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.

It is a massive day for us at Notinhalloffame.com, as “Hall of Fame Season” continues with the announcement of five Finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ralph Hay (contributor), Mike Holmgren (coach), Maxie Baughan (senior), Sterling Sharpe (senior), and Jim Tyrer (senior) are moving forward in the selection process.

This year, the PFHOF has undergone a new rule where all the Coach/Contributors/Seniors will compete against each other.  The Committee will vote for three of the five, with all candidates receiving 80% automatically gaining induction.  Should none of the names fail to make 80%, the candidate with the highest percentage will enter the Hall.

About the Finalists:

Contributor:

Ralph Hay:  Hay owned the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 to 1922 and catalyzed the National Football League in 1920 when he organized multiple clubs to meet at his car dealership in Canton, Ohio.  While his time was brief, his foresight catalyzed the most popular sports league in the United States.

Hay beat out Bud Adams, Buck Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Modell, Art Rooney Jr., Seymour Siwoff, Doug Williams, and John Wooten.

Coach:

Mike Holmgren.  Holmgren won two Super Bowls with San Francisco, first as a Quarterbacks Coach and then as their Offensive Coordinator, and it propelled him to the Head Coaching job at Green Bay in 1992.  He led the Packers to a Super Bowl win at SBXXXI.  Holmgren accepted the Seattle Seahawks coaching job and took them to a Super Bowl appearance in 2005.  A member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor, Holmgren had a career record of 161-111.

Holmgren beat out Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Chuck Knox, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan and Clark Shaughnessy.

Seniors:

Maxie Baughan: PHI 1960-65, RAM 1966-70 & WAS 1974.  Baughan was an NFL Champion with Philadelphia and was a nine-time Pro Bowl Selection.  He also was a one-time First Team All-Pro and five-time Second Team All-Pro.  Ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Sterling Sharpe: GNB 1988-94.  Sharpe led the NFL in Receiving Yards in 1992, was a three-time First Team All-Pro, had five Pro Bowls, and compiled 65 Touchdowns and 8,134 Yards in only seven seasons.  Had injuries not taken him down early, Sharpe would already be in.  Ranked #26 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Tyrer: DTX 1961-62, KAN 1963-73 & WAS 1974.  A three-time AFL Champion with the Texans/Chiefs, the Left Tackle was a six-time First Team All-Pro and nine-time AFL All-Star/Pro Bowl Selection.  Ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com.

They beat out Ken Anderson, Lester Hayes, Bob Kuechenberg, Albert Lewis, Stanley Morgan, and Al Wistert.

15 Modern Finalists will join these five Finalists.

Can we again tell you how much we love this time of year?

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced the Semi-Finals from a field of 25 compiled from a recent reduction vote.  The Committee will meet virtually on November 12 and select one Finalist who will put forth one finalist for the full Selection Committee.

The names considered are:

Bud Adams.  Adams was the owner and founder of the Houston Oilers, where his team won the first two AFL Championships.  Instrumental in forming the AFL, he was Adams was also impactful in the AFL’s merger with the NFL.  He owned the team for 54 years until he died in 2013.

Ralph Hay:  Hay owned the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 to 1922 and catalyzed the National Football League in 1920 when he organized multiple clubs to meet at his car dealership in Canton, Ohio.

Bucko Kilroy:  Kilroy worked in player personnel and scouted for Philadelphia, Washington, and Dallas. He would later be an executive for New England, where he was their General Manager (1979 to 1982) and Vice President (1983 to 1993).

Robert Kraft: Kraft has owned and run the New England Patriots since he bought the team in 1994. His teams have won six Super Bowls, and he has served on multiple owner’s committees.

Art Modell:  Modell owned the Cleveland Browns from 1961 to 1995 and relocated the team to Baltimore, where the Ravens won a Super Bowl.

Art Rooney Jr.: Rooney Jr. has worked for the Pittsburgh Steelers in some capacity since 1961 and is currently their Vice President.

Seymour Siwoff:  Siwoff was the Owner and President of Elias Sports Bureau, the official statistician of the NFL.

Doug Williams:  Williams made history as the first black Quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, and he is credited for creating opportunities for other black QBs.  He also was the co-creator of the Black College Football Hall of Fame.

John Wooten:  Wooten was the Director of Pro Scouting for Dallas from 1975 to 1991 and would later work in similar capacities for Philadelphia and Baltimore.  He has two Super Bowl rings.

Roone Arledge, Chris Berman, Howard Cosell, Otho Davis, John Facenda, Mike Giddings, Don Klosterman, Eddie Kotal, Virginia McCaskey, Rich McKay, John McVay, Leo Remmel, Eddie Robinson, Jerry Seeman, Amy Trask and Jim Tunney.

