Best NFL Players Not in the Hall of Fame

These gridiron greats are still waiting for the call from Canton.

Greatest NFL Players Not in the Hall of Fame

When you think of the great quarterbacks of the 1970s, Terry Bradshaw is the first name to spring to mind. In leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl championships in six seasons, he became one of the game’s great stars and was an obvious selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

But a case can be made that Bradshaw was not even the best quarterback in his own division during his era. That distinction may belong to Ken Anderson, the Cincinnati Bengals great who threw for nearly 5,000 more yards than Bradshaw during their careers and had a passer rating 11 points higher.

Yet Anderson has not received his call to Canton — and likely never will. Anderson, the 1981 NFL MVP, tops our all-time NFL team of players not in the Hall of Fame. Here is the lineup by position.

Ken Anderson, Quarterback

Years: 1971-86

Team: Cincinnati Bengals

Overshadowed by Terry Bradshaw early in his career and Joe Montana later, Anderson put up stellar numbers worthy of the Hall: 32,838 career passing yards and 160 touchdowns playing during an era that was decidedly less passer-friendly than today’s game.

Before Bill Walsh made the West Coast offense famous in San Francisco, he invented the system as Anderson’s coach in Cincinnati.

Anderson led the league in completion percentage three times and in passing yards twice, and was the NFL MVP in 1981 as he led the Bengals to the Super Bowl, where Montana and the 49ers launched their dynasty.

Honorable Mention: Steve McNair, Quarterback

Years: 1995-2007

Teams: Houston Oilers/Tennesse Titans, Baltimore Ravens

Few quarterbacks in NFL history were as dangerous both with his arm (over 31,000 career yards passing) and legs (3,590 yards rushing).

Steve McNair shared MVP honors with Peyton Manning in 2003, was named to three Pro Bowls and came so close to leading the Titans to a Super Bowl championship in 1999.

His career numbers would have been all the more impressive had he not been plagued by so many injuries that resulted from his scrambling style of play.

Fred Taylor, Running Back

Years: 1998-2010

Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots

While Ken Anderson was overshadowed by Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana, Fred Taylor was eclipsed by the small market of Jacksonville. Taylor never won a Super Bowl and did not get the national exposure he should have. But he earned respect on the field.

Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons and 11,695 career yards over his 13-year career, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. His career rushing yardage total is good for 17th on NFL all-time list.

That's more career rushing yards than Earl Campbell (9,407), Jim Taylor (8,597), Larry Csonka (8,081) and Terrell Davis (7,607). All of them are Hall of Famers. Taylor should be too.

Honorable Mention: Ottis Anderson, Running Back

Years: 1979-92

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants

In 1990, Ottis Anderson became just the eighth player at the time to surpass 10,000 rushing yards. The seven rushers who were ahead of him at the time are all in the Hall of Fame.

The durable back ran for 1,605 yards as a rookie in 1979 and topped 1,000 yards in five of first six seasons.

He also found new life late in his career with the New York Giants, earning MVP honors in Super Bowl XXV. He finished his career with 10,273 rushing yards and 81 touchdowns.

Roger Craig, Fullback

Years: 1983-93

Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, Minnesota Vikings

Craig starred at both fullback and running back during an illustrious career that included three Super Bowl rings.

His three-touchdown performance in Super Bowl XVIII was eclipsed by Joe Montana’s MVP performance, and the next year, he became the first back in NFL history to gain 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving.

After switching to running back later in his career, Craig gained over 1,000 yards rushing in both of the 49ers’ Super Bowl championship seasons of 1988 and 1989.

Perhaps the best pass-catching running back in NFL history (in 1985, he became the first back to lead the league in receptions), Craig finished his career with 566 receptions for 4,911 yards.

Honorable Mention: Mike Alstott, Fullback

Years: 1996-2006

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Alstott was the quintessential short-yardage, run-blocking fullback that became a staple of NFL teams in the 1990s and 2000s.

A three-time first-team All-Pro selection and six-time Pro Bowler, he helped lead Tampa Bay to its only Super Bowl title in 2002, rushing for four touchdowns during the Bucs’ playoff run that year.

