1994 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project Class.

Here we are!  Again!!

If you have been following our Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, you know we have asked the question: What if the PFHOF had begun in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which each voter selected 25 names as their semi-finalists and five names for the Senior Pool. We then asked the group to vote for their 15 Finalists in the Modern Era and 3 in the Senior Category. The final stage was to vote for their five Modern Era inductee and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the 49th official class. 

Below are the final results of this project based on 32 votes.

Remember that we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall in the Modern Era

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1994:

Player	Year of Eligibility	Vote Total
Randy White DT	1	25
Tony Dorsett RB	1	21
Joe Demielleure G	4	17
John Riggins RB-FB	4	12
Lynn Swann WR	7	10
Jackie Smith TE	11	9
Tommy Nobis LB	13	8
Ray Guy P	3	8
Charlie Joiner WR	3	8
Dave Robinson LB	15	7
John Stallworth WR	2	7
Dick LeBeau DB	17	6
Jan Stenerud PK	4	6
Kenny Easley DB	2	6
Bob Griese QB	9	5
Ken Stabler QB	5	1

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1994.

Pete Retzlaff E-HB-TE	3	12
Woody Strode E	20	10
Pat Harder E-HB-TE	16	6
None of the Above	N/A	4

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1994.

Chuck Noll (Coach)	1	29
Ralph Wilson (Owner)	3	2
Gil Brandt (Scout)	3	1
None of the Above		0

About the 1994 Inductees:

Randy White, DT, DAL 1975-88: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1994 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Randy White was a superstar at the University of Maryland, where in 1974 he won the Lombardi Trophy and was the ACC Player of the Year.  The Cowboys took notice, and they would select him with the second overall pick.

White was eased into greatness as a backup Linebacker, but in his third year he became the starting Right Defensive Tackle, which was his natural fit.  That was the year that White broke out and established himself among the best in the game.  White went on a 10-year Pro-Bowl streak, with seven of those years seeing him ascend to First Team All-Pro honors.  It was also especially sweet, as in that first year, White would win Super Bowl XII, sharing the game MVP with a fellow defensive teammate, Harvey Martin.

White was an exceptional pass rusher who had only 52 official Sacks (the stat was not recorded until 1982).  He missed only one game, and he was one of the most popular players in team history.  White would be named to the 1980s All-Decade Team and the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1994.

Tony Dorsett, RB, DAL 1977-87 & DEN 1988: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1994 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

A stud Running Back at the University of Pittsburgh, Tony Dorsett had an immediate impact with the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him second overall in the 1977 Draft.  That year, Dorsett won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award with 1,007 Rushing Yards and four postseason touchdowns on the way to a Super Bowl win.  Not a bad rookie year!

Dorsett never won another Super Bowl, but he remained a superstar and one of the elite rushers over the next eight seasons.  He had eight 1,000-yard years, with all of those seasons seeing him finish in the top nine in that category.  He was a dual threat in that era with his receiving skills and was also perennially in the top nine in Yards from Scrimmage, appearing on that list from 1977 to 1985.

After the 1987 season, the Running Back would sign with the Denver Broncos for one final season. Dorsett would have 12,739 Rushing Yards, 3,554 Receiving Yards, and 90 Touchdowns. 

Joe DeLamielleure, G, BUF 1973-79 & 1985 & CLE 1980-84.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1994 on his 4th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Joe DaLamielleure had the best years of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and was adept at opening holes for O.J. Simpson to plow through.  DeLamielleure had five of his six Pro Bowls as a Bill and was a three-time First Team All-Pro.  It was also noted how well the Offensive Guard handled Pittsburgh Steeler Defensive End, Joe Greene, one of the few players who got the better of “Mean Joe”.

DeLamielleure spent the second half of his career with the Cleveland Browns, though he returned for a final season with Buffalo in 1985.  In 2003, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Six years prior, DeLamielleure was chosen for the Bills Wall of Fame.  His run with the Cleveland Browns was also stellar.

John Riggins, RB, NYJ 1971-75 & WAS 1976-79 & 1981-85.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1994 on his 4th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

While everyone (and rightfully so) thinks of John Riggins in a Redskins uniform.  That wasn’t where he started, as the former Kansas Jayhawk was a New York Jet for the first five years of his career.  While wearing the green, the 1971 First Rounder was a Pro Bowl Selection and cracked over 1,000 Yards rushing in 1975, which was his last season with the Jets.

Riggins signed with Washington as a Free Agent afterward, but his first two seasons were poor, and a knee injury marred his second year. He powered back in 1978 with 1,014 Rushing Yards, and 1,153 in 1979.  Riggins was finally the Running Back they needed, but they would not have him in 1980, as a contract dispute kept him out for the entire year.  

