* indicates first year of eligibility
** indicates former hall of fame finalist
MORTEN ANDERSEN (K)
2001 New York Giants, 2002-2003 Kansas City Chiefs, 2004 Minnesota Vikings
Accomplishments: 7x Pro Bowl selection (1985-1988, 1990, 1992, 1995); 3x 1st Team All-Pro (1986-1987, 1995); NFL 1980s All-Decade Team (1st Team); NFL 1990s All-Decade Team (1st Team); 500 Field Goals Made Club
Pros: When it comes to great kickers, Morten Andersen is pretty much the gold standard. No one has scored more points in pro football history than him. No one has kicked more field goals or made more than him. No player has played more games than him. He is arguably the greatest kicker to ever play.
Cons: He's a kicker. Despite the fact that special teams makes up a solid third of the game of football, only one pure special teams player has been inducted (Jan Stenerud back in 1991). If Andersen had been on offense or defense and had been as productive as he was, he'd be a sure fire hall of famer. Because he had the temerity to play special teams, his road to Canton might be rather bumpy.
Overall: If the hall of fame truly is a Pro Football Hall of Fame, more special teams players should be in. Anderson is a prime candidate for induction. He's got the numbers, the longevity and the honors that go with a bust and gold jacket. But I feel that voters won't put him on a ballot because they'd be taking away a vote for a "real player." Either they should amend the voting procedures that give special teams players their own category independent of modern candidates and the veteran's committee, or they should just put him in since he, you know, deserves it. But sadly, I don't see either happening any time soon.
HoF Projection: Slim Chance
RAY GUY** (P)
Accomplishments: 7x Pro Bowl selection (1973-1978, 1980); 3x 1st Team All-Pro (1976-1978); NFL 1970s All-Decade Team (1st Team); 1,000 Punts Club
Pros: Speaking of great special teams players, Ray Guy is considered the Morten Andersen of punters (or rather, Morten Andersen is seen as the Ray Guy of kickers). Guy was the greatest punter of his day, and his numbers are still in the top 20 to this day. He was also considered to be a major reason for why the Raiders were so successful during his run, with seven conference finals appearances and three Super Bowl wins. Not bad for a punter.
Cons: Beyond the whole "he's a punter" thing, Guy's career is fairly short for someone at his position. It's not uncommon to see kickers and punters approach or surpass twenty seasons, but Guy played fourteen. Still a long time, but not long by usual standards.
Overall: Another guy (no pun intended) who should be in the hall of fame. Guy has actually gotten a great deal of support in the past, making the finals seven times between 1992 and 2008. But he hasn't made the finals in five tries and hasn't made the semi-finals in the last two years. I think his window may have closed as far as being a modern inductee goes, and barring the hall of fame taking up my idea above, I don't see him making it in other than through the veteran's committee.
HoF Projection: Not This Year
DANTE HALL* (R)
2000-2006 Kansas City Chiefs, 2007-2008 St. Louis Rams
Accomplishments: 2x Pro Bowl selection (2002-2003); 1st Team All-Pro (2003); NFL 2000s All-Decade Team (1st and 2nd Teams); 10,000 Kick Return Yards Club
Pros: Before Devin Hester became the best return man in NFL history, Dante Hall was the go to guy as far as great returners go. Hall is in the top 5 in most return categories, led the league in kick return yards in 2004, and is one of five players in history to accumulate 10,000 or more kick yards in their careers.
Pros: Before Devin Hester became the best return man in NFL history, Dante Hall was the go to guy as far as great returners go. Hall is in the top 5 in most return categories, led the league in kick return yards in 2004, and is one of five players in history to accumulate 10,000 or more kick yards in their careers.
Cons: Hall had a very short window as a game breaking player. He was pretty much done as an elite returner after 2005, and his career was over after 2008. Also, no pure return man has ever made the hall of fame.
Overall: My idea for special teams having their own category would really benefit Hall, but other than that, I don't see voters giving him much of a look. He might, might make the semi-finals, but I don't see him going any further than that.