The Bucs rarely fielded strong passing attacks during his career, so Alstott’s role as a key cog in the running game was all the more important to their success. He finished his career with 5,088 yards rushing and 58 touchdowns.

Harold Jackson, Wide Receiver

Harold Jackson and Ed Sharockman — Harold Jackson caught a lot of passes in his career. This wasn't one of them, as Minnesota Vikings defensive back Ed Sharockman picks off the ball.

Years: 1968-83

Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks

If you had to guess which receiver led the NFL in receptions during the 1970s, it’s doubtful Harold Jackson’s name would come to mind. But his 432 catches made him the league’s most prolific receiver during the decade before passing offenses took off thanks to an assortment of rules changes.

Though he rarely has ever been mentioned as a Hall of Fame candidate, Jackson finished his career with 10,372 receiving yards — nearly twice as many as Steelers great Lynn Swann — and 76 touchdowns.

When Jackson retired in 1983, he ranked second all-time in receiving yards, seventh in receptions and ninth in touchdown catches.

Cliff Branch, Wide Receiver

Years: 1972-85

Team: Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Cliff Branch was another 1970s receiver who was lost in the shadow of Lynn Swann’s Super Bowl acrobatics.

Branch was a key weapon in the Raiders’ deep passing game and finished his career with three Super Bowl rings.

A three-time first-team All-Pro, Branch finished his career with 8,685 receiving yards and 67 touchdown catches — 16 more than Swann and four more than Swann’s Hall of Fame teammate, John Stallworth.

Like Harold Jackson, Branch excelled during an era where defenses typically had the advantage over passing games because of the rules of the time.

Honorable Mention: Billy Howton, Wide Receiver

Years: 1952-63

Teams: Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys

One of the dominant receivers of the 1950s, Billy Howton’s best season was his first, when he led the league with 1,232 receiving yards and pulled in 13 touchdown passes.

Though he never topped those rookie numbers, Howton was the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions (503) and receiving yards (8,459) when he retired in 1963, passing the great Don Huston.

Howton also excelled in an era when passing yards were much harder to come by.

Pete Retzlaff, Tight End

Years: 1955-66

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Pete Retzlaff was one of the first to play tight end, as it emerged as a position in the early 1960s, after starting his career as a receiver.

The only tight end ever to win an NFL MVP award (1965), Retzlaff also led the Eagles in catches and receiving yards on their way to the 1960 NFL championship.

He had 50 or more receptions five times in his career and is one of only nine Eagles to have their jersey retired.

Honorable Mention: Todd Christensen, Tight End

Years: 1979-88

Team: Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

One of the most prolific pass catchers of his era, Todd Christensen started his career as a fullback but switched to tight end because of his gifted hands.

He became just the second tight end after the great Kellen Winslow to lead the NFL in catches, hauling in 92 passes in the team’s Super Bowl championship year of 1983.

He ultimately led the team in receiving four consecutive seasons and topped the league again in 1986, when he caught 95 passes.

Christensen finished his career with 461 catches and five Pro Bowl selections.

Dick Schafrath, Offensive Tackle/Guard

Years: 1959-71

Team: Cleveland Browns

Dick Schafrath earned six straight Pro Bowl berths and teamed with Gene Hickerson to help give the Browns the most dominating ground game of the 1960s, blocking for Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.

Ask the 16 Hall of Fame defensive ends and 13 Hall of Fame linebackers Schafrath blocked against.

Jim Tyrer, Offensive Tackle

Years: 1961-74

Teams: Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins

Hailed as one of the game’s great linemen during his 14-year stint with the Chiefs, Jim Tyrer likely would be in the Hall of Fame if not for the tragic circumstances of his death (in 1980, he fatally shot his wife before killing himself).

Tyrer earned All-Pro honors 10 straight seasons, won three AFL titles and played in two Super Bowls, including the Chiefs’ 23-7 win over the Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

Jay Hilgenberg, Center

Years: 1981-93

Teams: Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints

Games are won and lost in the trenches, and Jay Hilgenberg helped the Bears win a lot of games in the 1980s, including Super Bowl XX.

