1986 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 41 years thus far.

For “1986,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1980. 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 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. 

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.

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 1986 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1985 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 select 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 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 40th 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 1985:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1985.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1985.

About the 1985 Inductees:

Roger Staubach, QB, DAL 1969-79: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1985 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Roger Staubach was the 1963 Heisman Trophy winner, but as he was enrolled at the Naval Academy, he had to fulfill a military obligation before he would play football.  As such, he was a 27-year-old rookie in 1969, but despite the late start, Staubach would go on to have a Hall of Fame career.

Arguably, it was an even later start, as he did not take over as the team’s starting Quarterback in 1971, succeeding a slumping Craig Morton.  He won all 10 of his starts that year, and would finish first in Passer Rating (104.8), go to his first Pro Bowl, and take Dallas to their first Super Bowl Championship. 

A separated shoulder kept him on the shelf for most of 1972, and after two above-average years, Staubach went on a five-year streak of Pro Bowl Selections (1975-79).  This run saw Staubach lead the NFL twice in Passer Rating and win another Super Bowl Championship in the 1977 season.  In his last season, Staubach would have career-highs in Passing Yards (3,586) and Touchdown Passes (27), and he clearly could have kept playing had he so desired.

The QB retired with 22,700 Passing Yards and 153 Touchdown Passes, and was a first ballot inductee.

O.J. Simpson, RB, BUF 1969-77 & SFO 1978-79: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1985 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

While the first three years of O.J. Simpson’s professional career were basically average, he would explode the next five seasons, where he would explode for five consecutive First Team All-Pro nods as well as four Rushing Titles.   One of those titles included becoming the first Running Back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. 

The Buffalo Bills may not have had that much to cheer about during the 1970s, but Bills fans always had a reason to pack the stadium, knowing that they would likely see the “Juice” rush for over 100 Yards a game.  Simpson no longer holds the Bills' rushing record, but in his prime, he was one of the most explosive Running Backs in NFL history.  Simpson entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. 

Jim Tyrer, T, DTX 1961-62, KAN 1963-73 & WAS 1974.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1985 on his 6th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jim Tyrer was definitely the top Offensive Lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs throughout the 1960s, and there is a case to be made that he was among the top tier in the AFL.  Tyrer was a First Team AFL All-Pro five times (and also a First Team All-Pro twice) and a vital part of the O-Line that protected Len Dawson for years.   Notably, he was a seven-time AFL All-Star, a two-time Pro Bowl winner, and part of three AFL Championship teams and the Super Bowl IV win.

We do have to mention, however, when discussing Tyrer, that while he could be considered an (actual) Hall of Fame snub, he killed his wife and himself after a bout of depression, which is now largely considered to be CTE.  He is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, inducted in 1977.

Buck Buchanan, WR, OAK, 1963-75.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1985 on his 5th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

Buck Buchanan was a proven force at Grambling; so much so that the Kansas City Chiefs made him the first overall draft pick in the 1963 AFL Draft, the first time a black player was chosen at that spot.

It was definitely the right call, as Buchanan would blossom into the leader of the Chiefs' front four.  Blessed with incredible speed, Buchanan seemed to improve annually throughout the 1960s.  Buchanan was named an AFL All-Star in 1964 and continued collecting that honor until 1969, when it was no longer offered and replaced by the Pro Bowl following the merger.  Not surprisingly, Buchanan went to the first two Pro Bowls that he was eligible for.

Where Buchanan excelled was breaking up plays before they even started.  The star Defensive Tackle had a breathtaking 16 batted balls in the 1967 season, and his overall ability helped the Chiefs win two AFL Titles and Super Bowl IV.

Joe Namath, QB, NYJ 1965-76 & RAM 1977.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1985 on his 3rd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

When you talk about any Hall of Fame, often the word that gets forgotten is the most important one: “Fame”.  There are few football players or athletes, for that matter, who achieved more fame than Joe Namath. 

Namath was the first overall pick in the AFL Draft, joining the New York Jets in 1965.  He became the face of the franchise and then the league, and he would lead the AFL in Passing Yards in 1966 and 1967.  In the first two Super Bowls, the AFL representatives were handily defeated by the Green Bay Packers, and with the Jets winning the AFL Title going into Super Bowl III, few thought they would beat the Baltimore Colts.  Namath disagreed and guaranteed that New York would prevail.  He was right, and Namath became the most popular player in football.

Namath played with the Jets until 1976, with a final year with the Los Angeles Rams.  The Quarterback’s stats look tame compared to the modern era and even against some of his peers, but Namath had no equals in terms of recognition.

Sid Gillman, Coach, RAM 1955-59, LAC 1960, SDG 1961-71 & HOU 1973-74.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1985 on his 1st Coach/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

Sid Gillman was one of the first coaches to understand the value of the passing game, and his peers considered him one of the quickest thinkers in Football.

Gillman first coached on the pro level with the Los Angeles Rams in 1955, but his merit was proven far greater with the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers of the AFL, the team he ran from 1960 to 1971.  Taking the Chargers to the playoffs five times, Gillman’s squad won the AFL Title in 1963, primarily due to Gillman’s innovation.  It is no stretch to say that Gillman’s work with the Chargers helped keep the league afloat.

He retired with a record of 122-99-7.

1985 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 1984.

For “1985,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1979. 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 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 every week 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: 

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 1985 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!

1985 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 40 years thus far.

For “1985,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1979. 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 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. 

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 four 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 1984 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1984 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 select 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 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 39th official class. 

Below are the final results of this project based on 31 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 1984:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1984.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1984.

About the 1984 Inductees:

Willie Brown, DB, DEN 1963-66 & OAK 1967-78: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

Sometimes the scouts and coaches get it wrong.

Willie Brown went undrafted in 1963 after a promising career at Grambling, but this was at a time when HBCUs were not appropriately scouted.  Brown was signed by the Houston Oilers of the AFL, but was cut in training camp.  He persevered, signed with Denver, and was a starting Cornerback by mid-season.  The following year, he was a star.

Brown was with the Broncos for four years before he was traded to Oakland, a much better team, which afforded him a higher profile for his skills.  From 1967 (his first year in Oakland) to 1973, he was either an AFL All-Star/Pro Bowl Selection and was chosen for four First Team All-Pros.  Brown helped lead Oakland to an AFL Title in 1967 and a win in Super Bowl XI, and would record 54 career Interceptions.  After his career ended, Brown remained with the Raiders as a Defensive Backs Coach and would win two more Super Bowls in that capacity. 

Fran Tarkenton, QB, MIN 1961-66 & 1972-78 & NYG 1967-71: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

Fran Tarkenton won the starting job at Quarterback during his rookie year in Minnesota (1961), and he immediately dazzled fans with his then-unique scrambling style.  Tarkenton went to two Pro Bowls as a Viking in the 60s before he was shockingly dealt to the New York Giants before the 1967 Season.

The Giants did not have many pieces they built around Tarkenton, but New York was respectable, and Tarkenton added four more Pro Bowls to his resume.  New York sent him back to Minnesota in 1972, and in his second run with the Vikings, Tarkenton enjoyed the best part of his career.

Tarkenton led Minnesota to three NFC Championships, and in 1975, he was a First Team All-Pro and swept the MVPs.  He won his first Passing Title in 1978, which would be his last year in Pro Football.

Tarkenton left the game as the game’s leader in Passing Yards (47,003) and Touchdown Passes (342), and while they have since been shattered, Tarkenton’s impact on the game is still felt today.

Mel Renfro, DB-RB, DAL 1964-77.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 2nd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. 

Mel Renfro was a football and track star at the University of Oregon. Renfro was a college Running Back, but Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys had other ideas for his speed.

Renfro was converted into a Safety, and like many rookie safeties, he was also used as a returner.  He would lead the NFL in Returns and Return Yards and had seven picks.  Renfro was also named to the Pro Bowl, marking the beginning of a ten-year streak of selections to that postseason honor.  Renfro would lead the NFL in Interceptions with 10 in 1969 and had 52 in a career spent entirely with the Cowboys.  Renfro was also a vital part of Dallas' wins in Super Bowl VI and XII.

This was an outstanding career for someone who was not a Defensive Back in college.

Fred Biletnikoff, WR, OAK, 1965-78.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

Fred Biletnikoff was Florida State’s first-ever consensus All-American, and the man whose name is on the college award for the nation’s top Wide Receiver.  Professionally, he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1965, and he became just as successful at the highest level of football.

The Detroit Lions drafted Biletnikoff in the NFL, and the Oakland Raiders in the AFL, much like he did when he chose Florida State, he opted for a lesser-established entity.  What Biletnikoff lacked in pure speed, he made up for with precision route running and glue-like hands.  He became the primary go-to target for Raiders Quarterbacks, and would help lead Oakland to an AFL Title in 1967.

As the Raiders moved to the NFL, Biletnikoff helped make the team one of the powers of that side of the league.  A four-time Pro Bowl (and two-time AFL All-Star), Biletnikoff was the MVP in Oakland’s Super Bowl XI win.  At the time of his retirement, Biletnikoff was the all-time leader in postseason receptions (70), Receiving Yards (1,167), and Receiving Touchdowns (10).

Billy Shaw, G, BUF 1961-69.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 10th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Holding the distinction of being the only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who never played in the NFL, Billy Shaw was an elite Offensive Lineman who spent his entire career with the Buffalo Bills and was named to five consecutive First Team All-AFL Teams and the All-Time AFL roster.  It is very plausible to state that the Buffalo Bills would not have won their two AFL Championships without him.

Buffalo selected Shaw for their Wall of Fame in 1988.

Bob Brown, T, PHI 1964-68, RAM 1969-70 & OAK 1971-73.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 6th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

In his 10-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and Oakland Raiders, Brown was selected to six Pro Bowls and named First-team All-Pro five times (and All-NFL seven times in his ten seasons). A four-time Second-team All-Pro selection, his consistent excellence earned him a spot on the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s. He was renowned as a fierce, hyper-aggressive blocker whose singular goal was to "beat up on people for 60 minutes" and physically crush the will of his opponents. This mentality led Raiders coach John Madden to call him "the most aggressive lineman that ever played."

John Madden, Coach, OAK 1969-78.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1984 on his 4th Coach/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

John Madden's Hall of Fame case rests on his remarkable success and unique impact with the Oakland Raiders in a relatively short period.  Taking over at age 32, he remains the youngest coach in NFL history to reach 100 career wins, accumulating a phenomenal 103-32-7 regular-season record for a career winning percentage of .759—the highest among all coaches with a minimum of 100 games. This decade of dominance culminated in a decisive Super Bowl XI victory over the Minnesota Vikings, which remains his ultimate coaching achievement.

Despite his short coaching tenure (10 seasons), Madden’s consistent excellence and ability to manage a team filled with strong personalities make his resume undeniably Hall of Fame worthy. He led the Raiders to seven AFC Championship Games and missed the playoffs only once, establishing a culture of aggressive, hard-hitting football that embodied the team's identity. His coaching legacy is defined by a decade of consistent winning, a Super Bowl title, and the unprecedented feat of being the youngest coach to achieve a century of victories.

1984 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 1983.

For “1984,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1978. 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 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 every week 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: 

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 1984 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!

1984 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 39 years thus far.

For “1984,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1978. 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 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. 

32 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 four 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 1984 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

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. 

1983 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 1982.

For “1983,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1977. 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 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 every week 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: 

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 1983 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!

1983 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 38 years thus far.

For “1983,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1977. 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 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. 

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 five 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 1982 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1982 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 37th 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 1982: