1996 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project Class.

Here we are!  Again!!

If you have been following our Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, you know we have asked the question: What if the PFHOF had begun in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which each voter selected 25 names as their semi-finalists and five names for the Senior Pool. We then asked the group to vote for their 15 Finalists in the Modern Era and 3 in the Senior Category. The final stage was to vote for their five Modern Era inductee and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the 51st official class. 

Below are the final results of this project based on 31 votes.

Remember that we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall in the Modern Era

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1996:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1996.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1996.

About the 1996 Inductees:

Ozzie Newsome, TE, CLE 1978-90: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1996 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

At the time of his retirement, many felt that Ozzie Newsome was one of the most prolific Tight Ends in football history, and some say he still is.

Taken in the First Round (23^rd Overall) out of Alabama, Newsome brought his blocking and receiving skills to the Browns in 1978.  Known for his cerebral play, Newsome helped take the Browns to two AFC Championship Games, and he would have three 1,000-Yard seasons, which were excellent for a Tight End in the 1980s.  Newsome played his entire career with Cleveland, accumulating 7,980 Yards with 47 Touchdowns.

Newsome was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996, his first year of eligibility, and was part of the first class of the Browns Ring of Honor in 2010.  As an executive, he orchestrated teams that won two Super Bowls when the franchise relocated to Baltimore.

Mike Webster, C, PIT 1974-88 & KAN 1989-90: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1996 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

After being drafted in the Fifth Round in 1974, Mike Webster worked on Special Teams, Center, and Guard in his first two seasons, contributing to the Steelers in little ways while helping them win their first two Super Bowls.  What followed was one of the greatest runs ever by an NFL Center.

Webster began the 1976 season as the Steelers’ starting Center, and he would do so for the next 150 Games.  He became an icon in Pittsburgh for his tenacity and ability to play through injuries, regardless of the severity.  The Steelers were mostly known for their defense, but Webster ran the line that won two more Super Bowls and kept Pittsburgh competitive through the 80s.

“Iron” Mike would win two more Super Bowls and was a perennial Pro Bowl Selection from 1978 to 1985, with another one in 1987. Five of those Pro Bowl years were also First Team All-Pro seasons, with four of them being consecutive (1978-81). He would later earn the honor of being named to the 1970s and 1980s All-Decade Team, and he was also chosen for the 75^th and 100th Anniversary Team.  Webster played for Pittsburgh until 1988, when he signed with Kansas City for two more years.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame called his name in 1997, and he was posthumously named to the Steelers Hall of Honor 20 years later. 

Webster's end was tragic.  The Center incurred substantial brain damage and was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that football players are now all aware of.  He died at the age of 50, following years of pain, dementia, and depression.

Kenny Easley, DB, SEA 1981-87.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1996 on his 4th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

A star player with UCLA, Kenny Easley was the fourth overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 1981. 

Easley came in with high expectations, which he showed with a good rookie season as their starting Strong Safety.  That good start was followed by a four-year run during which he was considered the best, or among the best, Defensive Backs in the game of pro football.  Easley went to the Pro Bowl in four straight years (1982-85) with a fifth in 1987, and he was also a three-time First Team All-Pro (1983-85).  His best year was in 1984, when he was the Defensive Player of the Year, the first Seahawk to win the honor.  That year, he led the NFL in Interceptions with 10 and would finish his career with 32.

Easley was vocal during the 1987 strike, and some believe this was why he was traded to the Cardinals in the off-season.  The trade did not stick, as Easley flunked the physical, and it was learned that he had kidney problems, which forced him out of football.  He would later sue the Seahawks, claiming that the overuse of Advil prescribed due to an ankle issue led to his kidney problems.  After an out-of-court settlement, the two parties reconciled, and Easley was inducted into their Ring of Honor.

Ray Guy, P, OAK/RAI, 1973-86.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1996 on his 5th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Ray Guy made headlines when he became the first punter drafted in the first round.  Guy proved worthy of the trust the Raiders placed in him, as his booming, accurate kicks changed how special teams were thought of.  Guy’s punts were not just powerful; they had long hang time and could be deadly accurate when needed.  

Punters were never thought of as having the ability to win games, but there were occasions when Guy’s leg did just that for the Raiders.

Claude Humphrey, DE, ATL 1968-78 & PHI 1979-81.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1996 on his 10th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

The Atlanta Falcons chose Humphrey with the Third Overall Pick in 1968, and despite his obvious talent, the Defensive End played his college ball at Tennessee State, and did not face the elite competition that other draftees did.  Anyone who was worried need not have been, as Humphrey won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and began a run of dominance in destroying Quarterbacks.

Humphrey had at least 10 Sacks in six of his first seven years, which was far more impressive considering that, beyond Tommy Nobis, there were no other Falcons defenders that offenses feared.  He went to five consecutive Pro Bowls (1970-74) that included two First Team All-Pros (1972 & 1973), and had there been an All-Half Decade Team, you can bet that Humphrey would be on it.

A knee injury prevented Humphrey from competing in 1975, but he returned at a high level, adding another Pro Bowl in 1977.  Humphrey joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 1979, played there for three years, and finally tasted the playoffs, which included an NFC Championship Game appearance. 

Humphrey had 130 (Unofficial) Sacks over his career, with at least 10 in nine of his seasons.

Gino Cappelletti FL-SE-DB-WR-PK, BOS 1960-70.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1996 on his 1st Senior Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The New England Patriots would have a lot of talent come wear their uniform, but only one of them would have the nickname of "Mr. Patriot."

The road to the pros was a long one for Cappalletti, as he went undrafted in 1955 after an excellent college career at the University of Minnesota and would play semi-pro for a few years.  The creation of the American Football League in 1960 would create opportunities, and Cappelletti signed with the Boston Patriots, where he was hired as a Kicker and Cornerback.  He would find a perfect home on the East Coast, and over the 1960s, he would be the team's permanent kicker and lead the AFL in field goals three times.  That, however, was not the only job that Cappalletti would have for the Pats.

Cappelletti moved away from the defensive side of the ball and would also play at Flanker and Split End, and over his 11 seasons in Boston, he would accrue 292 Receptions for 4,589 Yards and 42 Touchdowns.  Four of his seasons would see him finish in the top ten in Receiving Yards.

Scoring TDs, Field Goals, and Extra Points, Cappalletti would retire by far as the franchise leader in points, though Adam Vinatieri has since eclipsed that.  He is, however, the All-Time leader in Points Scored for the AFL, a record we feel certain anyone, Vinatieri included, can never touch.

Ralph Wilson, Owner, BUF 1960-2013.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1996 on his 5th Coach/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

Ralph Wilson was a businessman who founded the Buffalo Bills in 1959 as an original member of the American Football League (AFL). Serving as a key part of the "Foolish Club," he helped the upstart league challenge the established NFL before successfully negotiating its historic merger in 1970. Wilson's leadership early on brought Western New York two AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965.

Throughout his 54 years as owner, he became the NFL's "voice of reason," heavily advocating for league stability, revenue sharing, and keeping his franchise in its original market. His franchise saw its peak success in the 1990s, winning four consecutive AFC titles to make an unprecedented four straight Super Bowl appearances.