I saw that USA Today article yesterday with the list of players that they don't think belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I tried to avoid actually reading it, but so many people were saying stuff about it that I eventually felt compelled. Needless to say, I don't agree with all of the "overrated" Hall of Famers on their list. Troy Aikman and Cris Carter certainly belong, and if Ray Guy was an "average" punter, I don't know what a good, let alone great, punter is then. I completely agree with Warren Moon, Andre Tippett and Curtis Martin, though.
Anyway, all of this got me thinking about something that has actually been on my mind since the actual enshrinement ceremony on Saturday night. For all the players who already have gold jackets and a bust in Canton (Brett Favre and the other guys who get inducted next year will bring it over 300), there are plenty that could and maybe should be that have gotten lost in the shuffle over the years. You know how long I argued for Ray Guy's election before he finally took his rightful place last year. Now that Guy is in, I can go on a crusade for other veterans I feel have been snubbed.
Now, this list isn't going to include players I think are likely to get inducted in the near future. That means Marvin Harrison and all those other recently-retired guys who the committee is in the midst of cycling through. My guess is Harrison goes in with Favre next year. They won't make him wait for Peyton. So, this list of 10 goes a little further back, and includes the players I think have been overlooked long enough.
1. Jim Marshall: Jim Marshall is best known for the "Wrong Way Run," one of the most famous bloopers in NFL history. On Oct. 25, 1964, he recovered a fumble and returned it 66 yards into the wrong end zone, resulting in a safety for the 49ers instead of a Vikings touchdown. I think that's what's kept him out of the Hall of Fame for so long, which is a shame. Because Marshall deserves a place. Along with Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, he was a member of that feared "Purple People Eaters" defense that went to four Super Bowls in the '70s. Oh yeah, and he set records for consecutive games played (282) and consecutive starts (270), while playing defensive end, and set an NFL record with 30 fumble recoveries to go along with 127 sacks, second-most in Vikings history. If not for the "Wrong Way Run," Jim Marshall would be in the Hall of Fame already.
2. Roger Craig: It completely boggles my mind that Roger Craig doesn't get more Hall of Fame support. He's the forgotten member of the 49ers dynasty. I mean, seriously, what didn't he do? He was the first running back ever with 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season (and only Marshall Faulk has done it since), is one of three running backs ever to lead the NFL in receptions (92 in 1985), and, as Peter King pointed out in 1993, is the only player ever named to the Pro Bowl at both fullback and halfback. Oh yeah, and he played in the postseason all 11 years of his career, is the only running back to compile 100 yards receiving in a Super Bowl (and was the first person to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl), and was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1988. I seriously don't get it. What am I missing? Roger Craig's a Hall of Famer to me.
3. Kent Hull: Four players from those great Bills teams from the early '90s are already in the Hall of Fame, and they'll probably remain the only four Hall of Famers from those teams for a while. I'd argue there are several others from those squads that are Hall of Fame-worthy, but perhaps none more so than the late Kent Hull. The center on those teams, he anchored the offensive line that let Jim Kelly operate the K-Gun and Thurman Thomas run wild for all those years. He played 11 years in Buffalo, was a team captain, and started 121 consecutive games from 1986-93, including all four Super Bowls.
4. Jim Plunkett: Ken Stabler's Hall of Fame candidacy was obviously a hot topic when he passed away a few weeks ago, but the Raiders quarterback I think is more deserving of a place in Canton is Jim Plunkett. He's the only eligible quarterback to start and win two Super Bowls that isn't yet in the Hall of Fame. I'm not saying that winning the Super Bowl should automatically get you a bust (Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson were both Super Bowl-winning starting quarterbacks), but winning two in a four-year period should warrant further consideration. Plunkett's career numbers aren't great (he had more interceptions than touchdowns, and is career completion percentage is just over 50 percent) and he was never elected to the Pro Bowl. But, he went 8-2 in the playoffs during his career, and the 1980 Raiders became the first wild card team to win a Super Bowl, with Plunkett earning MVP honors in the win over the Eagles.
