Drafted in the 3^rd Round from Jackson State in 1973, Gray would join a not-so-good New England Patriots team.  Gray won a starting job as a rookie and became a fixture at Left Tackle, where he showed steady improvement annually, much like the Pats themselves.  He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1976 and again in 1978, when he was also a First Team All-Pro.

Gray was shockingly traded to the Houston Oilers in what was widely viewed as a cost-cutting move.  John Hannah, his linemate, famously quipped, “There goes our Super Bowl” upon hearing the news.  Gray anchored the Houston Oilers O-Line and again was a Pro Bowler in 1979, while being a First Team All-Pro in both 1979 and 1980.  He would go to the Pro Bowl again in 1981 and finished his career with a pair of years with the New Orleans Saints.

Jimmy Smith was a great Wide Receiver, but is he truly one of the elite, or is he just one of many in an inflated offensive age of Football?  The answer to that question will determine whether he will get into the Hall of Fame.

Jimmy Smith may have accrued two Super Bowl Rings with Dallas, but he was basically a bust there as major injuries prevented him from being in the lineup for the bulk of his stint there.  After being released by the Cowboys, his career was resurrected in Jacksonville, where he became one of the top wideouts in the game.  Smith would catch for 1,000 yards nine times and twice top the 100-catch mark.  Nobody can argue that those totals were not impressive (as they most certainly were), but a lot of other players were doing the same thing, and Smith never made a First Team All-Pro Team. 

Jimmy Smith was very good for a long time, but sadly, if there is an eligible player with impressive stats who could be dismissed easily, it could be Jimmy Smith.  We will find out very soon what the initial verdict will be.

Harold Jackson had two great seasons in Philadelphia, leading the league in receiving yards in 1969 and 1973.  It is too bad that Jackson was the only one playing well for those dreadful Eagles teams.

This isn’t to say that Jackson didn’t have good campaigns at other times in his career.  He became a Ram and was part of a very good squad there.  Ironically, he went from being hidden on a bad team to being overshadowed on a fairly good one, even despite finishing second in MVP voting in his first year there (1973).  Jackson was a Red Zone Specialist and a serious threat throughout his career.

Harold Jackson’s career numbers are quite good (10,372 Yards and 76 Touchdowns), especially considering that he tallied most of his numbers at a time when Wide Receivers were not setting the NFL on fire.  However, since he wasn’t selected to the 1970s All-Decade team, it is hard to see how he can make the Hall, especially since other great wideouts from the ’70s are still out.