1972 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 27th official class; 

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

Remember that the group took a vote in “1970”, and we have reverted to the top five candidates entering the Hall, PROVIDING THEY MAKE 50% of the vote.  This will be put to a vote again in “1973”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1972:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1972.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1972.

About the 1972 Inductees:

Gino Marchetti DE-T-DT, DTX 1952, BAL 1953-64 & 1966: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1972 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

Easily the best defensive player in Colts history, Gino Marchetti might also have been the best pass rusher in the NFL for a decade.  Marchetti was also a great run defender and was regarded by many offensive players as the toughest player they ever faced.  The Pro Football Hall of Famer would be named a First Team All Pro seven times and many have stated that the Colts would never have won the 1958 and 1959 NFL Championship without him.

Bill George, LB-G-MG-DT, CHI 1952-65 & RAM 1966.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1972 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

There are many influential football players in the 1950s, especially as the game was evolving away from two-way players to specific roles.  Bill George played on both sides of the ball, but his calling as a Linebacker proved to be his calling card.

Playing all but his final year with the Chicago Bears, George would settle in as the team’s Middle Linebacker, essentially becoming the first player to truly master the position.  The former Demon Deacon started dropping back at the snap, and he controlled the middle of the field, and inadvertently created the 4-3 Defense. 

Recording 18 Interceptions over his career, George went to eight straight Pro Bowls (1954-61), was a seven-time First Team All-Pro, and won an NFL Championship late in his career with the Bears.

Ollie Matson, RB-FL, CRD 1952 & 1954-58, RAM 1959-62, DET 1963 & PHI 1064-66: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1972 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

Over the 14 seasons he played in the NFL, Ollie Matson, a 4x400 Olympic Gold Medalist in Helsinki, only was on two winning teams, but don’t put that on the speedster, who was especially in the first half of his career carried his team.

Matson played the first half of his career with the Chicago Cardinals, where he was a Pro Bowl in all six of his seasons, was a five-time First Team All-Pro, and was a two-time league-leader in All-Purpose Yards.  The Rams traded nine players for him, but after his first year there (1959), injuries mounted, but the strength of his first six years earned him his gold jacket.

Tim Mara, Owner, NYG 1925-58.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1972 on his 3rd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

NFL President, Joe Carr believed that New York City should have a franchise for the betterment of the league.  He was right of course, but he could not convince his friend and boxing promoter, Bill Gibson to be the money man for a team in New York.  Gibson did however introduce Carr to his friend, Tim Mara.  Mara jumped at the opportunity.

Mara would become the first owner of the New York Giants, and his presence brought stability to a fluctuating league and he became an influential force in the NFL.  Mara brought stability, standing up to rival leagues (AFL in 1926, and the AAFC from 1946 to 1949), and keeping the Giants strong in trying times (The Great Depression and World War II) played a large part in the league’s growth. 

Mara passed away 1959, and under his leadership, the Giants won four NFL Championships (1927, 1934, 1938 & 1956). 

1972 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 1971.

For “1972,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1965. 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.

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 the 1972 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!

1972 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 26 years thus far.

For “1972,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1965. 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

*Please note that due to a mistake, Mike McCormack, who is in his fifth year of eligibility, was accidentally omitted.  As he has been a Finalist in all previous years, we have automatically included him as a Semi-Finalist.

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 1972 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1971 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 26th official class;

Below are the final results of this project based on 31 votes.

Remember that the group took a vote in “1970”, and we have reverted to the top five candidates entering the Hall, PROVIDING THEY MAKE 50% of the vote.  This will be put to a vote again in “1973”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1971:

This is for the “Senior Era”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1971.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1971.

About the 1971 Inductees:

Jim Brown FB, CLE 1957-65: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1971 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

Jim Brown is a football god. 

We could end it here, but out of deference to the man we think is not only the greatest rusher in the history of game but the best offensive player ever, we will go through all the reasons why Brown is the best player period.

An absolute beast at Syracuse, Cleveland was fortunate that Brown was still available with their Sixth Overall Pick in the 1957 Draft.  Brown was an instant star in the National Football League, winning the Rushing Title as a rookie, the Offensive Rookie of the Year and MVP.  Brown had a signature moment, rushing for a then record 237 Yards, which stood tall for 14 years. 

As Brown’s second year approached, expectations were high, and the Fullback not only met them, he shattered them.  Brown rushed for 1,527 Yards, destroying the record, and remember, and this was done in a 12-gae season.  He also had a career-high 17 Touchdowns. 

Brown played until 1965, and every single year was his gridiron world; everyone else was just living in it.  Playing nine seasons (all with Cleveland), Brown was a Pro Bowl in all of them and an eight-time First Team All-Pro and eight-time Rushing Title winner.  Even in the season he did not win the Rushing Title (1962), he had career bests in Receiving Yards (517) and Receiving Touchdowns (5).  It is not a miscalculation to say that Brown’s ability and playing style changed the game of football forever.

In addition to his MVP as a rookie, Brown won two more (1958 & 1965), and arguably could have won more.  While the Browns only one NFL Championship when he was there (1964), Cleveland went to two more Title Games (1957 & 1965), and his mere presence made the Browns an annual contender.

Perhaps the most impressive stat is that Brown had a career Approximate Value of 121 in 118 Games.  Only an elite player can average more than one AV/Game, but remember that Approximate Value was not calculable until 1960, meaning that his 121 AV is only through 82 of his Games!

Brown easily could have continued his career, as he was not yet 30 and was coming off another MVP, but he retired after the ’65 campaign, and sought a career in Hollywood.  He had 12,313 career Rushing Yards, which at the time, was easily the most ever.  Several players have surpassed Brown since them, but all of them needed many more games to do it.

Dick “Night Train” Lane, DB, RAM 1952-53, CRD 1954-59 & DET 1960-65.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1971 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

The college experience of Dick “Night Train” Lane was only a year in small Scottsbluff Junior College, a small school in Nebraska.  Lane joined the army afterward, and four years later, he asked the Los Angeles Rams for a tryout.  Despite the unlikeliness of a man making the team after not playing any competitive game in four years making the NFL, Lane did just that, and would become one of the best Defensive Backs that the gridiron ever saw.

As a rookie, Lane led the NFL in Interceptions (14), a number that still stands today.  Lane was inexplicably quick, a devastating tackler, and an absolute phenom who had his story happened in the age of social media, would have become a household name.

The Rams traded Lane to the Chicago Cardinals in his third year, and Lane again led the NFL in picks (12).  Lane remained one of the most revered ballhawks, staying with the Cards until he joined Detroit in 1960.  Lane retired with 68 Interceptions, and will likely stay in the top ten in that statistic for decades to come.

Joe Schmidt, LB, DET 1953-65: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1971 on his first Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

Easily the best defensive player the Detroit Lions have ever had, Joe Schmidt was a dominating Middle Linebacker who would become the defensive captain of the team in 1956 and continue in that role for nine years.

Never leaving Detroit as a player, Schmidt was regarded for his unequalled toughness and was a major part of the last two NFL titles that the Lions won.  The 1973 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee was an eight-time First Team All-Pro and was named the league MVP by United Press.

Hugh McElhenny, HB, SFO 1952-60, MIN 1961-62, NYG 1963 & DET 1964.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1971 on his 2nd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970.

A First Round Pick from Washington, Hugh McElhenny traveled down the Interstate-5 to begin his professional football career.

McElhenny was the Ninth Overall Draft Pick in 1952, and he was the starting Right Halfback as a rookie.  That season, and the one after, were First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl worthy, and as he was also used as a returner, he led the NFL in All-Purpose Yards (1,731) as a rookie.

While McElhenny's rookie season was not duplicated, he had two other 1,400 APY years with San Francisco, and was a Pro Bowler on three different occasions, giving him five in total as a 49er.  McElhenny's run with San Francisco ended after the 1960 season when the Minnesota Vikings chose him in the Expansion Draft.  He had 9,100 All-Purpose Yards with 51 Touchdowns with the Niners.

Rosey Brown T, NYG 1953-65.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1971 on his 1^st Ballot.   Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

Rosey Brown played at Morgan State, a historically black college in Baltimore. The NFL was in the infancy of scouting HBCUs, and the New York Giants landed him in the 27^thRound. This selection resulted in the greatest value pick in franchise history.

Early in his career, Brown was one of two African-American players on the Giants, and he helped break racial barriers in the NFL. Brown played his entirety at Left Tackle, and he was among the best in the business.  He went to the Pro Bowl for the first time in 1955, beginning a six-year streak of selections.  Brown earned First Team All-Pro honors four years in a row, and he was a vital component in New York’s 1956 NFL Championship Team.

Brown continued to be a force in the 1960s, earning three more Pro Bowls and two First Team All-Pros.  He retired in 1965 and was considered one of the greatest Lineman in the history of the game.