5. Ottis Anderson: One of the most underrated players in NFL history, Ottis Anderson played for the St. Louis Cardinals for most of his career, which is probably why he didn't have greater notoriety. He rushed for 1,000 yards five times in his first six seasons and didn't in 1982 only because of the strike. That season, the Cardinals made the playoffs for the only time in a 24-year span from 1975-98. He's the franchise's all-time leading rusher. Anderson then moved on to the Giants, where he won a Super Bowl ring in 1986 (scoring a touchdown). He then became the starter, won Comeback Player of the Year honors in 1989 and was MVP of Super Bowl XXV. He's one of only four running backs in NFL history to score a touchdown in two different Super Bowls and win a Super Bowl MVP. When he retired, Anderson was seventh all time in rushing TDs and eighth in rushing yards, and he's still 18th (TDs) and 26th (yards).
6. L.C. Greenwood: Yes, there are a lot of members of the Steel Curtain defense already in the Hall of Fame. Doesn't mean there are more that could be. Before he died, L.C. Greenwood said that he wouldn't be upset if he weren't elected because he felt all the Steelers already in the Hall represent the entire team. But that doesn't mean L.C. Greenwood and his gold shoes don't deserve a bust alongside Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and the others. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro who was on the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1970s. Greenwood wasn't as celebrated as his Steelers teammates, but he was just as vital to the dynasty's success.
7. Andy Russell: Another Steel Curtain member noticeably absent from Canton is Andy Russell. He retired in 1976, so he was only there for two of them, and certainly wasn't as in your face as the two Jacks (Lambert and Ham) on either side of him. But Russell was there for the lean years that preceded the Steelers' dynasty and was actually their defensive captain during the first two Super Bowls. Russell was also a seven-time Pro Bowler, First Team All-Pro in 1975 and three-time Second Team All-Pro. I don't think all 11 Steel Curtain starters should be in the Hall of Fame, but I would like to see two more.
8. Jake Scott: Safety is one of the most underrepresented positions in the Hall of Fame. There are only seven full-time safeties (not counting guys like Ronnie Lott and Rod Woodson who started as corners, then moved in later in their careers) who've been elected, and there likely won't be another until Ed Reed gets in. But I'd argue that Jake Scott should. Part of that "No-Name Defense" (maybe that's the problem, they don't know who he is), he was only other player in Dolphins history to wear No. 13 (some guy named Marino did, too). Nine seasons, five consecutive Pro Bowls, two All-Pro selections (1973, 1974), 49 career interceptions. He was the MVP of Super Bowl VII, recording two interceptions to cap Miami's perfect season. Scott then had two fumble recoveries in Super Bowl VIII, as the Dolphins defended their title.
9. John Taylor: John Taylor wasn't Jerry Rice. Everybody knows that. But he was John Stallworth to Rice's Lynn Swann. They were both made better because the other was so good (kind of like Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne). Taylor was even more valuable because he was also the 49ers' punt returner. He actually holds Super Bowl records for most punt return yards and highest average. But another Super Bowl play is his greatest legacy--the 10-yard TD catch with 23 seconds left to win Super Bowl XXIII. Taylor ended up winning three rings in San Francisco and was a two-time All-Pro return man. His receiving numbers would've been greater if he was the No. 1 receiver on his team, but when you're the No. 2 receiver behind Jerry Rice, that's not really a knock.
10. Joe Jacoby: Lastly, we've got Joe Jacoby. Russ Grimm is the only member of that vaunted "Hogs" offensive line that already has a bust, and I'd like to see Jacoby get one, as well. He held down right tackle for 13 seasons, through all four starting quarterbacks and all three Super Bowl wins. In two of those games, the Redskins set Super Bowl records for rushing. They had 276 yards as a team in Super Bowl XVII, then broke that mark with 280 against the Broncos in Super Bowl XXII. Jacoby was a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, and he was on the 1980s All-Decade Team.
There are obviously plenty of others who could also be on this list, but these 10 I wouldn't think twice about. Hopefully the Hall of Fame's doors are eventually opened for all of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment