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.

Try to say Bob Hoernschemeyer’s name three times fast?

Yes, we know that the first line isn’t relevant here, but what is pertinent is that Hoernschemeyer was an End in the late 40s and early 50s in every sense of the word.  Beginning his professional career with the Chicago Rockets of the AAFC, Hoernschemeyer would do well in rushing and passing, finishing in the top ten in both categories in the first (and only) four years of the AAFC’s existence.  That’s good, but what hurts Hoernschemeyer is that he played for the Chicago Rockets/Hornets and Brooklyn Dodgers, neither of which made it to the NFL when that league took over what was left of the AAFC, and yes, that matters in terms of legacy, especially when you consider that two of the teams that you played for in your prime have not existed in 70 Years!

After the merger of the AAFC and NFL, the Detroit Lions selected Hoernschemeyer in a special draft, where he became a key cog in their offense.  He was a Pro Bowl Selection in both 1951 and 1952, and he would help them win back-to-back NFL Championships in 1952 and 1953.  Injuries would force him to retire at age 30, but if the first half of his career gains the same respect that his second half did, he is a legitimate Pro Football Hall of Fame contender.

Tim McDonald split his career between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, where the Safety went to three Pro Bowls and earned two Second Team All-Pro selections with each team.  McDonald would have four seasons where he went over 100 Tackles and would have 1,138 in total, along with 40 Interceptions over his career.  He was a member of San Francisco's Super Bowl XXIX championship team and would have had a higher profile had he not been a Cardinal in the first half of his season and overshadowed by other 49ers defensive players in the second half of his career.

It is hard to consider someone underrated when you were a member of the only undefeated team in NFL history and were in your prime when you earned your two Super Bowl Rings, but this is what we have in Bill Stanfill.

A star at the University of Georgia, the Miami Dolphins chose him in 1969 with their 11^th Overall Pick.  Sacks may not have been an official stat back then, but the rookie had eight of them, and throughout his eight-year career (all of which in Miami), he was one of the game’s most feared pass rushers.  A Pro Bowl Selection as a rookie, Stanfill earned four more consecutively from 1971 to 1974, and during that period, he earned two All-Pro selections (First Team in 1972 and Second Team in 1973).  It was no coincidence that this coincided with the Dolphins’ back-to-back Super Bowls.

Stanfill’s peers always discussed how great he was, but for whatever reason, he has not been remembered like some of his other teammates, even those who did far less to earn those two rings.