Ron McDole’s professional football career got off to a slow start as the former Nebraska Cornhusker did not accomplish much in 1961 as a rookie with the St. Louis Cardinals.  1962 was worse, as he migrated to the Houston Oilers of the American Football League and played even less.

Out of the University of Nebraska, Glenn Presnell first played for the semi-pro Ironton Yanks in 1929.  The Yanks were not part of the NFL but would have games against NFL teams where they would sometimes emerge as the victor.  Presnell would sing with the NFL's Portsmouth Spartans, where he would be a bona fide triple threat in terms of passing, running and kicking and would be an All-Pro in 1933.  Presnell would then join the Detroit Lions and was a key member of their 1935 Championship Team. 

Charley Brock played all of his nine of his NFL seasons (1939-47) with the Green Bay Packers after having a phenomenal career at the University of Nebraska.  Brock was usually at Center but was also used as a Halfback and Fullback, and on the defensive side of the ball, he had 20 Interceptions.  Brock helped Green Bay win the 1939 and 1944 NFL Championship and was a three-time Pro Bowl Selection.

Pat Fischer was not a tall man, standing at only 5' 9", which was likely why the multi-talented star at Nebraska fell to the 17^th Round.  The St. Louis Cardinals chose him, and after initially using him as a Returner, he forced his way into a starting Cornerback Role and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1964 and 1965.  The certified ballhawk would later sign with the Washington Redskins and brought a veteran presence to their secondary and was a large part of their appearance in Super Bowl VII.  Fischer played until 1977 and accumulated 56 Interceptions.

At the time of his retirement, Fischer’s 213 Games Played were a record for a Cornerback.

One of the early stars of the Green Bay Packers, Verne Lewellen, was an all-purpose Back who did it all for Green Bay.  The product of Nebraska (the state and the University) was named to four straight First Team All-Pro squads (1926 to 1929) and was a large part of their three consecutive NFL Championships (1929 to 1931). 

While no video of Lewellen's play survives, legendary figures like Art Rooney and George Halas extolled his virtues, and while stats were not well kept, it is believed he would have done well in box scores.  We do know that he scored 37 rushing touchdowns and 12 receiving touchdowns, an incredible number for his day, and held the overall TD record until it was shattered by Don Hutson.   

Lewellen later served as the Packers General Manager from 1954 to 1958, and may forever be a historical snub of Canton.

Very few players could be viewed as the total athletic package. Neil Smith may have been one of those rare exceptions, as scouts felt that with his skills, there was little he couldn’t do on the football field.  Those scouts would be right.

Neil Smith was a multi-faceted Defensive End who was equally adept at stuffing the run as defending against the pass.  His true gift may have been sacking the Quarterback as he led the NFL in that category in 1993.  Smith was a six-time Pro Bowler, and though his skills were slightly diminished in the second half of his career, he helped the Denver Broncos win two consecutive Super Bowls in the late 90s. 

Smith was paired in Kansas City with Derrick Thomas, who collectively made one of the fiercest defensive pairings in football.  Thomas was posthumously elected to the Football Hall of Fame, but many of his achievements were aided by having Smith as a linemate.

As the first overall pick in 1984, many expected Irving Fryar to be great right away.  He wasn’t, but his career showed a slow climb to elite status, and often, you heard his number called by broadcasters on Sunday afternoons.

Irving Fryar was always a good NFL receiver, but he became a go-to Wide Receiver in his late 20’s.  It was between the ages of 29 and 35 that Fryar had his five 1,000-yard seasons, and it was also at this time that he saw his name among the league leaders in receiving categories.  Fryar holds the record for touchdown receptions from the most Quarterbacks (19), and with his emergence late in his career as a star, he rapidly climbed up the all-time statistical ranks.

As good as Irving Fryar was, he never led a major offensive category and was never named to a First Team All-Pro team.  Chances are that Fryar would have had to do that at least once to be considered a viable Hall of Fame candidate, as despite his career numbers, his name does not come up often in the Canton conversation.