by Andy | Aug 27, 2013 | Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame voters charged with selecting the honorees for 2014 may think they made their job easier by selecting Cris Carter as part of the 2013 class. But the strong first-year candidacy of retired Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison means they’ll be trying yet again to break a logjam at that position.
Carter emerged as the first of three solid candidates – Andre Reed and Tim Brown being the others – who seemed to cancel each other out for years before the 2013 class was announced.
Who they’ll choose between the trio of Harrison, Brown and Reed is just one of the questions that the panel will face as another strong group becomes eligible for the first time.
So who joins senior candidates Ray Guy and Claude Humphrey as the 15 finalists who’ll be debated before the Super Bowl? Then who will the committee ultimately honor with gold jackets in Canton, Ohio next August?
A guess at the 2014 class starts with a look at the 2013 finalists and who were ultimately not selected to the Hall’s 2013 class. Those who survived the cut down from 15 to 10 were Michael Strahan, Jerome Bettis, Charles Haley, Andre Reed and Aeneas Williams.
I go back and forth on Bettis’ qualifications at times, given that for the last few years of his career he was really a short yardage and goal line complement to guys like Willie Parker. But he did have six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, make six Pro Bowls and finish his career 13,662 rushing yards, which still ranks him sixth all-time. Strahan, I am guessing, missed out because the voters selected Warren Sapp instead. The other three are multi-time finalists. So let’s start with the assumption that all five of these guys will rejoin at least the round of 15.
The five candidates who made finalist status but did not crack the final 10 were Tim Brown, Will Shields, Kevin Greene and two owners, Ed DeBartolo and Art Modell. Let’s start with Shields. There probably isn’t a current day candidate out there that I think more warrants induction than him. In addition to the fact that he played the glory-less position of guard (where even Randall McDaniel had to wait three years for election), he’s had the unfortunate bad luck to be eligible in the same years that Willie Roaf and Dermontti Dawson were selected in 2012 and Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden made it in 2013. Shields will get inducted and, with McDaniel as a barometer, I think this is his year. (more…)
by Andy | Aug 21, 2013 | Hall of Fame
With the class of 2013 enshrined in Canton, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s senior committee Wednesday got started on naming its class of 2014.
Ray Guy, the Oakland punter who earned seven Pro Bowl nominations, three First Team All Pro awards and spots on both the team of the 1970s and the 75th anniversary team, was joined by Atlanta defensive end Claude Humphrey, a six-time Pro Bowler who was All Pro twice in his 13 years.
Guy has been a finalist seven times. He is bound to be the more controversial of the two candidates because he is a punter. Supporters say his ability to boom high punts with long hang time reduced potential returns and allowed the Raiders to play a field position game previously unseen in the NFL. Detractors point to a low net average and say guys like Tommy Davis or Jerrel Wilson were equal or better to Guy.
Humphrey, a three-time finalist, is an oft-mentioned name on this site. Though he was just All Pro First Team twice, his Pro Football Reference page also indicates he won AP All Conference honors several additional times. (more…)
by Andy | Aug 7, 2013 | Hall of Fame
With the 2013 induction ceremony in the books, it’s time to start looking into who the 2014 class will include. The list of modern-era nominees is likely a ways off, but the senior committee will likely be announcing its pair of contenders sometime within the next few weeks.
The Pro Football Researchers Association, led by Ken Crippen, plans to promote four candidates:
Al Wistert, an offensive tackle who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1943 to 1951. Pro Football Reference lists him as a one-time Pro Bowler and a four-time First Team All-Pro on the Associated Press list. His overall resume is even more decorated when you take into accounts organizations like United Press International, Pro Football Illustrated and others.
Laverne “Lavvie” Dilweg, an end with the Milwaukee Badgers in 1926 and the Green Bay Packers from 1927 to 1934. Dilweg was an AP First Team All Pro five times and he graded out well compared with the best players of the era, including Don Hutson, according to a fact sheet published by the PFWA.
