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:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1982.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1982.

About the 1982 Inductees:

Merlin Olsen, DT, RAM 1962-76: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

The Outland Trophy winner from Utah State, Merlin Olson, was the third overall pick in the 1962 Draft, and as a rookie, he would go to the Pro Bowl.  That was the first of fourteen straight Pro Bowl appearances for Olsen, which set a record that has since been tied but not surpassed.  Olsen would anchor the Rams' defense, where he was part of the greatest group of Defensive Linemen of the 1960s, "The Fearsome Foursome," consisting of Olsen, Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy.

Not only was Olsen good, but he also seemed to be good forever.  In addition to those 14 Pro Bowls, he would be considered an elite performer for most of those seasons.  Olsen was named a First Team All-Pro five straight seasons (1966-70) and was a Second Team All-Pro another four times.  So respected was Olsen that in 1974, he would become the Bert Bell Award winner (becoming the second defensive player to do so), which is presented by the Maxwell Football Club to whom they deem the MVP.  Realistically, if Olsen was going to win this award, it should have been in an earlier year, but in true Olsen fashion, he thanked all defensive players.  This man was indeed a class act!

A member of both the 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Team, Olsen would go on to have a successful career as an actor and broadcaster.  The Rams retired his no. 74, and in 2020, he was posthumously named to the NFL 100th Anniversary Team.

Eddie Meador, DB, RAM 1959-70: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 7th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In the 1960s, the Los Angeles Rams defense was primarily known for its "Fearsome Foursome" Defensive Line, but there was a star in their Secondary by the name of Eddie Meador, who would be chosen for six Pro Bowls.  Meador came from Arkansas Tech and would become the starting Left Cornerback in his second season.  That year (1960), he was named to the Pro Bowl, but when he moved to Right Safety in 1964, he was in a better spot for his skill set.  Meador would go to five straight Pro Bowls (1964-68) and was a First Team All-Pro in both 1968 and 1969.

As of this writing, Meador is still the Rams' all-time leader in Interceptions (46), and he would be named to the 1960s All-Decade Team.

Billy Howton, E, GNB 1952-58, CLE 1959 & DAL 1960-63.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 14th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Billy Howton was the all-time leader when he retired in 1963.  He has dropped considerably since then.

A top receiver for the Green Bay Packers throughout the 1950s, Howton was a constant fixture for years in every receiving category.  When he became the all-time leader in receptions and yards, he took that slot from the legendary Don Hutson.

A huge force works against him (for the actual Hall) as he was cast off from the Green Bay Packers when the most iconic figure in professional football, Vince Lombardi, arrived in the tundra.  Many speculated that if he wasn’t good enough for Lombardi, he couldn’t possibly be good enough for Canton.  That is a compelling argument.  While we acknowledge that fact, Howton helped lay the groundwork for today's modern Wide Receivers, and that also can't be dismissed, as acknowledged here.

Tom Sestak, DT, BUF, 1962-68.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 9th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

One of the most dominating Defensive Tackles of the AFL, Tom Sestak, joined the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League in 1962, where he quickly became the team's defensive anchor.  Sestak was an AFL All-Star in his first four seasons, and in years two through four, he was a First Team All-Pro and was in the top ten in Approximate Value.  The Bills won the 1964 and 1965 AFL Championship, and during that timeframe, Sestak and the Buffalo Defense would hold opponents without a rushing touchdown in seventeen straight games, a record that still stands.  Knee problems would force an early retirement after the 1968 Season, but his play was strong enough to make the AFL All-Time Team.

Abe Woodson, DB, SFO 1958-64 & STL 1965-66.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 11th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Abe Woodson’s regular role was at Cornerback, where he would accumulate 19 Interceptions over his career, but it was his returning ability that would see him gain five straight Pro Bowl selections (1959-63)

Drafted in the 2^nd Round from the University of Illinois, Abe Woodson's best seasons were with the San Francisco 49ers.  Woodson, who was also a two-time First Team All-Pro, would record 6,850 Return Yards and would average a whopping 28.7 Yards per Kick Return.  He would have four straight years where he had at least 1,000 All-Purpose Yards.

Weeb Ewbank, Coach, BAL 1954-62 & NYJ 1963-73.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 6th Coaches/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

Weeb Ewbank would win four championships under Paul Brown as an Assistant Coach with Cleveland, and under his learning tree, he was able to thrive as a Head Coach, first with the Baltimore Colts in 1954.

Ewbank guided the Colts to back-to-back NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959, cementing Baltimore as a top franchise.  After falling out of favor with Colts management, he was let go in 1962, but went to the AFL to coach the New York Jets the following year.   Ewbank led New York to the 1968 AFL Title, and then they stunned the sporting world by winning Super Bowl III, defeating his old team. 

Ewbank remained with the Jets until 1974 and went down as the only man in football history to win an NFL and AFL Championship.

He retired with a record of 130-129-7.

1982 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 1981.

For “1982,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1976. 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.

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 1982 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!

1982 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 35 years thus far.

For “1982,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1976. 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.

We also had a separate vote where we asked the following:

Should the Top Vote Getter in Coaches/Contributors need 50% to enter?

Currently, the top vote getter for Coach/Contributor only enters if he receives at least 50% of the vote. This has resulted in many nominees cancelling each other out. This vote is to determine whether the top Coach/Contributor needs 50% or not.

The result was 19 yes, 10 no, and 1 incomplete.

As such, the highest Coach/Contributor will enter the Hall until further notice.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1982 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1981 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 36th 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 1981:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1981.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1981.

About the 1981 Inductees:

Len Dawson QB, PIT 1957-59, CLE 1960-61, DTX/KAN 1962-75: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1981 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

Len Dawson was a First Round Draft Pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers but the former Purdue Boilermaker accomplished nothing there as he would in Cleveland shortly thereafter.  It looked like Dawson became a bust, but after being released by the Browns, he would sign with the Dallas Texans, and it was a match made in football heaven.

Dawson would lead the American Football League in Touchdown Passes in his first season there, while more importantly taking the team to a league championship win (1962).  Dawson and the team would move north to Kansas City, where they would become the Chiefs, but while the team’s geography would change, Dawson’s efficiency would not. 

Dawson’s AFL league-leading Passer Rating of 1962 would be duplicated in every season from 1964 to 1968, as well as posting four seasons where he led the league in Touchdown Passes.  Dawson would take the Chiefs to the first Super Bowl, where, although they lost, Dawson impressed many in defeat.  He would later take the Chiefs to a win in Super Bowl IV (where he was named the Super Bowl MVP), which to date is the only one in franchise history.

Overall, he threw for 28,711 Yards and 239 Touchdown Passes, which are incredible for his time.

Jimmy Johnson, DB, SFO 1961-76: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1981 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

How good an athletic family did Jimmy Johnson come from?  The Pro Football Hall of Famer was the brother of the 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist (Decathlon), Rafer Johnson.

Johnson, who played his college ball at UCLA, did not have to travel far to join the Professional ranks as the San Francisco 49ers with the Sixth Overall Pick in 1961.  Johnson was incredibly versatile, though he was undoubtedly at his best at Cornerback, where he began as a rookie.  While he had five Interceptions as a rookie and was considered good, the Niners moved him to Flanker in 1962, where he played for one year with 627 Yards.  Johnson went to Safety in 1963 but returned to Corner, where he stayed for the rest of his professional career.

Johnson proved his worth in the Secondary throughout the 1960s, but it was not until 1969 that he turned heads.  From 1969 to 1972, Johnson was both a Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro Selection, with his Approximate Value never going below 14 in those seasons.  During this time, Johnson was considered the best Defensive Back in Football, and many thought he was.

Johnson played until 1976, never leaving San Francisco. He would go to his fifth Pro Bowl in 1974, and he retired with 47 Interceptions.

George Blanda, QB-K, BCL 1949, CHI 1949–58, HOU 1960-66 & OAK 1967-75.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1981 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

Regarding longevity, few players in team sports in the United States can light a candle to George Blanda.

Playing in four different decades, Blanda had periods as an elite quarterback, and his durability kept him in professional football, thanks in part to his special teams ability. Blanda played for the Chicago Bears through the 1950s as a quarterback and kicker, and when the American Football League started in 1960, he signed with the Houston Oilers.

In the AFL, he was a three-time champion, two with Houston and one with Oakland, and he was the league MVP in 1961. When the AFL merged with the NFL, Blanda’s kicking ability was kept in pro football until 1975, making his 26-year career the longest in pro football. 

Johnny Robinson, DB-FL-HB, DTX-KAN 1960-71.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1981 on his 5th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

Johnny Robinson is arguably the greatest Safety in Kansas City Chiefs history, though he did not start his professional career that way.

Robinson was drafted as a Halfback for the inaugural season of the American Football Leagues’ Dallas Texans. Converted to a Flanker, he accrued over 1,800 Yards from Scrimmage in his first two seasons.  Robinson would be moved to Safety the following year, and he would help the Dallas Texans win the AFL Title in 1962.  He would stay with the team when they relocated to Kansas City, and his defensive prowess began to blossom.  Robinson was named a First Team AFL All-Pro every season from 1965 to 1969 and would be a First Team All-Pro in 1970 in the NFL following the merger.  The product of LSU would lead his respective league in Interceptions twice (1966 AFL, 1970 NFL), and he would secure 57 picks overall in his career.

His best performance took place in Super Bowl IV, where he helped the Chiefs win the game with a fumble recovery and an interception.  Robinson had a pick in each of the three AFL Championship Games he played!  Robinson was one of the early inductees into the Chiefs Hall of Fame, receiving the call in 1974.

Del Shofner, E-DB, RAM 1957-60, NYG 1961-67.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1981 on his 9th Ballot.  Was never inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Del Shofner was a remarkable receiver who was part of the 1960s All-Decade Team. He achieved this status thanks to his outstanding performance during a six-year stretch from 1958 to 1963, where he was named a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in all those years except for 1960.

During his time with the Los Angeles Rams, Shofner topped the NFL in Receiving Yards in 1958 with 1,097, and finished second in the following year with 936. In 1960, he was relegated more to punting duties, but once he joined the New York Giants, he regained his place as an elite receiver. In his first three years with the Giants, Shofner had at least 1,100 Receiving Yards and finished in the top four in that metric. Although he never had a stretch close to that again, his reputation as one of the top offensive skill players and deep ball threats of his era earns him a high spot on this list.

1981 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 1980.

For “1981,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1975. 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.

30 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 1980 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!

1981 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 34 years thus far.

For “1981,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1975. 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 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 three 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 1981 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1980 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 35th 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 1980:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1980.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1980.

About the 1980 Inductees:

Bob Lilly DT-DE, DAL 1961-74: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1980 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Bob Lilly would not just become a star player for Dallas, but he would earn the nickname of “Mr. Cowboy.”  He was the first player ever drafted by the team, and while the organization struggled in its early years, Lilly was a definite star for the team.  A Pro Bowl Selection in 1962, Lilly would have a ten-year streak of trips to Hawaii from 1964 to 1973, with seven of those years seeing Lilly named as a First Team All-Pro.

As the Cowboys improved, Lilly became the heart of the first incarnation of the "Doomsday Defense."  It was that defense that brought Dallas to their first Super Bowl appearance (V), which they lost to Baltimore.  The Cowboys returned the next season to the Super Bowl, and Lilly and Dallas would destroy the Miami Dolphins.  It was Lilly who had the signature play of the game when he sacked Bob Griese for a 26-yard loss. 

Lilly played with the Cowboys until 1974, and he is the most outstanding defensive player that Dallas ever had.

Deacon Jones, DE, RAM 1961-71, SDG 1972-73 & WAS 1974: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1980 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

It was Deacon Jones who came up with the term "Sacking the Quarterback," and as such, his style of play revolutionized the idea of what a Defensive Player could be.  Jones helped make the idea of being a defensive player a star, and arguably his entire career occurred by accident as he was a late-round (14^th) pick who was chosen for his athleticism and not for his football skills.  Becoming what would be part of the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome," Jones was a pass-rushing dynamo who would (unofficially) sack the QB well over 150 times as a Ram, and "unofficially" led the NFL in five seasons.  He was a five-time First-Team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl with Los Angeles and was quickly the star attraction of the organization.

