1979 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS: 

Thank you for your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1978.

For “1978,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1972. We are also following the structure in that 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 were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process on a weekly basis until we catch up to the current year.

32 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals: 

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of 1979 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project next Saturday.

Thank you to all who contributed. If you want to be part of this project, please let us know!

1979 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 31 years thus far.

For “1979,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1973. 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 on a weekly basis 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

This is for the “Senior Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

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

Please note that one 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.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1978 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1978 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 33rd 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 1978:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1978.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1978.

About the 1978 Inductees:

John Mackey TE, BAL 1963-71 & SD 1972: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1978 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

In the history of professional football, there have been multiple names that have been tagged as someone who “redefined the position”.

John Mackey is one of those guys.

Mackey was a superb athlete whose size and speed set him apart from other Tight Ends in the 1960s.  As good a blocker as he was a receiver, Mackey would become a regular target of Johnny Unitas and would collect 5,126 Yards as a Colt.  Mackey is best known in Baltimore for his 75-Yard catch in Super Bowl V, which swung the momentum of the game in the Colts’ favor.

Mackey accumulated 5,236 Receiving Yards with 38 Touchdowns, and was the second pure Tight End elected.

Herb Adderley, DB, GNB 1961-69 & DAL 1970-72: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1978 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

A five-time Champion with the Green Bay Packers (and a sixth with the Dallas Cowboys), Herb Adderley intercepted 39 passes and twice led the NFL in Interception Return Yards.  Adderley was a four-time First Team All-Pro and was also a star Kick Returner who produced over 3,000 Yards.  He would tally nine touchdowns overall, an incredible number for someone who didn’t play offense.

Lance Alworth, FL-WR, SD 1962-70 & DAL 1971-72.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1978 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

The San Francisco 49ers of the NFL and the Oakland Raiders of the AFL both drafted Lance Alworth, but it was the AFL where Alworth would join after his AFL rights were traded to the San Diego Chargers before his 1962 rookie season.  The Chargers gave up three players for Alworth, and it still turned out to be a robbery in favor of the Bolts.

Alworth only played four Games as a rookie due to injuries, but in 1963 he began a seven-year streak where he had at least 1,000 Receiving Yards and was a First Team All-Pro in the first six.  Alworth was the AFL's leader in Receiving Yards three times, was a three-time leader in Receiving Touchdowns, and was easily one of the most offensive skill players in the history of the AFL.  Alworth helped the Chargers win the 1963 AFL Title, and his yardage from the air was so prolific that he also was a two-time league-leader in Yards From Scrimmage.

Alworth was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for three players before the 1971 season, and he played there for two final seasons before retiring, helping them win Super Bowl VI.  With the Chargers, Alworth had 9,584 Receiving Yards, 81 Touchdowns, and an astounding 111 in Approximate Value in the same number of games. 

Ray Nitschke, LB, GNB 1958-72.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1978 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

Spending his entire professional career with the Green Bay Packers, Linebacker Ray Nitschke was the anchor for the Green Bay defense for fifteen seasons.  

Nitschke would lead Green Bay to five Championships while becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer.  

When you think of Pro Football Hall of Famers from the defensive side of the ball, it is next to impossible to come up with a player who is held in higher regard than Ray Nitschke.   Bart Starr was the best name ever for a Quarterback, but isn’t Ray Nitschke just as appropriate for a Linebacker?

Mike Ditka, TE, CHI 1961-66, PHI 1967-68 & DAL 1969-72.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1978 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Mike Ditka arguably achieved greater fame as Chicago’s Head Coach, but the generation before knew him as the man who evolved the Tight End position.

Taken from Pitt Fifth Overall in 1961, Ditka was the AP Rookie of the Year, and became the first ever Tight End to have a 1,000 Yard season, redefining what a Tight End could do at the professional level.  Ditka never had a four-digit Receiving Yard year again, but Ditka remained the game’s top Tight End over the next four seasons, and he was a key component in Chicago’s 1963 NFL Championship win.

Ditka was traded to Philadelphia by the cost-conscious Bears in 1967, but his style of play caught up with him, and he never produced the same metrics he did as a Bear.  Late in his career, Ditka won a Super Bowl with Dallas in Super Bowl XI.

A five-time Pro Bowl Selection, Ditka was the first Tight End to break 5,000 Yards.

Buddy Parker, Head Coach, CRD 1949, DET 1951-56 & PIT 1957-64.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1978 on his 9th Coaches/Contributor Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Buddy Parker is best known for his time as Detroit’s Head Coach, where he led the Lions to back-to-back NFL Championships in 1951 and 1952.  Parker built a potent offense in Detroit, but was best known for his defensive mind.  He popularized the 4-3 Defense and used an early version of zone and nickel defenses. 