Hilgenberg was a key player on that legendary 1985 team and anchored the Bears' offensive line for a decade, starting in 130 games. During Hilgenberg's career, Chicago led the league in rushing yards in four straight seasons, finished top three in rushing seven times and made the playoffs seven times.

The Bears' all-timer also went to seven straight Pro Bowls and was a five-time All-Pro.

Lomas Brown, Offensive Tackle

Years: 1985-2002

Teams: Detroit Lions, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One of the premier tackles of the 1990s with the Lions, Lomas Brown opened countless holes for Barry Sanders on the left side and was also an outstanding pass blocker.

Brown was selected to seven Pro Bowls and started at left tackle for the Giants in in Super Bowl XXXV.

Bruno Banducci, Offensive Guard

Years: 1944-54

Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers

Just call him Mr. Consistency. In Bruno Banducci’s nine seasons with the 49ers, the team ranked first or second in rushing yards eight times and led the league in rushing average six times.

According to Sean Lahman’s “The Pro Football Historical Abstract,” one researcher who reviewed games from 1954 reported that Banducci and his teammates allowed just eight sacks (official stats weren’t kept for sacks then), which would have been a record low until the Dolphins surrendered only seven in 1988.

Banducci was named All-Pro seven times.

Honorable Mention: Walt Sweeney, Offensive Line (Guard)

Years: 1963-75

Teams: San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins

For six years, Walt Sweeney anchored a great Chargers offensive line along with Ron Mix, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979. During that stretch, the team led the league in rushing twice and passing once.

A six-time All-Pro, Sweeney also made a name for himself off the field. In 1997, he won a $1.8 million judgment against the NFL, claiming that his post-football life had been ruined by a drug addiction that began when trainers issued him amphetamines and depressants.

Roger Brown, Defensive Tackle

Years: 1960-69

Team: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams

Roger Brown isn't the first NFL player lost to history. And he won't be the last. But he might be the best.

Brown was a mainstay on fearsome Lions defenses in the early 1960s. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive tackle was big, strong and quick. He finished his career with the Rams in Los Angeles and played in 138 career games, made six Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro.

"He was a bear," center Ed Flanagan, Brown's teammate with the Lions, told Bleacher Report. "He made a lot of offenses, especially offensive linemen happy, when he retired. ... I easily put him on the level of Hall of Famers Bob Lilly and Merlin Olsen. Roger should be in Canton himself."

Ron McDole, Defensive Tackle/End

Years: 1961-78

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins

Nicknamed the “Dancing Bear” for his nifty footwork, Ron McDole anchored great Buffalo defenses of the mid-1960s.

One of his impressive feats included a streak of 17 consecutive games without allowing a rushing touchdown.

He ended his career with 12 interceptions, a record for a lineman.

Rosey Grier, Defensive Tackle/End

One the first NFL players to be over 300 pounds, Rosey Grier changed the game with his size.

Years: 1955-66

Teams: New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams

Rosey Grief is another defensive great who, like Alex Karras and teammate Merlin Olsen, found a second career on television after his playing days ended.

Grier helped anchor two great defensive lines in New York and Los Angeles that each were nicknamed the “Fearsome Foursome.”

He was part of the Giants' championship team in 1956 and an All-Pro at defensive tackle. He also played in two Pro Bowls.

L.C. Greenwood, Defensive End

Years: 1969-81

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers

How can the Hall snub a stalwart on the Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defenses?

L.C. Greenwood had the misfortune of being overshadowed by teammates such as Joe Greene, Jack Lambert and Jack Hamm.

But no one on the defensive side of the ball shined brighter than Greenwood during the Steelers’ Super Bowl runs. He sacked Roger Staubach four times in Super Bowl X.

Honorable Mention: Steve McMichael, Defensive Line (Tackle)

Years: 1980-94

Team: Chicago Bears

The great tackle was overshadowed on the Bears’ legendary “46” defense by the likes of Mike Singletary and Richard Dent. But Steve McMichael's impact in dominating the line of scrimmage and paving lanes of attack for Singletary and others was undeniable.

Known as one of the best inside pass rushers of his era, McMichael was instrumental in limiting the New England Patriots to 7 rushing yards in Super Bowl XX.

The two-time first-team All-Pro finished his career with 847 tackles and 95 sacks.

Cornelius Bennett, Linebacker

Years: 1987-2000

Teams: Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts

Cornelius Bennett has the ignominious distinction of being the first player to lose five Super Bowls.

Nevertheless, he anchored the defense of the almost-great Bills teams of the early 1990s that played in and lost four consecutive Super Bowls.

Bennett retired with 71.5 sacks and 26 fumble recoveries.

A two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year and five-time Pro Bowl selection, Bennett was named to the NFL’s 1990s all-decade team.

Lee Roy Jordan, Linebacker

Years: 1963-76

Teams: Dallas Cowboys

Lee Roy Jordan was a key cog in the Cowboys’ Doomsday Defense that ranked first against the run for four consecutive years in the late 1960s.

He intercepted 34 passes during his career, including three in a 1973 game against the Bengals, and was named to five Pro Bowls.

Jordan was a Hall of Fame finalist in 1988 but has since dropped off the Canton radar.

Larry Grantham, Linebacker

Years: 1960-72

Teams: New York Titans/Jets

A five-time AFL all-star, Larry Grantham helped lead the Jets to the Super Bowl III upset over the Colts.

His Jets were the AFL’s stingiest defense that season, ranking first against the run and second against the pass, and he called the defensive signals in the Super Bowl when they held the vaunted Colts to seven points.

Honorable Mention: Chuck Howley

Years: 1958-73

Team: Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys

A five-time first-team All-Pro and the only player ever to win a Super Bowl MVP award for a losing team (Cowboys in Super Bowl V), Chuck Howley is considered one of the most underrated players in NFL history.

Playing in an era before tackles were an official category, it’s difficult to quantify Howley’s excellence on the field, but his durability was unmistakable. He started 13 or more games in 11 of his 15 NFL seasons.

Johnny Robinson, Safety

Years: 1960-71

Teams: Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs

Johnny Robinson was a finalist for the Hall six times during the 1980s and is a seniors finalist for the Class of 2019.

Robinson led the AFL with 10 interceptions in 1966 and led the merged AFL-NFL again in 1970.

His early fumble recovery and fourth-quarter interception helped lead the Chiefs over the Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

Dave Grayson, Cornerback/Safety

Years: 1961-1970

Teams: Texans, Chiefs, Raiders

Dave Grayson holds the AFL record for interceptions (47) and had the longest return — 99 yards — in the league’s 10-year history.

He helped the Texans win the 1962 AFL Championship with a double-overtime win over the Raiders.

Grayson later had some of his best seasons with the Raiders, helping the team to the AFL title in 1967 and leading the league with 10 interceptions in 1968.

Eric Allen, Cornerback

Years: 1988-2001

Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders

Eric Allen was more than a shutdown specialist. He was a weapon.

In 1993, Allen tied NFL records for interception returns for touchdowns in a season (four) and a game (two).

Allen also had three interception returns for touchdowns in 2000 for the Raiders and was named to the Pro Bowl in six of his first eight seasons.

He finished his stellar career with 54 picks, eight of which were returned for TDs.

Tim McDonald, Safety

Years: 1987-99

Teams: St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers

Tim McDonald recorded more than 100 tackles in four of his six seasons with the Cardinals from 1987-92. He later won a Super Bowl ring with the 49ers.

His best season may have come in 1989, when he had 155 tackles and seven interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.

McDonald finished his career with 1,063 tackles and 40 interceptions and was named to six Pro Bowls.

Honorable Mention: LeRoy Butler, Secondary (Safety)

LeRoy Buter — Green Bay Packers safety LeRoy Butler intercepts a pass against the San Francisco 49ers in 1996.

Years: 1990-2001

Team: Green Bay Packers

LeRoy Butler was a four-time first-team All-Pro and mainstay on the great Packers teams of the 1990s.

He started every regular-season game for Green Bay from 1995-2000, including the team’s Super Bowl-winning 1996 squad, and finished his stellar career with 38 interceptions and 889 tackles.

Matt Stover, Kicker

Years: 1991-2009

Teams: Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Indianpolis Colts

Matt Stover set an NFL record by making field goals in 38 consecutive games from 1999 to 2001.

But his most impressive feat probably came during the Ravens’ 2000 Super Bowl run. He kicked 14 fields goals in five games during which Baltimore failed to score a touchdown, accounting for all of the team’s points during the month of October.

Stover made 35 of 39 field goals that season and finished with 471 for his career, converting 83.7 percent of all his attempts.

Honorable Mention: Gary Anderson, Kicker

Years: 1982-2004

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Tennesse Titans

This ageless kicker who played for nearly a quarter century ranks third on the NFL’s all-time scoring list with 2,434 points.

Gary Anderson made history in 1998 by converting all 35 of his regular-season field-goal attempts, shattering the previous record of 17 for most attempts without a miss in a single season (unfortunately, he’ll be remembered for his one miss in the NFC championship game that season).

For his career, the South African converted 80 percent of his attempts and was selected to four Pro Bowls.

Dave Jennings, Punter

Years: 1974-87

Teams: New York Giants, New York Jets

This is the punting version of the Terry Bradshaw-Ken Anderson quarterback comparison. Ray Guy is the only full-time punter in the Hall of Fame, but judging by statistics, the Giants’ Dave Jennings — whose career practically mirrored Guy’s — was the superior punter.

Jennings, who played in obscurity for some awful Giants teams, ranked in the top 10 in gross average eight consecutive seasons and in the top five for punts inside the 20 five years in a row.

As Lahman put it in “The Pro Football Historical Abstract” when comparing Jennings and Guy: “In their 14 seasons, Jennings had more punts for more yards, with fewer touchbacks and more punts inside the 20. Maybe that’s not enough to end the discussion over who was better, but if you’re open-minded, it ought to at least be a good starting point.”

Honorable Mention: Jerrel Wilson, Punter

Years: 1963-78

Teams: Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots

Nicknamed “Thunderfoot” for his booming punts, Jerrel Wilson was selected by a panel of football historians in 1969 as the best punter in the AFL’s 10-year history.

In two AFL championship games and two Super Bowls, he averaged 46.5 yards on 22 punts.

In 1973, Wilson led the NFL with 3,642 punting yards, and he ranked in the top 10 in that category in either the AFL or NFL 12 times during his career.

Don Coryell, Coach

Years: 1973-86

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Chargers

What does it take for a football pioneer to get some respect?

Don Coryell created a 21st-century passing attack in the 1960s, and his "Air Coryell" offenses of the 1970s and '80s were some of the most entertaining in NFL history.

Coryell led his teams to the playoffs six times and finished his career with 111 wins and a .572 winning percentage. Although he never won a Super Bowl, Coryell made a huge impact on the game and deserves a place in Canton.

Sources: Much of the information for this article came from Sean Lahman’s 2008 book “The Pro Football Historical Abstract: A Hardcore Fan’s Guide to All-Time Player Rankings.” Other information came from websites Pro Football Reference and Not in Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mention: George Seifert, Coach

Years: 1989-2001

Team: San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers

George Seifert's Hall of Fame credentials are easy to overlook because he followed in the footsteps of the legendary Bill Walsh, but Seifert was an important part of the San Francisco 49ers' dynasty.

Seifert had 114 career wins and a better career winning percentage (.642) than Bill Parcells (.569). Seifert also won two Super Bowls and went 10-5 in the playoffs, good for a .667 postseason win percentage, the same career postseason winning percentage as George Halas and Chuck Noll. That's some pretty good company.

Seifert's reputation took a hit when he finished his career with the Panthers, but he was dealt a tough hand with Chris Weinke and a past-his-prime Steve Beuerlein as his starting quarterbacks. That shouldn't take away from Seifert's legacy. He was a class act.