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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project: 1997 Preliminary VOTE

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project: 1997 Preliminary VOTE
20 Jun
2026
Not in Hall of Fame

1997 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 treated the PFHOF as having its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the first 50 years.

For “1997,” a Preliminary Vote with over 100 players whose playing career ended by 1991. 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, voters will be asked to select 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, 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

Cliff Branch WR

7

22

Charlie Joiner WR

6

22

John Stallworth WR

5

21

Dan Hampton DE-DT

2

21

Russ Grimm G-C

1

21

George Kunz T

12

20

L.C. Greenwood DE

11

19

Bob Kuechenberg G-T-C

9

19

Ken Anderson QB

6

19

Dick LeBeau DB

20

18

Dave Robinson LB

18

18

Chris Hanburger LB

14

18

Bob Griese QB

12

17

Lemar Parrish DB

10

16

Louis Wright DB

6

16

Ken Stabler QB

8

15

Lester Hayes DB

6

15

Donnie Shell DB

5

15

Billy “White Shoes” Johnson

4

14

Otis Taylor WR-FL

17

13

Cliff Harris S

13

13

Drew Pearson WR

9

13

Joe Klecko DE

4

13

Fred Dean DE

7

12

Winston Hill T

15

11

Jim Marshall DE

13

11

Ken Riley DB

9

9

Todd Christensen TE

4

9

Russ Francis TE

4

9

Walt Sweeney G

17

8

Andy Russell LB

16

8

Curley Culp DT-NT

11

8

Stanley Morgan WR

2

8

*Larry Grantham LB

20

7

Deron Cherry DB

1

7

Harold Carmichael WR

8

6

Bubba Baker DE

2

6

Jimbo Covert T

2

6

Chuck Foreman RB

12

5

Matt Blair LB

7

5

Nolan Cromwell DB

5

5

Harry Carson LB

4

5

Ed “Too Tall” Jones DE

3

5

Daryle Lamonica QB

18

4

Floyd Little RB

17

4

Ed Budde G

16

4

Ernie McMillan T

16

4

Jim Bakken PK

14

4

Bill Bergey LB

12

4

Jack Tatum DB

12

4

Harold Jackson WR

9

4

Mark Gastineau DE

4

4

*Houston Antwine DT

20

3

John Brodie QB

19

3

Mike Stratton LB

19

3

Gale Gillingham G-DT

16

3

Pat Fischer CB

15

3

Jerry Smith TE

15

3

Mike Curtis LB-FB

14

3

Ron McDole DE-DT

14

3

Jake Scott DB

14

3

Coy Bacon DE

11

3

Bert Jones QB

10

3

Rick Upchurch WR/R

9

3

Doug Wilkerson G

8

3

Lyle Alzado DE

7

3

*Rich Jackson DE

20

2

Lee Roy Jordan LB

16

2

Lydell Mitchell RB

12

2

Mike Wagner DB

12

2

Isiah Robertson LB

10

2

Harvey Martin DE

9

2

Billy Sims RB

8

2

Ed White G

7

2

Tom Jackson LB

6

2

Jeff Van Note C

6

2

Wes Chandler WR

4

2

Dave Brown DB

3

2

Curt Warner RB

2

2

Dexter Manley DE

1

2

*George Saimes DB

20

1

Cornell Green DB

18

1

John Niland G

17

1

Larry Brown RB

16

1

Dick Anderson DB

15

1

Roman Gabriel QB

15

1

Rich Saul C

11

1

Mel Gray WR

10

1

Riley Odoms TE

9

1

Gary Johnson DT

7

1

Joe Theismann QB

7

1

Dwight Clark WR

5

1

Dennis Harrah G

5

1

Marvin Powell T

