Generally, if you are selected to eight Pro Bowls in a decade, regardless of your position, it stands to reason that you won’t be forgotten.  Somehow, Cornerback Lemar Parrish managed to slip through the cracks of football consciousness as his legacy just doesn’t seem as big as it should be.

You can’t be selected to eight Pro Bowls in eleven years without being consistent.  Parrish was certainly that, but while he was a top Cornerback, he was also a top Punt Returner for the first half of his career.  Once he stopped returning punts, Parrish would actually have some of his best years at Cornerback as he landed his only First Team All-Pro selection at the age of 32.  Parrish matched any attacking Wide Receiver man-to-man, and that skill can be argued as to why longtime Bengals teammate, Ken Riley entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame years later.

As freakishly consistent as Lemar Parrish was, he was never considered the best at his position.  This is certainly one of those cases, where a year of dominance would have done wonders for his Hall of Fame cause, though he has all the good for Canton as is.

When you think of great San Francisco quarterbacks, you automatically think of Joe Montana and Steve Young. Before them, there was a very good one named John Brodie who put up great numbers without the supporting cast that Montana and Young had.

John Brodie was one of the game's early gunslingers, and most of the time he had to be. The 49ers of the 1960s were not a great team, and Brodie was often the main reason his team was competitive. By the time the 1970s rolled around, Brodie had a better team around him, and though he was finally playoff-bound, the Niners could not get past the Cowboys for three years in a row. Still, Brodie won the 1970 MVP and was given more respect around the league.

Because he had to take a lot of chances, John Brodie’s interception rate was fairly high, and he finished his career with more picks than touchdown passes. This could be why he has never been a semi-finalist for the Hall, and with the San Francisco 49ers reaching great heights in the 1980s, virtually every Niners star before them has been forgotten. John Brodie deserves better than that.

It is difficult to understand why Roger Craig had to wait for ten years to be nominated for the Football Hall of Fame, given his strong credentials. Craig was an essential player in every offensive play during his prime. Although he began his career as a fullback, it soon became apparent that he was equally skilled at carrying the ball and blocking for others. In 1986, he made history by becoming the first football player to both rush and catch for 1,000 yards each. Opposing defences were intimidated by his high-knee running style and had to keep a close eye on him during every play.

Craig played a significant role in three Super Bowl Championship teams. Despite his innovative style, he is often overlooked due to the fact that he played alongside some of the most high-prolific offensive stars in football. Critics have suggested that he was merely a beneficiary of the great performances of his teammates, such as Montana and Rice. Nevertheless, Roger Craig was a valuable weapon for the 49ers' offence, and although there may be some debate around his place in the Hall of Fame, he undoubtedly deserved more consideration than he received, although the 2020 Blue Ribbon Finalist spot is a promising sign.