Bert Bell: Commissioner.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1971 on his 2nd Coach/Contributors Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Bert Bell was the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles (1933-40), and later the co-owner of the Philadelphia Eagles (1941-46), but his induction was based on his role as the NFL Commissioner.

Bell took on that role in 1946, and oversaw his league in their rivalry against the AAFC.  He would broker the merger of the two leagues at the end of the 1949 Season (adding the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts) and he was vehemently against gambling, ensuring repercussions to anyone who might tarnish the game by keeping the game’s integrity.  Bell’s biggest contribution was his foresight in regards to the new medium of television.

To ensure fans would go to the games, he initiated televised blackouts, and pioneered television “timeouts.”  He recognized the NFL Player’s Union, against the will of the owners, realizing that it was for the betterment of the game.  He remained the NFL Commissioner until he died in 1959.

Under Bell, the game grew astronomically.  Following his passing, the Maxwell Football Club (which was founded by Bell) awards their version of the MVP, which is named after Bell.

1971 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 1970.

For “1971,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1965. 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.

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:

T
his is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of the 1971 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!

1971 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 25 years thus far.

For “1971,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1965. 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. 

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 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 1971 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1970 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 25th official class;

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

Remember that the group took a vote in “1970”, and we have reverted to the top five candidates entering the Hall, PROVIDING THEY MAKE 50% of the vote.  This will be put to a vote again in “1972”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1970:

This is for the “Senior Era”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1970.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1970.

About the 1970 Inductees:

Y.A. Tittle QB, BCL 1948-50, SFO 1951-60 & NYG 1961-62: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1970 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

Beginning his career with the Baltimore Colts of the AAFC, Quarterback, Y.A. Tittle played 17 years of professional football.  His accuracy and cerebral style of play, combined with his natural leadership skills, made him one of the best pivots of his day.

After the AAFC merged with the NFL, Tittle joined the San Francisco 49ers, and was one of the top Quarterbacks throughout the 1950s.  Tittle was surprisingly traded to the New York Giants after being named the UPI MVP in 1957, and he would keep the Giants competitive while winning versions of the MVP in 1962 and 1963. 

Frank Gifford HB-FL-DB-WR, NYG 1952-60 & 1962-64.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1970 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

Frank Gifford was a former star at USC, and the Giants were lucky to grab him with their 11^th Overall Pick in 1952.

Gifford played on both sides of the ball early in his career, but he would move mostly into an offensive role.  Playing at Half Back, Gifford was a multi-threat player, and from 1953 to 1959, he was a Pro Bowl Selection, with four of those years earning a First Team All-Pro Selection.

His best season by far was 1956, where he had a career-high of 1,422 Yards from Scrimmage, which was enough to lead the NFL. That year, Gifford and the Giants would win the NFL Championship.  Gifford had 9,870 All-Purpose Yards overall, an incredible total for his era. He also threw 14 Touchdown Passes, the most ever for a non-Quarterback.

Gifford’s career was derailed by a hit to the head from Chuck Bednarik took out 18 months of his career.  He missed half of 1960 and all of 1961 but returned as a Flanker for three more years in the NFL.

A member of the 1950s All-Decade Team, Gifford’s #16 was retired by the team.  He later became a successful broadcaster, commentating on Monday Night Football for 27 years.

Yale Lary DB-P, DET 1952-53 & 1956-64: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1970 on his first Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

With the exception of two years serving his country, the multi-tasking Yale Lary played for the Detroit Lions from 1952 to 1964 and was a large part of the success of the organization’s success in the 1950s which brought Detroit three NFL Championships.  The three-time NFL Champion was a five-time First Team All-Pro who was not just a Safety, but was exemplary as a Punter and a Returner. 

Lary amassed 50 Interceptions, and 2,269 All-Purpose Yards and was a three-time league leader in Yards per Punt with 22,279 Punting Yards.

Andy Robustelli DE, RAM 1951-55 & NYG 1956-64.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1970 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

From the tiny Arnold College, Andy Robustelli always seemed to be in a position to win on the professional level.

A two-time NFL Champion (one with the Rams and one with the Giants), the Defensive End appeared in eight NFL Championship Games, was a seven-time First Team All-Pro, and was the premier pass-rusher of his generation.  Robustelli was exceptionally durable, only missing one game in his career, and was named the Bert Bell Award winner in 1962.