He left Detroit for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957, and although he was unable to bring them a championship, he did achieve a winning record, which was better than their previous incarnations.

Parker had an overall record of 104-75-9

1978 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1977.

For “1978,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1972. We are also following the structure in that 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 were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process on a weekly basis until we catch up to the current year.

32 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals: 

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of 1978 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project next Saturday.

 Thank you to all who contributed. If you want to be part of this project, please let us know!

1978 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 1947.

We have completed the first 30 years thus far.

For “1978,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1972. We are also following the structure in that 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 pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next after, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly 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. 

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

This is for the “Senior Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

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

Please note that one 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.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1978 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1977 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 32nd official class. 

Below are the final results of this project based on 34 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 1977:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1977.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1977.

About the 1977 Inductees:

Bart Starr G, GNB 1956-71: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1977 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

When you think of the Green Bay Packers and their great history, this is automatically the one of first names that comes to mind.

How can it not be?  Starr is the only Quarterback in the game's history to win five championships and was at his best when the pressure was at its tightest. His 9-1 Playoff Record and 104.8 Quarterback Rating tell you that. While Favre would obliterate his statistics, Starr put up great numbers for Quarterbacks of his era, retiring with the highest completion record in the NFL, and is the first superstar pivot in franchise history.

Oh, and is not “Bart Starr” the greatest name for a Quarterback ever?

Throw that name on any Quarterback today, and they will probably see their Quarterback rating rise by five percent just through osmosis.

Gale Sayers, HB-RB, CHI 1965-71: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1977 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

There have been many football players who have been referred to as special, but the term is not hyperbolic when it is allocated to Gale Sayers.

A phenom at Kansas, Sayers was undoubtedly the top rookie in Football (1965) when he accumulated a league-leading 2,272 All-Purpose Yards, and set then-rookie records in Touchdowns (22).  Sayers easily captured First Team All-Pro honors, and over the next two seasons, he was again the league-leader in APY, also capturing the Rushing Title and Yards From Scrimmage Title in 1966.  Sayers likely could have done it again in 1968, but a brutal right knee injury in the ninth game of the year took him out for the rest of the campaign.

Despite the injury's severity, Sayers returned in 1969 and won his second Rushing Title (1,032 Yards) with a fifth straight First Team All-Pro.  This was Sayers’ last hurrah, as another devastating knee injury held him to two Games in 1970, and he again was reduced to another two Games in 1971.  Sayers retired after, and though his run was short, it was impactful.

Forrest Gregg, T-G-DT, GNB 1956 & 1958-1970 & DAL 1971.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1977 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

How good must Forrest Gregg have been when Vince Lombardi called you the finest player he ever coached?

Forrest Gregg, the anchor of the Packers’ Offensive Line that expertly protected Bart Starr, was one of the game’s true iron men.  Making nine Pro Bowls and six First Team All-Pros, Gregg started 188 consecutive games (187 with Green Bay), a record at the time.  He is a five-time Champion with the Green Bay Packers and added one more with the Dallas Cowboys in his final year in the NFL.

Willie Wood, DB, GNB 1960-71.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1977 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

Willie Wood spent his entire career with the Green Bay Packers, and just to get there was a feat in itself.  Despite playing at high-profile USC, Wood went undrafted, likely due to being an African-American Quarterback at a time when they were not sought after in the NFL.  Wood wrote a letter to Packers’ Head Coach, Vince Lombardi to get a tryout, which worked out well for both parties, as Wood made the team.

With the Packers already having Bart Starr as their QB, Wood moved to Safety, which he also played in college.  Wood became a starter as a sophomore and led the NFL in Interceptions with 12 the following year.  Becoming one of the top Defensive Backs in the 1960s, Wood helped the Packers win five titles, and individually was twice a First Team All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowl Selection.  Wood netted 48 Interceptions over his career and was also a competent returner, even leading the league in Yards per Punt Return (13.3) in 1964, and finished in the top ten in Punt Return Yards six times.

Ron Mix, T-G, LAC/SDG 1960-69 & OAK 1971.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1977 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Ron Mix had a spectacular career at USC, and to nobody's surprise, he was a First Round Pick in the NFL.  The problem was that the Baltimore Colts on the East Coast chose him, and the native of Los Angeles wanted to stay close to home.  In the AFL, the Boston Patriots took him in the first-ever draft of that league, but a trade to the Chargers allowed him to stay close to home.

It worked out for Mix and the Chargers, as the case can be made that he was the greatest Offensive Lineman in the history of the American Football League.  Mix was a First Team All-Pro in his first nine seasons and an AFL All-Star in eight of them.  Usually playing at Right Tackle, Mix was so good not only at blocking and protecting his QB, but he was brilliant in that he only ever got called on two holding penalties.

