* indicates first year of eligibility
** indicates former hall of fame finalist
STEVE ATWATER
Accomplishments: 8x Pro Bowl selection (1990-1996, 1998); 2x 1st Team All-Pro (1991-1992); NFL 1990s All-Decade Team (1st Team); 2x Super Bowl champion (1997-1998); 1,000 Tackles Club
Pros: Steve Atwater was the hard-hitting safety of the 90s, transitioning nicely from the Ronnie Lott years with the 49ers of the 80s. Atwater recorded 100 or more tackles five straight years to start his career. He was also very dependable, starting every game he played in except for one in his final year, and playing all 16 games six times. He only missed nine games, playing in 167 of a possible 176 games (94.9%).
Pros: Steve Atwater was the hard-hitting safety of the 90s, transitioning nicely from the Ronnie Lott years with the 49ers of the 80s. Atwater recorded 100 or more tackles five straight years to start his career. He was also very dependable, starting every game he played in except for one in his final year, and playing all 16 games six times. He only missed nine games, playing in 167 of a possible 176 games (94.9%).
Cons: Other than tackles, Atwater's stats aren't exceptional. He recorded only 24 interceptions, forced 6 fumbles and recorded 5 sacks. Pro-Football Reference doesn't compile pass deflections until 2001, so I don't know if Atwater did well in that area (I have to imagine he was good). Looking at AV, Atwater only had three double digit seasons, with most of the rest of his seasons being good, not great.
Overall: Atwater might fall into the "great player, not hall of fame worthy" category. His momentum has steadily increased, making it to the the semi-finals in the last two years. Plus he was on two Super Bowl teams, which might help his stock. I think he may go in at some point, but like his teammate Rod Smith, he'll likely only get there if there aren't any other viable candidates for hall voters to go with.
HoF Projection: Slim Chance
DERRICK BROOKS* (LB)
Accomplishments: 11x Pro Bowl selection (1997-2006, 2008); 5x 1st Team All-Pro (1999-2000, 2002, 2004-2005), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team (1st Team); AP Defensive Player of the Year (2002); Super Bowl champion (2002), 1,000 Tackles Club
Pros: God damn, what a great player! The Buccaneers of his era had Warren Sapp, John Lynch and Ronde Barber, and Brooks may have been better than all of them. He forced at least 2 fumbles in seven seasons, recorded at least 90 tackles eight times (including 100 five times), and had 25 interceptions (pretty good for a linebacker). He played every possible game of his career (224) and started all but three of them. If you pay attention to AV, Brooks had double digits in eleven (!) seasons. Plus, he was Defensive Player of the Year in 1999 and won a Super Bowl. Christ!
Cons: What do you really expect me to say? Anything I can come up with would be nitpicking at best.
Overall: Brooks is the most sure fire sure fire candidate there is. I fully expect him to join his longtime teammate Warren Sapp in the hall come 2014.
HoF Projection: Slam Dunk
TEDY BRUSCHI* (LB)
Accomplishments: Pro Bowl selection (2004); AP Comeback Player of the Year (2005); 3x Super Bowl champion (2001, 2003-2004)
Pros: Bruschi was the unquestioned defensive leader on the great Patriots teams of the early Belieck era. He won three Super Bowls and contributed to the 16-0 season that was a freak David Tyree catch away from completing a 19-0 season. He was one of the most respected players of his era.
Pros: Bruschi was the unquestioned defensive leader on the great Patriots teams of the early Belieck era. He won three Super Bowls and contributed to the 16-0 season that was a freak David Tyree catch away from completing a 19-0 season. He was one of the most respected players of his era.
Cons: Man this is going to be a long list. Bruschi stats are abysmal from a hall of fame perspective. He never topped 100 tackles in a season, and that's the bread and butter of middle linebackers. He's got 30.5 career sacks, which is good for a middle linebacker, and 12 interceptions which is decent. AV onlookers will note that he only had two seasons with double digits. None of these numbers jump off the page.
Overall: Bruschi was by no means a bad player. He was very good. That he came back from a stroke and still played well is absolutely inspiring. But does that translate into a hall of fame nod? No.
HoF Projection: Slim Chance (only because I think hall voters will really take a shine to Patriots Super Bowl players)
DONNIE EDWARDS* (LB)
Accomplishments: Pro Bowl selection (2002)
Pros: Edwards was quietly productive on a bunch of Chiefs and Chargers teams that didn't do a whole lot in the postseason. He recorded 100 or more tackles six times, forced at least two fumbles in four seasons, intercepted 28 passes in his career, and recorded 23.5 sacks (not bad for a middle linebacker). From 1997 to 2007 he missed only one game.
Pros: Edwards was quietly productive on a bunch of Chiefs and Chargers teams that didn't do a whole lot in the postseason. He recorded 100 or more tackles six times, forced at least two fumbles in four seasons, intercepted 28 passes in his career, and recorded 23.5 sacks (not bad for a middle linebacker). From 1997 to 2007 he missed only one game.