George Christensen G-T, PRT 1931-33 & DET 1934-38.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1970 on his 7^th Senior Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A member of the 1930's All-Decade Team, George Christensen, was one of the better Tackles of the decade (obviously based on the above accolade).

Christensen signed with the Portsmouth Spartans in 1931 and stayed with the team as they relocated to Detroit to become the Lions in 1934.  The Tackle would help Detroit win the NFL Championship in 1935, and he played his entire career with the organization, which spanned 95 Games.

Paul Brown Coach, CLE 1946-62 & CIN 1968-75.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1970 on his 1st Coach/Contributors Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

Paul Brown received his first big league coaching opportunity with the Cleveland Browns of the All-American Football Conference, a new league with designs to challenge the NFL.  Brown assembled a team full of players that he previously coached, and the Browns (named after him despite his objections) would win all four titles in the league's existence.

Paul Brown was a master strategist and innovator, creating the draw play and complicated routes for receivers.  It was also from Brown's mind where the "pocket" derived, by which a quarterback is protected by his offensive line added precious seconds, allowing for greater protection and more high-potent offenses.  A consummate professional, Brown was the first to have full-time assistants, and he developed his own scouting system. 

The Browns and other AAFC teams were absorbed into the NFL in 1950, and the newer teams were not expected to challenge immediately for the NFL Championship.  Brown did just that, winning in Cleveland's first year in the NFL and collecting two more titles in the 50s (1953 & 1954).  As innovative and as brilliant as he was, some flaws would come to light by the early 60s.

Brown was considered cold and downright unfeeling by many of his players, and he did have a controlling nature.  That would lead to his downfall and an acrimonious split between him and owner Art Modell.  Brown was fired in 1962.

Six years later, Brown was a co-investor for a new NFL team, the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was their first head coach and general manager.  Brown took the Bengals to the playoffs three times but never got a playoff win in Cincinnati.  He retired after the 1975 season at age 67.

Love him or hate him, the game of football became exponentially better because Paul Brown was part of it.

1970 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 1968.

For “1970,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1961. 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:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of the 1970 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!

1970 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 24 years thus far.

For “1970,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1964. 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 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 1970 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1969 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 24th 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 PROVIDING THEY MAKE 50% of the vote.  This will be put to a vote again in “1972”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1969:

This is for the “Senior Era”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1969.

About the 1969 Inductees:

Joe Perry FB, SFO 1948-60 & 1963 & BAL 1961-62: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1969 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

Joe Perry played football for the Naval Air Station Alameda after a stint in the military, and despite being African-American in the 1940s and playing for a non-big-time school, Perry was highly scouted by the NFL and the upstart All-American Football Conference.  Perry opted for the San Francisco of the AAFC over the Los Angeles Rams, and the Fullback became the first black player in team history.

As a rookie, Perry led the AAFC in Rushing Touchdowns (10) and did so again as a sophomore (8) while also finishing first in Rushing Yards (783).  The 49ers and other AAFC teams merged with the NFL, and Perry remained a dominating force. Now paired with Running Back Hugh McElhenny and Quarterback Y.A. Tittle, San Francisco had their "Million Dollar Backfield," among the best in the NFL.

In 1953, Perry, who was coming off his first Pro Bowl, had another while leading the NFL in Rushing Yards (1,018), Rushing Touchdowns (10), Yards From Scrimmage (1,209), and Touchdowns (13).  Perry was named a First Team All-Pro, and the United Press called them their MVP, the first time a black player won a version of the MVP.  The following season, he made history as the first player to have a back-to-back 1,000 Yard Rushing season (1,049), and he again led the league in that stat and YFS (1,252). 

While that was the highlight of Perry's career, he remained a viable option for the 49ers through the rest of the decade. After a poor 1960 season, Perry was traded to the Baltimore Colts, where he played for two years before being traded back to San Francisco for one year before retiring.  

Perry would total 10,194 Yards From Scrimmage with 79 Touchdowns as a 49er, and San Francisco retired his no.34 in 1971, making him the first of two players to earn that honor.  In 2009, he was an inaugural member of their franchise Hall of Fame. 

Leo Nomellini DT-T, SFO 1950-63: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1969 on his first Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

A two-time All-American and College Football Hall of Famer from the University of Minnesota, Leo “The Lion” Nomellini was the 11^th Overall Pick of the NFL Draft in 1950, a selection that paid dividends for over a decade for the San Francisco 49ers.