5

1

Randy Cross G-C

4

1

Rulon Jones DE

4

1

Neil Lomax QB

4

1

Hanford Dixon DB

3

1

Doug Williams QB

3

1

Mike Quick WR

2

1

Keena Turner LB

2

1

Raymond Clayborn DB

1

1

Hugh Green LB

1

1

Carroll Dale WR-E

19

0

Bob Jeter DB-WR

19

0

Jim Nance RB-FB

19

0

Ralph Neely T

15

0

George Atkinson DB

13

0

Lawrence McCutchen RB

11

0

*Jim Hart QB

8

0

*Mark Moseley PK

6

0

*Brad Van Pelt LB

6

0

Steve Nelson LB

5

0

*Dave Butz DT

4

0

*Carl Hairston DE

2

0

*LeRoy Irvin DB

2

0

*J.T. Smith WR

2

0

*James Wilder RB

2

0

*Sammy Winder RB

2

0

*Eric Wright DB

2

0

*Fredd Young LB

2

0

Jerome Brown DT

1

0

Matt Millen LB

1

0

Joe Morris RB

1

0

Gerald Riggs RB

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

19

8

Les Richter LB-C

10

7

Arch Ward CONTRIBUTOR

8

7

Bobby Boyd DB

4

7

Art Powell E

4

7

Dave Grayson DB

2

7

Billy Wilson FL-E

12

6

Greasy Neale COACH

8

6

Bruno Banducci G

18

5

Alan Ameche FB

12

5

Charles Bidwill OWNER

8

5

Dick Schafrath T-G-DE

1

5

George Preston Marshall OWNER

8

4

Cookie Gilchrist FB

5

4

Jack Kemp QB

3

4

*Ray Bray G

20

3

Charlie Conerly QB

11

3

Harlon Hill E-DB

10

3

Dan Reeves OWNER

8

3

Rosey Grier DT-DE

6

3

Goose Gonsoulin DB

5

3

Max McGee E

5

3

Boyd Dowler FL-SE-LB

1

3

Les Bingaman DG-G-C

18

2

Tank Younger FB-LB-HB

14

2

Jim Ray Smith G-T

8

2

Abner Haynes HB

5

2

Erich Barnes DB

1

2

Butch Byrd DB

1

2

Clem Daniels HB-DB

4

1

Jim Katcavage DE

4

1

Don Meredith QB

4

1

Babe Parilli QB

3

1

Howard Mudd G

2

1

Bill Fischer T-G-DT

19

0

Leon Hart E-FB-DE

15

0

*Earl Faison DE

6

0

Fuzzy Thurston G

5

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

SCOUT: Gil Brandt

6

14

COACH Tom Flores

1

13

SCOUT: Bill Nunn

4

11

SCOUT: Eddie Kotal

2

11

EXEC: Jim Finks

8

8

SCOUT: John Wooten

2

7

COACH: Chuck Knox

1

7

TV EXEC: Roone Arledge

11

5

OWNER: Jack Kent Cooke

2

5

NARRATOR: John Facenda

2

5

EXEC: George Halas Jr.

18

4

OWNER: Bud Adams

16

4

OWNER: Clint Murchison

16

4

TV COMMENTATOR: Howard Cosell

11

3

COACH: Bum Phillips

10

3

SCOUT: Lloyd Wells

2

3

OWNER: Art Modell

12

2

COACH: Lindy Infante

8

2

SCOUT : Jack Vainsi

2

2

COACH: Bill Arnsbarger

12

1

COACH: John Robinson

3

1

COACH: Joe Collier

2

1

OWNER: William Clay Ford

2

1

COACH: Jerry Glanville

2

1

COACH: Richie Petitbon

2

1

*COACH: Dick Modzelweski

6

0

*COACH: Hank Bullough

2

0

*EXEC: Mike Holovak

2

0

*COACH: Ed Khayat

1

0

*COACH: Jack Pardee

2

0

*COACH: Ted Plumb

2

0

*COACH: Doug Shively

2

0

*COACH: LaVern Torgenson

2

0

*COACH: Bob Zemen

2

0

COACH: John Sandusky

1

0

COACH: Tom Walsh

1

0

COACH: Woody Widenhofer

1

0

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1997 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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