It may be called the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but for all intents and purposes, it only focuses on accomplishments from the NFL and to a lesser extent the AFL.  This is too bad for Herschel Walker who chalked up monster totals in his first three years of Pro Football but did so as a member of the New Jersey Generals of the upstart United States Football League.

Walker would go to the Dallas Cowboys and would forever try to live up to the Play Station like numbers he put up in College and in the USFL.  Walker was still very good and put up good numbers for Dallas in both receiving and running the ball.  He was however the focal point of one of the more lopsided trades in NFL history where the Vikings sent five players and a multitude of draft picks (three of which were Emmitt Smith, Alvin Harper, and Darren Woodson).  Dallas would use this to build a dynasty of the ’90s, and Minnesota coaches took their frustration out on Walker who was not used to the best of his ability while as a Viking.  Herschel was still good, but his stock dramatically went down.

You would think that the one-time All-Time Leader in NFL receptions would have been at least been a finalist for the Hall of Fame.  Of course, Billy Howton was the all-time leader when he retired in 1963.  He has dropped considerably since then.

Billy Howton was one of the top receivers for the Green Bay Packers throughout the 1950s.  He was a constant fixture for years in every receiving category and when he became the all-time leader in receptions and yards he took that slot from the legendary Don Hutson.

You never had to wonder what was on Ricky Watters's mind.  He would tell you whether it was good or bad, and that brashness made him a very polarizing figure in the NFL.  It is also possible that this is why the Hall of Fame has yet to look his way in a serious capacity.

Ricky Watters was one of the most consistent Running Backs in the National Football League.  He gained 1,000 yards on the ground seven times while catching fifty passes five times.  Watters was the player that teams went to when they wanted to move the chains.  With that said, he was far from a darling of the press and it has been speculated that this could be a factor that could keep him out of the Hall of Fame, despite being one of the most durable dual-threat backs in NFL history.  

If the Football Hall of Fame was based solely on excitement there should be no doubt that Randall Cunningham would have been inducted on the first ballot.  His nickname of the “Human Highlight Reel” was well deserved and he was hands down the most entertaining Quarterback of his era.

Randall Cunningham could beat you with his throwing arms or with his legs.  He excelled at scrambling and is the current all-time leader for rushing yards (4,928) for a Quarterback.  This made him exciting to watch but also overshadowed his ability to throw.  Cunningham was an efficient thrower and as his speed began to wane, he was able to prove to a lot of people in the league that he could throw with the best of them.