Mix was the first white player to join the black players in the 1965 AFL All-Star Game in New Orleans, protesting the city's civil rights and segregation issues.

After his only subpar year in a Bolts uniform (1969), Mix retired, but he returned for one year with the Oakland Raiders.

Lamar Hunt, Owner, KC 1960-2006.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1977 on his 2nd Coaches/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

Lamar Hunt was the brain trust behind the formation of the American Football League, which formed in 1960 and became a rival and near-equal to the National Football League.

Hunt was the owner of the Dallas Texans, which became the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs were one of the most successful teams in the AFL, winning the championship in 1962. He would later champion the merger between the two leagues and oversee Kansas City's win of Super Bowl IV.

The importance of Lamar Hunt in professional football can not be understated. 

1977 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1976.

For “1977,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1970. We are also following the structure in that 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 were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

33 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals: 

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of 1977 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project next Saturday.

Thank you to all who contributed. If you want to be part of this project, please let us know!

1977 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 30 years thus far.

For “1977,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1971. We are also following the structure in that 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 pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and then, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly 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

This is for the “Senior Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

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

Please note that two 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.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1977 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1976 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 31st official class. 

Below are the final results of this project based on 30 votes.

Remember that we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1976:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1976.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1976.

About the 1976 Inductees:

Jerry Kramer G, GNB 1958-68: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1976 on his 3rd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

Green Bay fans know how good Kramer was and will never forget the “Packer Sweep”!  Kramer was named a First Team All-Pro on five occasions, and that was the same number of Championships that the stalwart of the Packers' Offensive Line would help them win, three NFL Championships and two Super Bowls, and he is one of the classiest players ever to suit up on the gridiron.  He was also named to the 1960s All-Decade and 50th Anniversary Team.

Paul Hornung, HB-FB-QB, GNB 1957-62 & 1964-66: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1976 on his 5th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

One of the few players who won a Heisman Trophy and a National Football League MVP, Paul Hornung was a key member of the Packers dynasty of the 1960s.  He was at his best in the early ’60s, where he received his two First Team All-Pro Selections, and in 1960, he would lead all rushers with 13 Touchdowns.

Hornung’s best games occurred when the Packers needed him the most, as he scored 19 Points in the 1961 Championship Game and rushed for over 100 Yards in the 1965 Championship Game. 

The versatile player was also used on special teams, where he was used as the team’s kicker. 

Tommy McDonald, FL, PHI 1956-63, DAL 1963, RAM 1965-66, ATL 1967 & CLE 1968.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1976 on his 3rd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

Using every bit of field vision and timing to compensate for his 5'9” frame, Tommy McDonald was drafted as a Halfback but was moved to Wide Receiver (Flanker), where he excelled on a Philadelphia Eagles squad that won the 1960 NFL Championship. He would then lead the league in Receiving Yards the following year.

From 1958 to 1962, McDonald recorded a staggering 56 Touchdowns in 63 Games, set the still-standing Eagles record for Receiving Yards in a game (237), and, at the time of his retirement, his 84 Touchdowns were second all time.

Henry Jordan, DT-DE, CLE 1957-58 & GNB 1959-69.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1976 on his 2nd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

The spark plug for the 1960’s Green Bay defense, Henry Jordan played Right Defensive Tackle for the Green Bay dynasty and rattled off five consecutive (1960-64) First Team All Pro Selections.  He would enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, which was two decades after Green Bay chose Jordan for their Hall.

Alex Karras, DT, DET 1958-62 & 1964-70.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1976 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

“Never mind that shit.  Here comes Mongo!”

Alex Karras may not have been the best defensive player to ever suit up for the Detroit Lions, but there was no denying that he was the most popular and was in many ways iconic.

Karras would remain in the public eye long after football for his television, film, and broadcasting work, but he was one hell of a player at Defensive Tackle.  A four-time Pro Bowler and member of the 1960’s All-Decade Team, Karras was a dominating figure for the Lions throughout the 1960s (barring the one year in 1963 when he was suspended for gambling on the NFL).

1976 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1975.

For “1976,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1970. We are also following the structure in that 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 were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

32 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals: 

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of the 1976 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project next Saturday.

Thank you to all who contributed. If you want to be part of this project, please let us know!

1976 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 29 years thus far.

For “1976,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1960. We are also following the structure in that 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 pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next after, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly 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

This is for the “Senior Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

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

Please note that two 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.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1976 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1975 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 30th official class; 

Below are the final results of this project based on 30 votes.