Jim Otto, C, OAK 1960-74.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1980 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Jim Otto was undrafted in 1960, as the teams in the National Football League considered the Center to be too small to take his skills to the next level.  They got it wrong.  The AFL took shape the same year, and the Oakland Raiders saw something in the Miami Hurricane, and Otto was given the opportunity to win the Center job with the Raiders.  Otto won it as a rookie, and he would start the next (and first) 210 Games for the team.

Otto was not just the best Center of the AFL in the 1960s, he was the top man in front of the Quarterback in all of Professional Football.  He was an 11-time AFL All-Star/Pro Bowl Selection and was so dominant that in the entire history of the American Football League, no other Center was a First Team All-Pro.

The Raiders would win the division seven times with Otto at Center, and won the AFL Championship in 1967.  Otto played his entire career with the Raiders and is the best Offensive Lineman in team history.

Sonny Jurgensen, QB, NYG 1958, PHI 1957-63 & WAS 1964-74.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1980 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1957, Sonny Jurgensen was the Eagles’ backup when they won the 1960 NFL Championship.  Jurgensen took over as their starting QB, leading the league in Passing Yards in both 1961 and 1962.  Jurgensen was hurt for much of 1963, and the Eagles deemed him expendable; he was traded to the Washington Redskins for fellow quarterback Norm Snead and Cornerback Claude Crabb.

Jurgensen fit perfectly in regards to leading the Washington offense.  He went to the Pro Bowl in his first year in Washington, and he would lead the NFL in Passing Yards in both 1966 and 1967, setting a then-record of 3,747.  That season, he also threw for a league-leading 31 Touchdown Passes.  In 1969, Jurgensen was a First Team All-Pro and was a Pro Bowler for the fourth time as a Redskin.   

As great as Jurgensen was at this time, he did not have the horses around him to help the Redskins make the playoffs.  In the 70s, he helped Washington make their first Super Bowl, but Billy Kilmer now replaced him, as Jurgensen’s injuries were accumulating.  He played until 1974, retiring as a Redskin.

Overall, with the Redskins, Jurgensen threw for 22,585 Yards with a TD-INT Ratio of 179-116.  These were outstanding numbers for his era.  Jurgensen would be named to the 1960s All-Decade Team.

Chuck Howley, RB, CLE 1964-73.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1980 on his 2nd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Chuck Howley was a six-time Pro Bowler and was a First Team All-Pro five times.  Howley was a big game player, and even in the Super Bowl V defeat, he won the MVP of the game.  To this day, Howley remains the only player on a losing team to win that award.  Howley’s play was good enough to win the Super Bowl MVP in Dallas’s win, but Roger Staubach edged him out.  The Dallas defense was loaded those years, but Howley was certainly a great contributor to that.  Legendary coach Tom Landry called Howley the greatest linebacker he ever had, and he was the fourth player in the Cowboys Ring of Honor.

Al Davis, Owner, OAK/LAD 1963-2010.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1980 on his 1st Coaches/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Just win, baby.

This was the mantra of Al Davis, who may not have founded the Raiders, but he became their embodiment. 

Davis joined the Raiders as the head coach in 1962 and was given complete control by Raiders owner F. Wayne Valley. Named the AFL Coach of the Year in 1963, Davis was asked to become the commissioner of the league. His work expedited the expected merger between the NFL and AFL, and after a year, he went back to the Raiders, but now as a part-owner.

It would not be long before Davis became the owner, and the Raider philosophy was his creation. The Raiders won three Super Bowls under Davis, and while he was considered a renegade, no owner wanted to win more. Notably, he was the first to hire an African-American head coach (Art Shell), a Latino head coach (Tom Flores), and a female chief executive (Amy Trask). None of those hires was to fill a quota. He thought they were the best candidate for the job.

Davis is the only person in football who has held the following positions: personnel assistant, scout assistant coach, head coach, general manager, commissioner, chief executive officer, and owner. It is safe to say that it won't happen again.

1980 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 1979.

For “1980,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1974. 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.

30 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 1980 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!

1980 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 34 years thus far.

For “1980,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1974. 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.