Football
Football
If the Football Hall of Fame were based solely on excitement, there should be no doubt that Randall Cunningham would have been inducted on the first ballot. His nickname, the “Human Highlight Reel,” was well deserved, and he was hands down the most entertaining Quarterback of his era. Randall Cunningham could beat you with his throwing arm or with his…
As much as football changes, some statistics will always remain critical to the game. One such stat is the Interception, which is one of the biggest game-changers regardless of era. In the ’60s, Bobby Boyd was one of the masters of the pick. Although Bobby Boyd was only in two Pro Bowls (though he was a three-time First Team All-Pro)…
Richmond Webb proved his merit immediately as the 9th overall Draft Pick in 1990, as the Left Tackle was a Pro Bowl and All-Rookie Selection, and UPI even went as far as naming him the Rookie of the Year. That year was no flash in the pan, as Webb would go on to be named to six more Pro Bowls…
You never had to wonder what was on Ricky Watters's mind. He would tell you whether it was good or bad, and that brashness made him a very polarizing figure in the NFL. This may also be why the Hall of Fame has yet to seriously consider him. Ricky Watters was one of the most consistent Running Backs in the…
James Harrison's journey to becoming an NFL star was far from easy. Despite his impressive performances at Kent State, he was not selected in the 2002 draft. His height and weight, 6'0" and 240 lbs, respectively, were the main reasons why NFL scouts overlooked him. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers gave him a chance, but it was not an easy road…
In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens made an excellent selection by grabbing Haloti Ngata with the 12th pick. Ngata was a former All-American defensive tackle from the University of Oregon, and the Ravens were looking for someone to stuff up the middle of their defense. Ngata proved to be the answer to their prayers. As soon as he…
Before the Dallas Cowboys truly became “America’s Team”, they had to establish themselves as a true force in the National Football League. A big part of that emergence was their defense, in which linebacker Lee Roy Jordan played a key role. Lee Roy Jordan was an elite linebacker and a tackling machine. Playing his entire fourteen-year career with the Cowboys,…
Along with his twin brother Mike, Maurkice Pouncey was a star Offensive Lineman, who helped the Florida Gators win the National Championship in 2009. Pouncey, an All-American, was selected 18th Overall in 2010 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played center for 11 years. Pouncey proved to be one of the top Centers of the 2010s, winning All-Decade honors with three First…
In the early 2010’s, Marshawn Lynch could make the claim that he was the best Running Back in the NFL, and if you didn’t believe that, you would have to agree that he was one of the best-known. Lynch had over 1,000 Rushing Yards in his first two seasons in football, where he was the offensive cog of the Buffalo Bills. He…
The all-time leader in Receiving, Receiving Yards, and Receiving Touchdowns in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, Hines Ward brings the accumulative statistical resume that you would expect from a Wide Receiver in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ward amassed over 12,000 Yards Receiving, an even 1,000 Receptions, and, most importantly, was a large part of the Pittsburgh…
Many entries on this list discuss the difficulty of comparing offensive statistics from the 1960s and 1970s to today's inflated numbers. This is even more true when you look at the stars of the 1950s. Charlie Conerly, the Quarterback of the New York Giants during the 1950s, was on the final ballot multiple times but dropped off seemingly for good…
Jake Scott played the first six seasons of his NFL career for the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1975, and as you can imagine, as a Dolphin in that era, he was accustomed to winning. Scott forwent his last year of college eligibility to play professionally in the Canadian Football League, and after a year with the B.C. Lions, he…
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…
You would think that the one-time All-Time Leader in NFL receptions would have at least been a finalist for the Hall of Fame. Of course, Billy Howton was the all-time leader when he retired in 1963. He has dropped considerably since then. Billy Howton was one of the top receivers for the Green Bay Packers throughout the 1950s. He was…
From SMU's football factory, Jerry Mays chose to stay in his home state with the Dallas Texans, who drafted him in the 5th Round of the 1961 Draft. The Minnesota Vikings of the NFL chose him in the 11th Round. The defensive tackle helped Dallas win the AFL Championship in 1962, and after the team relocated to Kansas City, he…
In the upstart American Football League, the San Diego Chargers possessed one of the most dominating Offensive Lines in football. A big part of that was Walt Sweeney, who patrolled the Right Guard position. Sweeney was an immediate factor as a pro. In his sophomore year, Sweeney was an AFL All-Star, and he remained either that or in the Pro…
Although Quarterback sacks have always happened in football, the NFL didn't officially track them until 1982. The first labeled “sackmaster” of American football would have to be the flamboyant and somewhat controversial Mark Gastineau, who terrorized Quarterbacks; and not because he had sex with Brigitte Nielsen. Mark Gastineau seemed built to terrorize gunslingers. It was what he was best at,…
From the University of Mississippi, Larry Grantham was a second-round pick by the New York Titans in 1960 (a 15th-round pick in the NFL) and a member of the original team. Grantham would be a great choice for the Titans (soon to be Jets), as he was one of the best linebackers the organization ever had and the backbone of…
When you think of great San Francisco quarterbacks, you automatically think of Joe Montana and Steve Young. Before them, there was a very good one named John Brodie who put up great numbers without the supporting cast that Montana and Young had. John Brodie was one of the game's early gunslingers, and most of the time he had to be.…