Cons: Edwards was quietly productive on a bunch of Chiefs and Chargers teams that didn't do a whole lot in the postseason. That's his greatest detriment. That and the fact that Edwards wasn't a consistently dominant player. He'd have a great year, then a decent year. Then he'd have another great year, then a couple good years. Not a really big hall of fame track record.
Overall: Edwards played the same position as Tedy Bruschi and they both played for the same length over the same years (1996-2008). Edwards also has just as many Pro Bowl selections as Bruschi (one). Edwards was ultimately the better player from a statistical standpoint. In fact, he utterly blows most of Bruschi's numbers out of the water. Ultimately, Edwards was a great player on teams that won't be remembered outside their respective fanbases. I think anonymity will be his greatest detriment, but also the fact that he wasn't really all that dominant.
HoF Projection: Slim Chance
LA'ROI GLOVER* (DT)
1996 Oakland Raiders, 1997-2001 New Orleans Saints,
2002-2005 Dallas Cowboys, 2006-2008 St. Louis Rams
2002-2005 Dallas Cowboys, 2006-2008 St. Louis Rams
Accomplishments: 6x Pro Bowl selection (2000-2005); 1st Team All-Pro (2000); NFL 2000s All-Decade Team (2nd Team)
Pros: What great player does La'Roi Glover compare favorably to? Try Warren Sapp on for size. Most of La'Roi Glover's careers stats are all slightly below but right in line with Sapp's. He has three less forced fumbles (16 to Sapp's 19), played in five fewer games (193/198), had two less interceptions (2/4), and recorded two fewer tackles (436/438). He had 83.5 sacks in his career which is fantastic for a defensive tackle. And speaking of sacks, he led the damn league in sacks in 2000 with 17. Did I mention he was a defensive tackle?
Pros: What great player does La'Roi Glover compare favorably to? Try Warren Sapp on for size. Most of La'Roi Glover's careers stats are all slightly below but right in line with Sapp's. He has three less forced fumbles (16 to Sapp's 19), played in five fewer games (193/198), had two less interceptions (2/4), and recorded two fewer tackles (436/438). He had 83.5 sacks in his career which is fantastic for a defensive tackle. And speaking of sacks, he led the damn league in sacks in 2000 with 17. Did I mention he was a defensive tackle?
Cons: Anonymity for one. Real life anecdote: In putting together these articles, I searched for pictures for all fifty people I'm profiling. All of these searches resulted in hundreds of results, except for La'Roi Glover. My search function netted a whopping two pictures of him, one of which was during his time with the Rams at the end of his career (which wasn't a good picture) and another of him in a suit (and I'm not even sure it was La'Roi Glover in the suit). So up there, the picture you see of him is off of his Wikipedia page. I swear to God, that was the only good picture I found of him. This is a guy who played in the NFL for 13 seasons (and for the God damn Cowboys, even!) and went to six straight Pro Bowls. You almost have to try to not have a notable profile with a career like that, but there he is, two pictures of him on a modern internet search engine.
Overall: Glover was a great defensive tackle, and if you're just behind Warren Sapp in career stats, that's good enough for me as far as hall of fame consideration is concerned. But the fact that he doesn't seem to have a big profile even with his numbers and awards, I don't like his chances while not completely dismissing them.
HoF Projection: Maybe
KEVIN GREENE** (LB)
1996, 1998-1999 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers
Accomplishments: 5x Pro Bowl selection (1989, 1994-1996, 1998); 2x 1st Team All-Pro (1994, 1996); 100 Sacks Club
Pros: Damn it all, if Kevin Greene could sack guys. Greene recorded a whopping 160 sacks during his fifteen year career, the third most in history. In fact, he is currently the only player in the top four in sacks who isn't in the hall of fame. Green also helped the teams he was on be better than they would've been without him. Would the Rams have been as good in the late 80s without him? No. Would the Steelers have broken through as AFC contenders in the mid 90s after a long lull in the 80s without him? No. Would the Carolina Panthers, in their second season mind you, have won their division and make it to the NFC Championship Game without him or Sam Mills? No. No. How can't he be in the hall of fame?
Pros: Damn it all, if Kevin Greene could sack guys. Greene recorded a whopping 160 sacks during his fifteen year career, the third most in history. In fact, he is currently the only player in the top four in sacks who isn't in the hall of fame. Green also helped the teams he was on be better than they would've been without him. Would the Rams have been as good in the late 80s without him? No. Would the Steelers have broken through as AFC contenders in the mid 90s after a long lull in the 80s without him? No. Would the Carolina Panthers, in their second season mind you, have won their division and make it to the NFC Championship Game without him or Sam Mills? No. No. How can't he be in the hall of fame?
Cons: Greene's a weird ass guy. He spent some of his later offseasons risking serious injury by wrestling a bit in WCW (hey, remember WCW?). Beyond his odd habits, Greene could be difficult to deal with, having notable disputes and short stays with the Carolina Panthers in 1996 and the San Francisco 49ers in 1997 (he returned to the Panthers in 1998). Also, he once choked his position coach in the middle of a game. Probably didn't help his case there.