Frederick Wayman “Duke” Slater, a tackle who played 10 years of pro football after a stellar college career at the University of Iowa. He played for the Badgers in 1922 and then with Rock Island Independents from 1922 to 1926 and then joined the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL as one of just five black players in the league. He lasted in the NFL through 1931, often as the only African American player in the league. He participated in a game during which Ernie Nevers scored six touchdowns and achieved All-Pro status six times, though his playing days preceded the Associated Press list.
Mac Speedie, an end with Cleveland during a seven-year run from 1946 to 1952. Speedie was a two-time Pro Bowler and a three-time AP All Pro first teamer who led the league in catches four times in that span. (more…)
by Tony | Jun 4, 2013 | 80's, By the Numbers, Hall of Fame
We’re going from a not very impressive list of players who are competing to be the Best #25 in NFL history to one of the most storied numbers in league history.
The #80 rivals the #81 as perhaps the deepest and most competitive jersey digit the league’s teams have ever handed out.
Of course one stands out: Jerry Rice. But with the induction of Cris Carter later this summer, there will be eight players in the Hall of Fame that wore #80 as their primary number, which appears to be the most for a single number.
And there are several more on the list who might eventually find their way to Canton.
The best players in NFL History to wear #80 include: (more…)
by Andy | May 22, 2013 | Hall of Fame
Brian Urlacher announced his retirement Wednesday morning via a statement linked to his Twitter account and in so doing, he joins a parade of former NFL stars who have called it quits before the 2013 kicks off in a couple of months.
Urlacher indicated that while he could continue playing “I’m not sure I would bring a level of performance or passion that’s up to my standards.”
Photo credit: Wikipedia user Jauerback
While I can’t speak to his passion, it was clear to anyone watching the last couple seasons that he is no longer the player he was when he arrived in the Chicago 13 seasons ago. So even though there were rumors of interest in his services from Minnesota and Denver, I suspect his decision to retire may have had something to do with a weak market for his services.
Nonetheless, he leaves the league a highly decorated star. He and Ray Lewis, who announced during the 2012 season that it would be his last, both exit as franchise cornerstone linebacker superstar players who lasted double-digit seasons with just one team.
Congratulations to Urlacher, who now only has to wait to see when he should show up in Canton for his inevitable induction and enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In a typical year, Urlacher’s eight Pro Bowl appearances, four first-team Associated Press All Pro awards and 1,052 tackles (according to Pro Football Reference’s stats) would make him a fairly sure bet to be a first ballot enshrinee. He also was a member of the Team of the 2000s. (more…)
by Tony | May 21, 2013 | Hall of Fame
From the quotes offered up by Pro Football Hall of Fame Vice President of Communications and Exhibits Joe Horrigan this may technically be in the category of “Non-News News,” but the Hall of Fame appears to be considering changing the process for the election of Contributors to the game.
The change would presumably remove owners, broadcasters and other personnel (and possibly even coaches) from the regular voting process that elects players into the Hall. This would remove the need to figure out how to compare a Steve Sabol or Paul Tagliabue to a Ray Lewis or Ronde Barber, a difficult (if not impossible) task. Only three of the last 40 modern era inductees elected since 2006 have been “Contributors”–Ralph Wilson Jr. in 2009, Ed Sabol in 2011, and Bill Parcells in 2013.
What may make this non-news, though, is that it appears it isn’t the first time the idea has come up:
“I can’t tell you we’re real close to a solution, but as we do every year, we do discuss the possibility,” Horrigan told Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
This could make for an interesting scenario where in theory an individual could come up for election as both a player and as a contributor–Mike Ditka and Dick LeBeau being two players inducted who some might argue could gain election as coaches. However, whether the “Contributor” label was technically a separate wing in Canton, or the individual just got a second bust (one in their youth as a player, one more aged as a coach (just envision Ditka’s bust with a cigar and/or Ricky Williams dreadlocks), would seem amenable to me.
What say you, Zoneblitz faithful? Separate category for contributors, or leave well enough alone? Vote below and give us your thoughts in the comments…
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