Remember that the group took a vote in “1969”, and we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1975:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1975.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1975.

About the 1975 Inductees:

Doug Atkins DE, CLE 1953-54, CHI 1955-66 & NOR 1967-69: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1974 on his 2^nd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

A legend at the University of Tennessee and eventual College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Doug Atkins was the 11^th Overall Pick in 1953, and joined Paul Brown and the powerful Cleveland Browns organization.

Atkins only stayed in Cleveland for two years, and while he was good and helped the Browns win the NFL Championship in 1954, his easy-going nature allegedly rubbed Brown the wrong way, and he was traded to Chicago to work for George Halas, who also wasn’t sure how to take Atkins.  The personality clash aside, Atkins was with the Bears for 12 years, and would lead a devastating defense and was the center of their pass rush.  Chicago won the 1963 NFL Championship, and Atkins went to eight Pro Bowls and was a First Team All-Pro in their Championship year.

At the end of the 1966 campaign, the Atkins/Halas relationship had reached its end, and he asked for a trade, and got one with the expansion New Orleans Saints as his landing spot.  Atkins retired after the 1969 Season, and had Sacks been calculated when he played, he would have had well over 100.

Willie Davis, DE-DT, CLE 1958-59 & GB 1960-69: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1975 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

Playing his college ball at Grambling, Davis was drafted in the 15^thRound by the Cleveland Browns, but due to military service, he did not suit up on the gridiron until 1958.  Davis was with the Browns for two years, but he was not a starter there, and he was traded to Green Bay in 1960, which was where he became part of a dynasty.

Davis started at Left Defensive End for the Packers throughout the entire 1960s, where he helped them win five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowls.  Individually, he was chosen for five Pro Bowls and five First Team All-Pro Selections. While Sacks were not official stats, he likely had over 100. 

Sam Huff, LB, NYG 1956-63 & WAS 1964-67 & 1969.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1975 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

An All-American at the University of West Virginia, Huff was a Third Round Pick in 1956, selected by the New York Giants, but he quickly grew frustrated by how he was used, or rather wasn’t.  Giants Assistant Coach, and defensive whiz, Vince Lombardi, recognized how to use Huff, and he became one of the game’s early Middle Linebackers as the cornerstone of the 4-3 Defense, a new scheme at the time.

The Giants went on to win the NFL Championship that year, and with Huff in tow, they appeared in four more Title Games.  Huff went to four Pro Bowls with two First Team All-Pros as a Giant, and in 1964, the year he joined the Washington Redskins, he was a Pro Bowler for the fifth time.  He continued to play until 1969, with a year off in 1968.

Huff was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.  He is also a member of the 1950s All-Decade Team, the Washington Football Team Ring of Fame, the New York Giants Ring of Honor, and his number 75 was retired by the Mountaineers.

Stan Jones, G-DT, CHI 1954-65 & WAS 1966.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1975 on his 4th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

A National Champion at Maryland, Stan Jones was one of the first football players to understand the value of weight training as a professional football player.

Jones was spectacular on both sides of the ball, excelling at Guard in is first half and Defensive Tackle in his second.  He helped the Chicago Bears win the 1963 NFL Championship, and individually was a three-time First Team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl.

John Henry Johnson, FB-HB, CHI 1954-65 & WAS 1966.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1975 on his 4th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

John Henry Johnson was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Second Round of the 1953 Draft, but he opted instead to play in Calgary for a year.  After dominating in Canada, he joined the NFL, but not with Pittsburgh, but with San Francisco.

Johnson was a Pro Bowl Selection as a rookie, joining the Niners’ “Million Dollar Backfield” that also included High McElhenny, Y.A. Tittle and Joe Perry.  He would gradually see less touches, and was traded to Detroit in 1957, where he was converted from Halfback to Fullback, and the move helped lead the Lions to an NFL Championship that year.  After three years, Johnson was traded to the team that took him, Pittsburgh, where he had two 1,000 Yard Rushing Seasons, and went to three straight Pro Bowls (1962-64).

Retiring after one final year in Houston, Johnson retired with 8,381 Yards From Scrimmage and 54 Touchdowns. 

Clark Shaughnessy, HC LAR 1948-49, DC 1951-62.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project on his sixth Coaches/Contributors Ballot.  Was never inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

One of the greatest minds in Football history, Clark Shaughnessy was the consummate tinkerer of schemes.  He reimagined the T-Formation, created the the three-receiver set, the 5-3-3 Defense, and consistently boasted one of the best defenses in college and pro football.   Shaughnessy’s selection marks the first (primarily) Assistant Coaches to enter the PFHOFRP.

1975 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1974.

For “1975,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1969. We are also following the structure in that 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 were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

31 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals: