The Pro Football Hall of Fame requires four to eight candidates to be inducted each year. That’s known as a quota system, folks, and it’s a crummy way to determine the most prestigious individual honor in the game. The system guarantees lots of revenue come induction time in Canton, Ohio, and what is the NFL about except money?
Problem is, not all eras are created equal. Some produce an abundance of worthy candidates who have to wait forever to gain admittance. Others have a shortage, and too many of them receive Hall passes based on politics and/or reputation, if not out of sheer desperation, rather than actual performance.
Like some of these players.
Bottom Line: Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen was the MVP of Super Bowl XVIII. Reed Saxon / AP Photo
Had head coach Tom Flores not called his number until the wheels wobbled, the one-time league Most Valuable Player almost certainly would have produced more than three Hall of Fame-caliber seasons.
In 1985 alone, he rushed for 1,759 yards and touched the ball an insane 472 times from scrimmage, playoffs included. That’s nearly 28 per game. Remember, he was only 6-foot-2, 210 pounds.
But Allen never got close to those rushing numbers again. Then the Raiders added Bo Jackson in 1987, and Al Davis put the freeze on Allen. He survived in the NFL until 1997, but he wasn’t close to his once-dominant self again.
Bottom Line: Joe Namath
Joe Namath was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985. AP Photo
Who can forget Super Bowl III, the epic encounter that legitimized the AFL-NFL merger, when the playboy quarterback guaranteed victory, then threw four touchdown passes? Wait — he didn’t throw any? Oh.
Sadly, we rarely saw the real “Joe Willie” because of his two bum knees. Stats-wise, he was the definition of average — 62-63-4 record, .501 pass completion percentage.
He’s one of the first inductees in the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda Hall of Fame. After his playing days, Namath became more reflective about his career and getting his bell rung on the field.
Bottom Line: Russ Grimm
The “Hogs” were, from left, guard Mark May, assistant head coach-offense Joe Bugel, center Jeff Bostic, tackle George Starke, guard Russ Grimm and tackle Joe Jacoby. AP Photo
This Hog had four stellar seasons in the Redskins’ glory days.
By the time Russ Grimm turned 28 years old, however, a damaged left knee had reduced him to part-time status.
So if he has a bust in Canton, Ohio, then why not teammate Joe Jacoby, too? The tackle played longer and about as well.
Bottom Line: Tom Fears
Tom Fears of the Los Angeles Rams (55) chases Sid Luckman of the Chicago Bears (42) during an NFL game. AP Photo
Tom Fears got to Canton on the strength of two sensational seasons and a 73-yard game-winner in the 1951 NFL Championship Game.
In 1949, he led the league in pass and touchdown receptions. One year later, he set a league record with 84 catches and made his only Pro Bowl appearance. But he flamed out quickly, partly because of contract disputes, partly because of two fractured vertebrae.
If extended excellence is part of the criteria for Canton, then he falls short of the mark. But he still won the respect of his peers. “What made Tom great as a player was his determination, his desire to win at anything,” said Danny Abramowicz, who played for Fears when he coached the expansion New Orleans Saints.
Bottom Line: Charlie Sanders
Charlie Sanders made many great catches in his career. JMC / AP Photo
True, Charlie Sanders was a Pro Bowler in seven of his 10 seasons. He also was a willing, if not robust, blocker. Fact is, “Charlie Deep” was the best of a shallow pool of tight ends at a time when Mike Ditka and John Mackey were near the end of the line.
Sanders never won more than 10 games, never caught more than 42 balls, and only once gained more than 544 yards in a season.
In his only playoff appearance, he was blanked in a 5-0 stinker against the Cowboys in Dallas. That’s not a typo — 5-zip. Does any of this scream “Hall of Famer!” to you?
Bottom Line: Red Badgro
Red Badgro was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981. HistoryLink / Twitter
By all accounts, Morris “Red” Badgro was a solid two-way player in the leather helmet days.
He led the league in pass receptions (16) one year and scored the first touchdown in an NFL Championship Game before his retirement after the 1936 season.
Nearly a half-century elapsed before the 78-year-old became the oldest player to gain Hall of Fame induction. What did he do to convince the senior committee exactly?
Improve his 100-yard dash time? Excel in the cone drills test? Did someone discover dozens of touchdowns that he didn’t receive credit for decades earlier?
Uh, can we get a little help here, please?
