Linebackers are built to strike fear in Quarterbacks.  Greg Lloyd seemed destined to strike fear in virtually everyone around him.

Many in the press corps found Greg Lloyd controversial, but fans in the Steel City loved him.  The same was said for General Managers and Coaches who loved his hard-nosed play.  Lloyd led the Steelers defense and spread his skills evenly against the pass and run.  He was an absolute nightmare for Offensive Coordinators who may have feared him as much as their players did.

It is often said that Lloyd was good enough to have received even more accolades than he did, but his acrimonious relationship with the media did him no favors in that department.  This can only hurt his Hall of Fame chances.

Art Monk may have been the lead receiver for the Washington Redskins for a long time, but he was paired with another great Wide Receiver who was somewhat in his shadow.  Of course, at 5’ 9, Gary Clark was in a lot of players’ shadows.

Five times during Gary Clark’s career, he caught for over 1,000 yards.  He was a consistent performer for the Redskins and was a big part of their two Super Bowl runs.  Clark was small, but he was quick, sure-handed, and saved his best performances for the biggest stage.

Clark’s problem on his resume is that, as good as he was, he never led a receiving category and was not the best Wide Receiver on his own team.  This factor makes it hard for him to be considered Hall of Fame-caliber no matter how many passes he caught.

Steve Tasker may have been listed as a Wide Receiver, but with only 51 career receptions, it is hard to think of him as a successful wideout.  Tasker did, however, make the Pro Bowl, but it was not because of his offensive capabilities but because of his prowess on the Special Teams.

Tasker was probably the first player in NFL history to distinguish himself on special teams without being a Punter or Kicker.  He was not a big man, but he was deceptively quick and a brilliant tackler.  He excelled at stripping the ball away from runners, and it was rare when he was not the first run to reach the return man upon kickoff. 

Many consider Steve Tasker the greatest Special Teams player of all time.  If the Hall looks to someone in that discipline, they would have to look to Western New York.

Ottis Anderson had one of the best rookie seasons ever for a Running Back, gaining over 1,600 yards on the ground.  Too bad he did it for a bad St. Louis Cardinals team that was barely on the National radar.

Anderson would prove he was not a one-season wonder.  Although he never again matched those rookie numbers, he still posted decent numbers and was the highlight of a poor Cardinals team.  As it does in football, injuries piled up, and he lost his explosiveness.  Anderson was, however, reinvented as a short-yardage specialist by the New York Giants, and he again accumulated impressive tallies.  He was a natural leader, and as he rarely fumbled, he was a strong key to the Giants’ ability to control the ball for extended periods of time.  As a Giant, Ottis Anderson twice won the Super Bowl, capped with an MVP performance in Super Bowl XXV.

Although Anderson gained major exposure with the Giants, few remember that he retired in the top ten all-time in Rushing Yards.  He has since fallen down that list, but he had a long, fruitful career few could match.