrined several members of the Steel Curtain, and Greenwood never felt slighted, since he considered those players to represent the entire defense. But Greenwood deserves to have his own bust alongside them. He was a six-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and a member of the 1970s All-Decade Team. Plus, the gold shoes!
Chuck Howley, Linebacker (1958-59 Bears, 1961-73 Cowboys): He's still the only player from the losing team to be named Super Bowl MVP. That alone isn't a reason why he should be in the Hall of Fame. It's just another stat to throw on an impressive list of credentials that includes 25 interceptions (at linebacker!) and 18 fumble recoveries (sacks weren't a stat back then, so who knows how many of those he had). He was also a First Team All-Pro five consecutive times from 1966-70. Most experts consider Howley to be one of the greatest players ever not in the Hall of Fame. It's time for him to pass that "honor" to someone else.
Jim Marshall, Defensive End (1960 Browns, 1961-79 Vikings): Unfortunately, Jim Marshall is best remembered for the "wrong-way run," when he recovered a fumble and returned it 66 yards for what he thought was a touchdown, but was actually a safety since he headed towards the wrong end zone. That play has haunted him all these years and, sadly, it may be the reason he hasn't received serious Hall of Fame consideration. Which is ridiculous. Because he wasn't just a core member of the Purple People Eater defense that took the Vikings to four Super Bowls in the 70s, he played in 282 straight games and made 270 consecutive starts! At defensive end!
Bob Kuechenberg, Guard (1970-83 Dolphins): Three offensive linemen from the Dolphins teams of the '70s are already in the Hall of Fame. It could easily be four with Bob Kuechenberg, who was a finalist every year from 2002-09. Offensive linemen are always difficult since they don't really have any stats, but he was a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro who blocked for Hall of Famers Larry Csonka and Bob Griese. There are a bunch of players from those Dolphins teams who could be in the Hall of Fame and aren't. Kuechenberg is right at the top of that list.
Jake Scott, Safety (1970-75 Dolphins, 1976-78 Redskins): Speaking of players on those Dolphins teams who could be in the Hall of Fame and aren't, how about Jake Scott? The "No-Name" defense is just that to Hall of Fame voters. Only Nick Buoniconti has been inducted so far. But Jake Scott, the guy who wore No. 13 in Miami before Dan Marino, packed a lot into his six seasons with the Dolphins. He had 35 interceptions, including two in Super Bowl VII, earning MVP as Miami completed the undefeated season. He also had 13 fumble recoveries and was an excellent kick returner. For years, defensive backs (and safeties in particular) were woefully underrepresented in Canton. With four DBs going in this year, though, that's finally changing. And other players with shorter careers (Terrell Davis chief among them) have also been elected in recent years, so Scott's nine-year career shouldn't be held against him anymore, either.
Rosey Grier, Defensive Tackle (1955-62 Giants, 1963-66 Rams): Rosey Grier is one of the more underrated players in NFL history. But he was an integral member of two great defenses. He played his first eight years with the Giants, winning a championship in 1956 and playing in the "Greatest Game Ever Played" two years later. Those were two of five championship game appearances for those Giants teams, and Grier was named All-Pro in six of his eight seasons in New York. He then went to the Rams and was part of the legendary "Fearsome Foursome" alongside Hall of Famers Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen.
Joe Jacoby, Tackle (1981-93 Redskins): Like Bob Kuechenberg, Joe Jacoby has been a Hall of Fame finalist numerous times. And like Roger Craig, he retired long enough ago to just make the cut as a Senior. Russ Grimm is the only member of the "Hogs" in the Hall of Fame, and he wasn't even the best member of that offensive line. Jacoby was. He was there for all three of Washington's Super Bowl wins, with John Riggins and Timmy Smith running wild in two of them, and was on the 1980s All-Decade Team.
Drew Pearson, Wide Receiver (1973-83 Cowboys): Roger Staubach is a legend, but he needed someone to throw to. And Drew Pearson was that guy. When he retired, he was the Cowboys' all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards, and he made so many clutch catches in playoff games. Pearson is the only offensive player from the 1970s All-Decade Team who isn't in the Hall of Fame. Time to fix that.
Jim Plunkett, Quarterback (1971-75 Patriots, 1976-77 49ers, 1978-86 Raiders): Being a Super Bowl-winning quarterback doesn't make you a Hall of Famer (Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson and Jeff Hostetler were Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks). Winning two though? That changes the conversation. There are only 12 quarterbacks who've won the Super Bowl more than once. Three are active and one is Peyton Manning. Of the other eight, seven are in the Hall of Fame. Plunkett is the exception, and he's the subject of an annual debate about Hall of Fame credentials. I think that's a silly argument. Winning two Super Bowls and being the MVP of one is enough in my book. Especially since another borderline Raiders quarterback, Ken Stabler, was inducted a few years ago, and Plunkett was better than Stabler in many respects.
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