1983 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 rhetorical question: What if the PFHOF began 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 we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 in 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 38th official class. 

Below are the final results of this project based on 33 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 1983:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1983.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1983.

About the 1983 Inductees:

Willie Lanier, LB, KAN 1967-77: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1983 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

Willie Lanier was the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ Linebacker corps (along with Bobby Bell and Jim Lynch), which was among the most feared in football history.  Lanier would be named an AFL All-Star in 1968, repeat the feat in 1970, and once eligible for the Pro Bowl, he would rattle off five in a row.  Lanier was considered overly aggressive, even for a Linebacker.  In what would be banned today, Lanier attacked with his helmet, and he was considered so vicious that padding was placed outside of his helmet to cushion the blow for his victims.  Lanier was one of the defensive leaders in their Super Bowl IV win, and in the big game, he recorded an interception with seven tackles.

He was also named the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 1972.

Paul Warfield, WR-SE, CLE 1964-69 & 1976-77 & MIA 1970-74: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1983 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

A First Round Pick from Ohio State, Paul Warfield landed in his home state when the Cleveland Browns selected him in 1964.

Warfield had a phenomenal rookie season, earning Pro Bowl accolades and aiding the Browns in an NFL Championship.  As potent as the Wide Receiver was, the Browns were a run-based team, but Warfield still got his fair share of touches.  Cleveland shocked their fans when Warfield was traded to Miami, but it would prove to be beneficial for the former Buckeye.

With the Dolphins, Warfield was again with a team that favored a rushing offense, but his mere presence opened up the field for Miami.  He added five Pro Bowls to the three he already had, and was a key component of the Dolphins’ back-to-back Super Bowl wins, including the magical 1972 undefeated season.

Warfield had 8,565 Receiving Yards and 85 Touchdowns, both of which were outstanding numbers for his era.

Maxie Baughan, LB, PHI 1960-65, RAM 1966-70 & WAS 1974.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1983 on his 4th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Maxie Baughan had a successful eleven-year career in professional football, making the Pro Bowl for nine of those years. Baughan started his career at Georgia Tech and played for the Philadelphia Eagles.

He was a key player in their championship-winning season in 1960, and his skills as a linebacker made him the team's best defender. He was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was a First Team All-Pro while playing for the Eagles. However, as the team's fortunes declined, Baughan was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1966.

Baughan continued to play well for the Rams, earning four consecutive Pro Bowl selections and four Second Team All-Pros from 1966 to 1970. He was an excellent fit for the team's Head Coach, George Allen, who knew how to make the most of Baughan's skills. After an injury-plagued 1970 season, Baughan retired but later rejoined Allen as a player-coach in 1974.  In 2015, Baughan entered the Eagles Ring of Honor.

Lem Barney, DB, DET, 1967-77.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1983 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Coming out of Jackson State, Cornerback Lem Barney made an immediate impact for the Lions, winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and leading the NFL in Interceptions.  He wouldn’t duplicate that feat as opposing offensive coordinators knew to avoid him like the plague, but he was still a seven-time Pro Bowler with 56 total picks and over 1,000 Interception Return Yards.  Barney was also a significant asset on the return game, accumulating 2,586 Return Yards and three TDs.

Jimmy Patton, DB, NYG 1955-66.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1983 on his 12th Ballot.  He was never inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The New York Giants were a dominant force in the NFL during the late 1950s and early 1960s, with a championship win under their belt. However, the incredible contributions of one of their star players, Jimmy Patton, have largely been forgotten over time.

Patton's skills on the field were undeniable, and he really began to shine during the Giants' 1956 championship win. He continued to improve and impress, leading the league in interceptions with an outstanding 11 in 1958. This marked the first of his five consecutive First Team All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl appearances, with Patton playing a pivotal role in the Giants' impressive six postseason appearances.

Despite his impressive achievements, including a championship title, Jimmy Patton's once-illustrious football career has faded with time, and though he was never a Finalist for the actual PFHOF, he is remembered here.

Bucko Kilroy, G-MG-T-DT, PHI 1943-55.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1983 on his 3rd Senior Ballot.  He was never inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A beast at Temple University, Francis Joseph "Bucko" Kilroy may not have been drafted.  Still, his hometown Philadelphia Eagles knew there was something special about him, and he made the team, albeit in a combined effort, as in 1943, the Eagles merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers due to the depletion of talent caused by World War II. 

Kilroy would play his entire career with the Eagles, and the bruising Lineman was considered one of the toughest players in the league.  He would help Philadelphia win the 1948 and 1949 NFL Championships and would make three Pro Bowls in the 1950s. He would later be named to the 1940s All-Decade Team.

After his playing career, Kilroy became a very successful scout and administrator.

Pete Rozelle, G-MG-T-DT, PHI 1943-55.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1983 on his 3rd Coach/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

In 1960, Pete Rozelle was the 33-year-old General Manager of the Los Angeles Rams, and following the NFL winter meetings, he was asked to be the Commissioner of the league to replace the deceased Bert Bell.  Rozelle accepted, and he served as the NFL Commissioner for 30 years.

Under Rozelle’s watch, he oversaw the merger of the NFL and AFL, the creation of the Super Bowl, the growth from 12 to 28 teams, and elevated Football to the premier televised sport in the United States.