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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project: 1981 Preliminary VOTE

19 Jul
2025
Not in Hall of Fame

1981 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you to all who participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are still determining what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the first 34 years thus far.

For “1981,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1975. We are also following the structure, where 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters will be asked to select 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and then choose five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process every week until we catch up to the current year.

Please note that a significant change occurred “years ago,” allowing voters to submit less than the allotted spots. 

30 Votes took place.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates they have been removed from future ballots

 

Player

Year of Eligibility

Vote Total

Del Shofner E-DB

9

22

Eddie Meador DB

6

21

Len Dawson QB

1

21

Johnny Robinson DB-FL-HB

5

19

Bob Hayes SE-WR

1

19

Billy Howton E-FL

13

18

Tom Sestak DT

8

18

Dave Robinson LB

2

18

George Blanda QB-P

1

18

Dick LeBeau DB

4

17

Gene Hickerson G

3

17

Jim Tyrer T

2

17

Jimmy Johnson DB

1

17

Joe Fortunato LB

10

16

Jimmy Patton DB

10

16

Billy Shaw G

7

16

Gino Cappelletti FL-SE-DB-WR-PK

6

16

Pete Retzlaff E-HB-TE

10

15

Maxie Baughan LB

2

15

Otis Taylor WR-FL

1

14

Abe Woodson DB

10

13

Bob Brown T

3

13

Dave Wilcox LB

2

13

Buck Buchanan DT

1

13

Alan Ameche FB

16

12

Gene Lipscomb DT

14

11

Walt Sweeney G

1

11

Art Powell E

8

10

Roger Brown DT

8

10

Charlie Conerly QB

15

9

Bobby Boyd DB

8

9

Floyd Little RB

1

9

Tank Younger FB-LB-HB

17

8

Fuzzy Thurston G

9

8

Les Richter LB-C

14

7

Max McGee E

9

7

Dick Schafrath T-G-DE

5

7

Daryle Lamonica QB

2

7

Jack Kemp QB

7

6

Ernie Ladd DT

5

6

Billy Wilson E-FL

16

5

Dave Grayson DB

6

5

Manny Fernandez DT

1

5

Dick Modzelewski DT

10

4

Cookie Gilchrist FB

9

4

Boyd Dowler FL-SE-LB

5

4

Larry Grantham LB

4

4

Houston Antwine DT

4

4

Matt Snell RB

4

4

Cornell Green LB

2

4

John Niland G

1

4

Harlon Hill E-DB

14

3

Rick Cesares FB

10

3

Earl Faison DE

10

3

Rosey Grier DT-DE

10

3

Abner Haynes HB

9

3

Clem Daniels HB-DB

8

3

Jim Katcavage DE-DT

8

3

Keith Lincoln FB-HB

8

3

Don Meredith QB

8

3

Bob Talamini G

8

3

Billy Cannon TE-HB

6

3

Erich Barnes DB

5

3

George Saimes DB

4

3

Mike Stratton LB

3

3

Leon Hart E-FB-DE

19

2

Jim Ray Smith G-T

12

2

Alex Webster HB-FB

12

2

Goose Gonsoulin DB

9

2

Fuzzy Thurston G

8

2

John David Crow HB-TE-FB

8

2

Ernie Ladd DT

8

2

Fred Arbanas TE

6

2

E.J. Holub LB-C

6

2

Butch Byrd DB

5

2

Ben Davidson DE

5

2

Rich Jackson DE

4

2

Jack Pardee LB

4

2

Pat Studstill FL-P

4

2

John Brodie QB

3

2

Carroll Dale WR-E

3

2

Speedy Duncan DB

2

2

Duane Putnam G

14

1

Bobby Walston E-HB-K

14

1

Bob Gain DT-DE-MG-T

12

1

Ken Gray G-DE

6

1

Jerry Mays DE-DT

6

1

Howard Mudd G

6

1

Gary Collins FL-WR-P

5

1

Tommy Mason HB

5

1

George Andrie DE

4

1

Jim Dunaway DT

4

1

Richie Petitbon DB

4

1

Rosey Taylor DB

4

1

Bob Vogel T

4

1

Wayne Walker LB

4

1

Ernie Wright T

4

1

Bob Jeter DB-WR

3

1

Jim Nance RB-FB

3

1

Verlon Biggs DE

2

1

Lee Rohde T

2

1

Charlie Cowan G-T

1

1

Tom Keating DT

1

1

*George Ratterman QB

20

0

Bill Forester LB-MG-DT

13

0

Walt Michaels LB 

13

0

*Tobin Rote QB

10

0

Fred Williamson DB

9

0

Babe Parilli QB

7

0

*Lee Roy Caffey LB

4

0

*Fred Miller DT

4

0

*Grady Alderman T

2

0

*Bill Bradley DB

2

0

*Bill Brown FB-RB

2

0

*Dan Conners LB

2

0

*Dave Costa DT

2

0

*Robert James DB

2

0

*Harry Schuh T

2

0`

*Ken Willard RB

2

0

Bob DeMarco C-G

1

0

Milt Morin TE

1

0

 

This is for the “Senior Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

 

Player

Year

Votes

Pat Harder FB

3

11

Whizzer White TB-HB

15

10

Marshall Goldberg FB

8

10

Bucko Kilroy G-T

1

10

Woody Strode E

7

9

Ward Cuff WB-QB-HB

9

8

Bruno Banducci G

2

8

Buckets Goldenberg G-BB

11

7

Bill Osmanski FB

9

7

Ace Gutkowski FB-TB

17

6

Frankie Albert QB

4

5

Les Bingaman DG-G-C

2

5

Jack Manders HB-FB

16

4

Baby Ray T

8

4

Charley Brock C-HB-FB

9

3

Spec Sanders TB

6

3

Buster Ramsey G

5

3

Ray Bray G

4

3

George Wilson E

10

2

Paul Christman QB

6

2

George Svendesen  C

15

1

Frank Cope WB-QB-HB

9

1

Bill Fischer T-G-DT

3

1

 

Please note that three voted for “None of the Above.”

 

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

 

Name

Year

Votes

COACH: John Madden

1

20

COMM: Pete Roselle

1

20

COACH: Hank Stram

2

19

COACH: Weeb Ewbank

5

15

COACH: George Allen

2

15

COACH: Greasy Neale

12

10

OWNER: Tex Schramm

2

7

EXEC:  Arch Ward

12

6

OWNER: Charles Bidwill

12

5

OWNER:  George Preston Marshall

12

5

EXEC: George Halas Jr.

2

5

OWNER: Dan Reeves

12

4

COACH: Lou Saban

3

2

OWNER: Bud Adams

1

2

COACH:  Allie Sharman

11

1

OWNER: Clint Murchison

1

1

*OWNER: Edwin J. Anderson

12

0

*COACH:  Jim Lee Howell

12

0

*COMM: Elmer Layden

12

0

*GM/EXEC: Arch Wolfe

12

0

EXEC: Dominic Olejniczak

7

0

*OWNER Carroll Rosenbloom

2

0

 

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1981 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at kirk.buchner@notinhalloffame.com . Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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