by Tony | Mar 10, 2015 | Hall of Fame
Half an hour ago (ok, the news leaked yesterday), Patrick Willis shocked the football world when he retired after eight years in the league.
As I sit hear watching NFL Network, they are having the same debate that was my first thought–was Patrick Willis a Hall of Famer?
We’ll update this post in a few minutes, but we wanted to start getting comments from our Hall of Fame community, since we think this is amongst the most informed Hall of Fame communities online…
Willis was a starter for the 49ers from Day one after being selected 11th overall in 2007, after a strong performance at the NFL Combine.
He amassed an incredible 174 tackles in his rookie season, along with four sacks. Over his first seven seasons, he only missed six games, and he compiled over 900 tackles and 20.5 sacks. In 2014, he ended his season after six games due to an injury to his toe that required surgery.
In his career, he was named to 7 Pro Bowls, voted first team All-Pro five times (and one second team), led the NFL in tackles twice, was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, was a three time NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year (whatever that is), was twice named the 49ers MVP, and was in the NFL Top 100 as named by NFL Network each year since they started naming the list in 2011.
(more…)
by Tony | Mar 7, 2015 | 10's, By the Numbers, Hall of Fame, NFL History
Nearly a year later, and we’re finally back with our latest number segment. In the last 358 odd days, a lot has happened—including a certain popular pro football website absconding with our idea. Of course, they actually pay their writers, so they’ve already made it quite a bit further (maybe even all the way) than we have with five numbers in three years…
Of course, our posts our still better. And the original.
Interestingly enough, when I Googled their site to see if I could find an example, the first one I came across just happened to be the same number that we randomly drew today—the number 14.
There have been a lot of famous players to wear #14 in the history of the NFL, including Hall of Famers (and the best #25 in NFL History) Fred Biletnikoff, who wore #14 for the first two years of his career, Curly Lambeau, who was better known as #1 (according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame) and as the Packers owner/coach than a player, and John “Blood” McNally who apparently wore whatever number he could find.
As for players who wore (or are wearing) #14 as their primary number, here’s the best: (more…)
by Andy | Jan 31, 2015 | Hall of Fame
The late Junior Seau highlights the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Charger and Patriots great is the lone first-year eligible enshrinee. He’ll be joined by seven others, including senior candidate Mick Tingelhoff and two contributors in the first year that category has existed: Ron Wolf and Bill Polian, both of whom built multi championship teams.
Other enshrinees will include: Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Will Shields and Charles Haley.
The selections mean that despite having four semifinalists, the Greatest Show on Turf – including first timers Kurt Warner and Orlando Pace – were left out of the final selection. Three coaches – Jimmy Johnson, Tony Dungy and Don Coryell – were also not selected.
Marvin Harrison was another notable candidate not selected. Harrison, Pace, Warner, Tony Dungy and Kevin Greene were the final five modern era candidates eliminated from consideration by Hall voters. (more…)
by Andy | Jan 31, 2015 | Hall of Fame
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings
We’re mere hours from learning who will make the cut for Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2015. At a minimum, this year’s senior candidate has plenty of support.
Shortly after learning in mid-2014 that Mick Tingelhoff had been by the Hall of Fame’s senior committee as its lone candidate, long-time Packers defensive end Willie Davis indicated that he was surprised.
But he did not mean that as a slight in any way against the 17-year Vikings great.
“I thought he was already in and couldn’t believe that he wasn’t.” Davis says. (more…)
by Andy | Jan 8, 2015 | Hall of Fame
Two members of the St. Louis Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf era survived the cut down from 26
Courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
semifinalists to 15 finalists eligible for this year’s class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Kurt Warner and Orlando Pace along with San Diego LB Junior Seau are first-time eligible candidates who advance to the next round of votes.
They join 12 more modern-era candidates who will be voted on during the weekend of the Super Bowl.
The 12 are: (more…)
by Andy | Nov 18, 2014 | Hall of Fame
Four St. Louis Rams are among eight first-time eligible candidates who were named by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters as semifinalists for the class of 2015. Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Orlando Pace were part of the “Greatest Show on Turf” that won a Super Bowl and played in another during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The other four first-timers named semifinalists were Edgerrin James, Kevin Mawae, Junior Seau and Ty Law, rounding out a class
Courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
that voter Dan Pompei called one of the strongest first-year eligible classes in a long time.
The NFL Network unveiled those eight and 18 more candidates who remain alive as semifinalists on Tuesday night during an hour-long special.
While it’s a strong first-year class, those candidates don’t have an easy ride to induction. Most see Seau as a lock and several more say Warner and Pace are likely candidates, as well, but their cases for enshrinement in their first years of eligibility are less certain. And they face tremendous competition among the 18 semifinalists who are beyond their first years of eligibility. (more…)
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not a problem at all tony P glad to explain all and yes brian w hopefully its ken andersons turn…
ok thanks.
Seniors will be picked towards November or early December, I believe?
3 senior players tony P
Are we talking about 3 contributors against Belichick? Art Rooney Jr. , Rooney Arledge and John McVay. Maybe I don't…