HoF Projection: Not This Year
ART MODELL** (CON)
Pros: Modell is credited as being the driving force behind negotiating the lucrative TV deals for the NFL, which resulted in the creation of Monday Night Football and ultimately paved the way for the NFL becoming the dominant sport in the United States. Like George Halas and the Rooney family, Modell had preference towards his team, but ultimately made decisions based on what was best for the NFL as a whole (hint: that's a good thing). He was a strong, influential owner for over forty years, and the NFL wouldn't look quite the way it does today without him.
Cons: Do I really have to mention anything other than moving the Browns? For a quick history lesson for those not in the know, go here. For those not willing to click that link: Modell uprooted the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore after the 1995 season, where they became the Ravens. The Ravens shared no history with the Browns, effectively becoming its own franchise despite fifty years of being the Browns. The current Browns are an expansion team that shares the uniforms and history of the former Browns, which are now the Ravens, who share no history with the Browns. Got that? I don't believe you. Naturally, moving one of the most iconic franchises in NFL history caused quite a stir. Modell has been persona non grata in Cleveland and pretty much everywhere else except Baltimore ever since.
Overall: Modell should be in the hall of fame, but the Browns move is a real sticking point. That's pretty much like if the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. ...Wait. But you get my point. That was a reputation destroying decision. Modell never received any support until this past year, the first ballot to go out after his death. That may have been the last hurrah as far as his support goes. He may still get in... eventually. But I can understand why he's been kept out.
HoF Projection: Slim Chance
PAUL TAGLIABUE (CON)
Pros: Tagliabue, besides having a really fun name to say, expanded the NFL from 28 teams to 32. There were also no player strikes during his career, unlike his predecessor Pete Rozelle, who oversaw two in five years near the end of his run. Basically, he did his job very well.
Cons: Tagliabue... didn't really do anything remarkable. I mean, he was good at his job, but he wasn't a compelling presence like Pete Rozelle was, and didn't build the NFL into the number one sport in America like Rozelle did. He was just really efficient.
Overall: Paul Tagliabue is like the Bill Clinton of NFL commissioners; he largely did a good job, the NFL was very prosperous under his watch, and nothing really bad happened in his tenure. Is that worthy of a hall of fame induction? Eh, I don't know. He might get looked at harder due to the fact that there were no player lockouts in his run, but other than that, he didn't really do anything eye popping.
HoF Projection: Maybe
STEVE TASKER (R)
Accomplishments: 7x Pro Bowl selection (1987, 1990-1995)
Pros: Tasker was one of the better return men in the NFL in the 90s. He was an effective cog in the Bills machine when they went to four straight Super Bowls.
Pros: Tasker was one of the better return men in the NFL in the 90s. He was an effective cog in the Bills machine when they went to four straight Super Bowls.
Cons: Tasker's reputation for being a great return man might be a bit overstated. None of his stats are impressive in the least, from a hall of fame standard or any standard really. Most damningly, he never scored a return touchdown.
Overall: No.
HoF Projection: Not This Year
GEORGE YOUNG (CON)
1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 NFL
Pros: Young was the general manager of the Giants that was responsible for stopping them from sucking. He drafted players like Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, William Roberts, Jeff Hostetler and Mark Bavaro, picked up players like Ottis Anderson, and hired Bill Parcells as head coach. For those keeping track with just the names I listed here, that's two Super Bowl MVPs, an all time great linebacker, players who played key roles in successful teams, and a Super Bowl winning coach. The Giants made the playoffs eight times with Young at the helm, after going almost twenty years of mostly losing seasons and no postseason appearances.
Cons: Young didn't exactly draft a bunch of hall of famers other than Lawrence Taylor. He mostly drafted good, even great players, but few of them had real sexy, productive careers, and were just really efficient for the most part. Young also was baffled by the introduction of free agency in 1993, overpaying guys he shouldn't have and not drafting as many good to great players that he had in years past.
Overall: Young I think has a good resume for hall consideration. I will say that executives have a real hard time getting in the hall of fame (off the top of my head, I can only think of two who are currently enshrined, Jim Finks and Tex Schramm). Young will never be a lock because of that, but I think he'll make it in eventually due to how successful the Giants were under him.
HoF Projection: Maybe
Six groups down, one more to go. Tomorrow we'll take a look at the coaches.
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