We congratulate the candidates who have made it to this stage.

1953 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 that we have asked the rhetorical question…what if the PFHOF began in January of 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists, and 5 in the Senior Pool. Following that, we 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, one Senior inductee and one Coaches/Contributor inductee.

This is the result of the eighth official class;

Below, are the final results of this project based on 30 votes, with a major change:  ALL FINALISTS MUST obtain 50% of the VOTE!

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1953:

This is for the “Senior Era”, which resulted in no entry. Three also voted for None of the Above.

This is for the Coaches/Contributor.  There was one vote for None of the Above.

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1952:

About the 1953 Inductees:

Ken Strong FB-TB-HB-WB-DB-K, SIS 1928-32, NYG 1933-35, 1939 & 1944-47: Inducted in 1953 on his 7^th Ballot.  Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

Listed mostly as a Halfback, Ken Strong could do everything as he excelled at every aspect of the game and could claim the title of the most complete player of his day.  Beginning his NFL career with the Staten Island Stapletons, Strong joined the New York Giants when the Staten Island folded in 1932.  Strong willed the Gants to the 1934 Championship, scoring 17 Points in their win over Chicago.  He missed some time in the NFL as he played for the New York Yanks of the short-lived AFL due to a salary dispute, but returned for another year in 1939.  Strong came back in 1944, where he was mostly used as a kicking specialist.  Overall, Strong was named an All-Pro four times.

Turk Edwards T, GNB 1930-40, BOS/WAS 1932-40: Inducted in 1953 on his 8^th Ballot. Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

After becoming the first player in Washington State history to be named an All-American, Turk Edwards signed with the Boston Braves and joined them in their inaugural season in the National Football League.  Edwards was with the team as they changed their name to the Redskins and relocated to Washington, playing all nine of his pro years with the team.  A punishing two-way Tackle, Edwards was a three-time First Team All-Pro and a stud player who led the Redskins to their first league championship in 1937.  Following his retirement as a player in 1940, Edwards became an Assistant Coach for Washington winning a second NFL Championship in 1942.  Edwards later became their Head Coach in 1946 and held that role for three years.  

Tuffy Leemans FB-TB-QB-DB, NYG 1936-43: Inducted in 1953 on his 5^th Ballot.  Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

After a good college run at George Washington, the New York Giants drafted Tuffy Leemans in 1936, where he would have an eight-year career with the New York Giants.  Like many NFL players of the 30s and 40s, Leemans played multiple positions on both sides of the ball (FB, TB, DB, QB), and he was exceptional at all of them.  As a rookie, Leemans led the NFL in Rushing Yards (830), and he was second in that stat in 1938, the same season he led the Giants to an NFL Championship.  Leemans also helped New York reach the Championship Game in 1939 and 1941. Leemans, who was named to the 1930s All-Decade Team, was involved in more passing in the 1940s, finishing ninth in Passing Yards, each year from 1941 to 1943.  Defensively, he also recorded four Interceptions over his career.

Ralph Hay: Inducted in 1953 on the 4^th Coaches/Contributor Ballot. Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 1918, 27-year-old Ralph Hay bought the Canton Bulldogs, a member of a loose affiliation of teams that competed in the Ohio League. Canton was one of the better professional teams, but pro football, which was far behind college football in the national consciousness, needed a better organizational structure to move forward. This is where Hay came in.  Hay arranged a meeting with the Akron Pros, Cleveland Tigers, and Dayton Triangles managers to form the American Professional Football Conference. Four team does not a league make, and Hay, acting as the secretary, sent off letters to other football teams in the Midwest looking to form a league and request a meeting in Canton on September 17. Representatives from ten teams would be there, all in the automobile showroom of Hay's dealership. The American Professional Football Conference now had ten teams, and the league that would rename itself the National Football League two years later was born. Hay was asked by the owners to be the first president, but instead, he pushed (and got) Jim Thorpe as the first president, which he felt lent the new league credibility.

Canton won the league title in 1922, but Hay could not celebrate for long. The Bulldogs were not profitable, and Hay could not afford to keep the team. He sold the organization before the 1923 season, and Canton would win it all again, though Hay was no longer a part of it.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame would be awarded to Canton, and while Hay was not a part of that decision (he died 20 years before it opened), the vision that Hay had was bred in Canton, Ohio.

1952 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1950” a Preliminary Vote with 132 players whose playing career ended by 1943. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1952 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!

1952 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1951” a Preliminary Vote with over 130 players whose playing career ended by 1945. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters will be asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next after, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1952 Finalists of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!

1951 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1951” a Preliminary Vote with 130 players whose playing career ended by 1945. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters will be asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next after, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1951 Semi-Finalists of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!