The Redskins saw Riggins return, and while the 1981 and 1982 regular seasons were average, his '82 playoffs were phenomenal.  Riggins rushed for 166 Yards (a then-record) in Washington's Super Bowl XVII Championship, and he also had 610 Rushing Yards overall in the playoffs.  The Running Back was on a roll, and in 1983, Riggins had rushed for 1,347 Yards and a league-leading 24 Touchdowns.  Riggins was a First Team All-Pro and the Bert Bell Award winner that season, and he again led the NFL in Rushing Touchdowns with 14 the season after.  Without his run from '82 to '84, there was no way that Riggins would get into Canton!

He played one more year before retiring, and he accumulated 13,442 Yards From Scrimmage with 116 Touchdowns.

Lynn Swann, WR, PIT 1974-82.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1994 on his 7th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

One of the most recognized players of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl era in the 1970s, Lynn Swann, was part of all four of their titles during their dynastic run.

Swann was the player with whom Pittsburgh used their First Round Pick in 1974 (24^th overall), and in his rookie season, he was mostly used as a Punt Returner, where he excelled, leading the NFL in Punt Return Yards.  Swann and the Steelers won their first Super Bowl that year, and the following season, he was a far more integral cog in the Pittsburgh offense. 

Swann's 1975 season would see him lead the NFL in Receiving Touchdowns (11), and in Super Bowl X, Swann had 161 Receiving Yards and a TD, impressive considering he was not expected to play due to injury.  Arguably, this was the performance that earned him a spot in Canton.

The Wide Receiver, who was a Pro Bowl in 1975, would be again in 1977 and 1978, with the latter season earning a First Team All-Pro.  Swann helped them win two more Super Bowls, and in the 16 postseason games he played, he had 907 yards and 9 TDs.  

Swann would later be inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor in 2017.

Pete Retzlaff, TE-E-FL, PHI 1956-66.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1994 on his 20th Senior Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In this era of sports specialization, it is hard to imagine that football players used to change positions regularly.  Pete Retzlaff played various offensive positions, but he could always be counted on to catch the ball. 

On five different occasions, Pete Retzlaff had seasons of 50 or more receptions.  Considering the era in which he played, that tally becomes even more impressive.  His best offensive seasons occurred after he moved to Tight End, where he was one of the few at that position who were sure-handed.  He continued to post impressive stats and received the Bert Bell Award in 1965.

Retzlaff was not the best blocker, which may limit his overall performance in the Tight End slot.  Still, with the numbers he could put up at a time when it was not common, the fact that he was not the League’s best blocker could be forgiven somewhat.

Chuck Noll, Head Coach, PIT 1969-91.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1994 on his 1st Coach/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Chuck Noll played seven years in the NFL, all for Cleveland under Paul Brown.  Much like Brown, Noll would become an iconic figure in a blue-collar town and achieve similar success.

After establishing himself as a Defensive Coordinator with the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Colts, Noll was named Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, inheriting a team that had never won anything of note.  Under Noll, the Steelers became a league juggernaut, winning four Super Bowls in the 1970s.  He kept the team as contenders throughout his 22 Years in that capacity, and under him, the culture completely changed to where Pittsburgh remains one of the most high-profile teams in the NFL.

Noll retired after the 1991 Season with a record of 194-148-1.

As a Coach, Noll would be named to the 1970s All-Decade Team, the 1980s All-Decade Team, and the 100^th Anniversary Team.

After establishing himself as one of the top Guards of the 1970s with the Buffalo Bills, Joe DeLamielleure was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 1980.  

DeLamielleure, who had five Pro Bowls with the Bills and was a blocker for O.J. Simpson star turns, made history in his first season with the Browns.  Not only did DeLamielleure earn his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl, but he also became the first lineman to block a 2,000-yard rusher (Simpson) and protect a 4000-yard passer (Brian Sipe).  Sipe won the MVP, and arguably, it would not have happened without DeLamielleure.

A Second Team All-Pro in 1980, DeLamielleure was so again in 1983, though his Pro Bowls were behind him.  He was still a solid veteran in the locker room, and his blue-collar style of play was perfect for the rust belt franchises he played for.  After being released before the 1985 season, he rejoined the Bills for one last year.

DeLamielleure was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and is a member of both the Browns Ring of Honor and Bills Wall of Fame.

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Joe DaLamielleure had the best years of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and was adept at opening holes for O.J. Simpson to plow through.  DeLamielleure had five of his six Pro Bowls as a Bill and was a three-time First Team All-Pro.  It was also noted how well the Offensive Guard handled Pittsburgh Steeler Defensive End, Joe Greene, one of the few players who got the better of “Mean Joe”.

DeLamielleure spent the second half of his career with the Cleveland Browns, though he returned for a final season with Buffalo in 1985.  In 2003, he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Six years before, DeLamielleure was chosen for the Bills Wall of Fame.