Overall: Greene was one of the best linebackers of the late 80s and 90s. The fact that he hasn't made it yet is beyond dumb. He's made the finals in the last two years, so his time may be coming. But to get there, he needs to get past another hall snub with character concerns...
HoF Projection: Pretty Good
CHARLES HALEY** (LB)
1986-1991, 1998-1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-1996 Dallas Cowboys
Accomplishments: 5x Pro Bowl selection (1988, 1990-1991, 1994-1995); 2x 1st Team All-Pro (1990, 1994); 5x Super Bowl champion (1988-1989, 1992-1993, 1995); 100 Sack Club
Pros: Haley was a superb defensive player who helped the teams he was on win a combined five Super Bowls, the most a single player has ever won. He forced at least one fumble in his first eleven seasons and recorded double digit sacks in six seasons. He was one of the top players on the defensive side of the ball in the late 80s and 90s.
Pros: Haley was a superb defensive player who helped the teams he was on win a combined five Super Bowls, the most a single player has ever won. He forced at least one fumble in his first eleven seasons and recorded double digit sacks in six seasons. He was one of the top players on the defensive side of the ball in the late 80s and 90s.
Cons: Haley has a reputation for being a legendary asshole. He was generally unpleasant to media members, fellow teammates, coaches, etc. He'd basically walk around like he was king shit of the world, pissing in people's cars, wiping his ass then throwing the violated t.p. at a coach, and openly masturbated in the locker room. Allegedly. To not make it to the hall of fame with his numbers and accomplishments, he must have pissed off every human on Earth at some point. Um, yep.
Overall: Haley belongs in the hall, even with all the baggage he brought with him. He's been a finalist four years in a row, so his time is probably coming. Plus, if Haley's former teammate Michael Irvin can get into the hall after his life and career of coke fueled douchebaggery, then Charles Haley's probably got a good shot.
HoF Projection: Pretty Good
RODNEY HARRISON* (DB)
Accomplishments: 2x Pro Bowl selection (1998, 2001); 2x 1st Team All-Pro (1998, 2003); 2x Super Bowl champion (2003-2004)
Pros: Rodney Harrison, like Steve Atwater and Ronnie Lott before him, was a hard hitting safety. He was the first player in NFL history to record at least 30 sacks and 30 interceptions. He was also a huge boon to the Patriots teams he was on, intercepting 4 passes in the 2004 playoffs. His hard hitting style led to the tune of at least 90 tackles in six seasons.
Pros: Rodney Harrison, like Steve Atwater and Ronnie Lott before him, was a hard hitting safety. He was the first player in NFL history to record at least 30 sacks and 30 interceptions. He was also a huge boon to the Patriots teams he was on, intercepting 4 passes in the 2004 playoffs. His hard hitting style led to the tune of at least 90 tackles in six seasons.
Cons: Like Atwater, Harrison's numbers outside of tackling aren't very impressive, and even then, he didn't reach the 1,000 tackle milestone that Atwater did. Harrison also achieved a reputation as a dirty player, being fined numerous times over his career for flagrant hits. He also had a problem with durability, playing in 186 of a possible 224 games (just 77.5%).
Overall: Harrison was a real help to the Patriots teams of the 2000s and the fact that he was so productive for two Super Bowl winning teams will definitely help his cause. He might run into some road blocks concerning his reputation and relative lack of eye-popping stats, but being an active part in a dynasty will likely win out.
HoF Projection: Pretty Good
JOE KLECKO (DT)
Accomplishments: 4x Pro Bowl selection (1981, 1983-1985); 2x 1st Team All-Pro (1981, 1985)
Pros: Klecko was one of the best players on the Jets defenses of the 80s, often the better side of the ball compared to the anemic offenses the Jets trotted out. Klecko also was one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL at his peak. He was also pretty durable for an interior defensive lineman, playing 155 of a possible 182 games (85.2%).
Pros: Klecko was one of the best players on the Jets defenses of the 80s, often the better side of the ball compared to the anemic offenses the Jets trotted out. Klecko also was one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL at his peak. He was also pretty durable for an interior defensive lineman, playing 155 of a possible 182 games (85.2%).
Cons: Sacks, deflected passes, and tackles didn't become recognized stats until 1982, 2001 and 2000 respectively, and Pro-Football Reference doesn't even have estimates for those categories on Klecko's page. As such, it's back to the AV well, and it's not exactly great shakes for him. Klecko compiled three double digit AV seasons in five years, but outside of those years, he didn't put up very impressive numbers.
Overall: Klecko may have been the premier defensive tackle in the AFC during his career, but it hasn't really translated into hall of fame consideration. Klecko has never reached the finals or semi-finals, and if he does get in, it likely won't be as a modern candidate.
HoF Projection: Not This Year
Four groups down, three more to go. Tomorrow we'll take a look at the second half of the defensive players.
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