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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project: 1988 Preliminary VOTE

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project: 1988 Preliminary VOTE
13 Dec
2025
Not in Hall of Fame

1988 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 42 years.

For “1988,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1982. We also follow the structure in which 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 fewer than the allotted spots. 

31 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

Art Shell T

1

24

Jack Ham

1

23

Rayfield Wright T-TE

4

22

Larry Csonka FB

4

20

Larry Little G

3

19

Ken Houston DB

3

18

Jim Langer C

2

18

Ron Yary T

1

18

Roger Wehrli DB

1

17

Tommy Nobis LB

7

16

Bob Hayes SE-WR

8

16

Dave Wilcox LB

9

15

Tom Mack G

5

15

Jackie Smith TE

5

15

Dave Robinson LB

9

14

Bob Griese QB

3

14

L.C. Greenwood DE

2

14

Lynn Swann WR

1

14

Joe Fortunato LB

17

13

George Kunz T

3

13

Pete Retzlaff E-HB-TE

17

12

Bobby Boyd DB

15

12

Dick LeBeau DB

11

12

Claude Humprhrey DE

2

12

Gino Cappelletti FL-SE-DB-WR-PK

13

11

Jim Marshall DE

4

11

Roger Brown DT

14

10

Dick Schafrath T-G-DE

12

10

Chris Hanburger LB

5

10

Curley Culp DT-NT

2

10

*Les Richter LB-C

20

9

Lemar Parrish

1

9

Otis Taylor WR-FL

8

8

Winston Hill T

6

8

Walt Sweeney G

8

7

Cliff Harris S

4

7

Floyd Little RB

8

6

Rosey Grier DT-DE

17

5

Max McGee E

16

5

Fuzzy Thurston G

16

5

Mike Stratton LB

10

5

Roman Gabriel QB

6

5

Coy Bacon DE

2

5

Cookie Gilchrist FB

16

4

Jim Katcavage DE-DT

15

4

Dave Grayson DB

13

4

Boyd Dowler FL-SE-LB

12

4

Andy Russell LB

7

4

Dick Anderson DB

6

4

Pat Fischer CB

6

4

Bill Bergey LB

3

4

Jack Tatum DB

3

4

Jim Ray Smith G-T

19

3

Art Powell E

15

3

Erich Barnes DB

12

3

Houston Antwine DT

11

3

Rich Jackson DE

11

3

Jim Nance RB-FB

10

3

Daryle Lamonica QB

9

3

Ernie McMillan T

7

3

Jerry Smith TE

6

3

Jim Bakken PK

5

3

Goose Gonsoulin DB

16

2

Abner Haynes HB

16

2

Bob Talamini G

15

2

Jack Kemp QB

14

2

Butch Byrd DB

12

2

Ben Davidson DE

12

2

Larry Grantham LB

11

2

John Brodie QB

10

2

Carroll Dale WR-E

10

2

Ed Budde G

7

2

Lee Roy Jordan LB

7

2

Bubba Smith DE

7

2

George Atkinson DB

4

2

Chuck Foreman RB

3

2

Bert Jones QB

1

2

*Bill Forester LB-MG-DT

20

1

John David Crow HB-TE-FB

15

1

Don Meredith QB

15

1

Babe Parilli QB

14

1

Howard Mudd G

13

1

George Andrie DE

11

1

George Saimes DB

11

1

Bob Jeter DB-WR

10

1

Cornell Green LB

9

1

John Niland G

8

1

Larry Brown RB

7

1

Bill Stanfill DE

7

1

Len Hauss C

6

1

Ralph Neely T

6

1

Mike Curtis LB-FB

5

1

Ron McDole DE-DT

5

1

Jake Scott DB

5

1

Gene Washington WR

4

1

Sam Cunningham QB

3

1

Mike Wagner DB

3

1

Dwight White DE

3

1

Ken Burrough WR

2

1

Fred Dryer DE

2

1

Calvin Hill RB

2

1

Lawrence McCutchen RB

2

1

Terry Metcalf RB

2

1

Rich Saul C

2

1

Bob Young G

2

1

Will Buchanan DB

1

1

Craig Morton QB

1

1

Ahmad Rashad WR

1

1

Isiah Robertson LB

1

1

Russ Washington 

1

1

Bob Gain DT-D-MG-T

19

0

Earl Faison DE

17

0

Clem Daniels HB-DB

15

0

Billy Cannon TE-HB

13

0

E.J. Holub LB-C

13

0

Matt Snell RB

11

0

Gale Gillingham G-DT

7

0

Earl Morrall QB

7

0

*Wally Hilgenberg LB

4

0

Otis Armstrong RB

3

0

Tommy Hart DE

3

0

Lydell Mitchell RB

3

0

*Raymond Chester TE

2

0

*Thom Darden G

2

0

*Conrad Dobler G

2

0

*Glen Edwards DB

2

0

*Cedrick Hardman DE

2

0

*Randy Rasmussen G

2

0

*Jerry Sherk DT-DE-NT

2

0

*Bill Thompson DB

2

0

*Charlie Waters DB

2

0

*Delvin Williams RB

2

0

*Garo Yepremian PK

2

0

Gary Barbaro DB

1

0

Larry Brooks DT

1

0

Rich Caster TE-WR

1

0

Mel Gray WR

1

0

Jack Rudnay C

1

0

Jeff Siemon LB

1

0

Pat Thomas DB

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

Gene Lipscomb DT

1

14

Buckets Goldenberg G-BB

18

10

Les Richter LB-C

1

10

Marshall Goldberg FB

15

9

Alan Ameche FB

3

9

Billy Wilson FL-E

3

7

Charlie Conerly QB

2

7

Ward Cuff WB-QB-HB

16

6

Pat Harder FB

10

6

Woody Strode E

14

5

Harlon Hill E-DB

1

5

Bill Osmanski FB

16

4

Bill Fischer T-G-DT

10

4

Tank Younger FB-LB-HB

5

4

Charley Brock C-HB-FB

16

3

Les Bingaman DG-G-C

8

3

Baby Ray T

15

3

Leon Hart E-FB-DE

6

3

Bobby Walston E-HB-K

1

3

George Wilson E

17

2

Spec Sanders TB

13

2

Frank Cope WB-QB-HB

16

1

Buster Ramsey G

12

1

Frankie Albert QB

11

1

Bruno Banducci G

9

1

Paul Christman QB

13

0

Ray Bray G

11

0

 

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

FILMMAKER: Ed Sabol

5

20

COACH: Bud Grant

1

18

OWNER: Wellington Mara

2

14

TV EXEC: Roone Arledge

2

10

COACH: Greasy Neale

19

8

OWNER: Tex Schramm

9

8

EXEC: George Halas Jr.

9

6

TV COMMENTATOR: Howard Cosell

2

6

EXEC:  Arch Ward

19

5

COACH: Bum Phillips

1

5

OWNER: Charles Bidwill

19

4

OWNER: Dan Reeves

19

4

OWNER: Art Modell

3

4

OWNER:  George Preston Marshall

19

3

OWNER: Bud Adams

7

3

OWNER: Clint Murchison

7

3

EXEC: Don Klosterman

3

2

COACH: Bill Arnsbarger

3

1

*OWNER: Max Winter

6

0

*OWNER: Joe Robbie

3

0

OWNER: Leon Hess

1

0

COACH: Mike Scarry

1

0

EXEC: Johnny Sanders

1

0

EXEC: Jack Steadman

1

0

OWNER: Billy Sullivan

1

0

 

We also held a vote asking whether those who fall off the Coaches/Contributors Ballot after 20 years should receive a second chance on the Seniors Ballot.  You voted 23 to 8 in favor of giving them a second chance.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1988 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Committee Chairman

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

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