Nomellini was a two-way Tackle over his career, with the early part shining at Offensive Tackle, where he was a First Team All-Pro in 1951 and 1952.  Nomellini would then be a four-time First Team All-Pro at Defensive Tackle (1953, 1954, 1957 & 1959), making the Italian-born gridiron star one of the few who could make that claim.   

Whether he was playing offensively or defensively, his freakish strength and speed made him an instant mismatch for whoever opposed him, and there is no question that he was San Francisco's best player of the decade.  Nomellini was also known for his durability, as he never missed a game over his fourteen seasons in the NFL.  

Worth mentioning, Nomellini would wrestle during the off-season, was a multi-time tag team champion, and was inducted posthumously into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa. 

Bob St. Clair, T, SFO 1953-63.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1969 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

Bob St. Clair was a Third Round Pick from Tulsa in the 1953 Draft, and the player they called the "Geek" would make the San Francisco area his home for the rest of his life.

As a rookie, St. Clair won the starting Right Tackle job and held that occupation until he retired in 1963.  One of his day's best blockers, St. Clair, was as tough as he was intelligent.  St. Clair participated in five Pro Bowls and was also a Second Team All-Pro five times.  The Lineman was also excellent on Special Teams, and was credited with blocking ten Field Goal Attempts.

Coincidentally, St. Clair became the Mayor of nearby Daly City, California, from 1958 to 1964 and was a County Supervisor in San Mateo County from 1966 to 1974.

Ernie Stautner DT-DE-G, CHI 1922-25 & CLE 1923.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1969 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

A career-Steeler, Stautner played from 1950 to 1963, where he played mostly on the defensive side where the German-born player would earn trips to the Pro Bowl nine times with a First Team All-Pro Selection in 1958.  The Steelers were generally not very good during Stautner’s era, but that never stopped him from playing through many injuries, including cracked ribs, broken shoulders, and a protruding thumb bone.  It is unknown how many Sacks he had, but it is primarily conjectured that he was among the best in that department in the 1950s.  Notably, Stautner also took his share of snaps as an Offensive Guard.

Following his playing days, Stautner became a successful defensive coach, and he won Super Bowl Rings with the Dallas Cowboys. Stautner entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.  Stautner entered the Steelers' Hall of Honor in 2017 as part of the first class.  Notably, he is one of two franchise history players to have his number retired by the team. 

1969 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 1968.

For “1969,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1961. 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.

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:

We will post the Class of the 1969 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!

1969 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 23 years thus far.

For “1969,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1959. 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 three voted for “None of the Above.”

We also had another vote where the voters were asked how they wanted to keep voting parameters over the next few years.  16 of 30 stated that you want to keep it as is, where YOU MUST obtain 50 percent of the vote to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1969 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1968 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 23rd official class;

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

Remember that the group took a vote in “1966”, and we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall PROVIDING THEY MAKE 50% of the vote.  This will be put to a vote again in “1969”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1968:

This is for the “Senior Era”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1968.

About the 1968 Inductees:

Chuck Bednarik LB-C, PHI 1949-62: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1968 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

The first name that should come to the mind in Philadelphia when it comes to football legends has to be Chuck Bednarik, who was considered the last Ironman of football as he played both ways, Center and Linebacker, and was among the best in the 1950s at both.

Bednarik was the first overall pick in the 1949 Draft, and he did not have to travel far, as he was a two-time All-American from Penn.  Bednarik, who was exemplary at Center, made his mark at Linebacker with hits that rocked opponents to their core and struck fear in any offensive player.  The six-time First Team All-Pro was the heart and soul of the Philadelphia Eagles team (the only team he ever played for) that won the 1960 NFL Championship.

Amusingly, Bednarik’s nickname of “Concrete Charlie” came from his off-season job as a concrete salesman and not from his hits.  That moniker proved to be one of the most appropriate ones in football.

Bobby Layne QB, CHI 1948, NYB 1949, DET 1950-58 & PIT 1958-62: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1968 on his first Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

A bust for both the Chicago Bears and New York Yankees, Bobby Layne quarterbacked the Lions to three NFL Championships in the 1950s and is currently the only pure QB from the Lions in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  A two-time Passing Yards leader, Layne was known for his grit, being one of the last players to wear face bars on his helmet. 

Detroit was never the same after he traded, and many older fans likely still claim the trade of Bobby Layne took them to the decades-long slump they are only now coming out of.

Bobby Dillon, DB, GNB 1952-59.  Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1968 on his 4th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Bobby Dillon’s career spanned only eight years, but they were all spent with the Green Bay Packers.  The 94 games he put on the cleats with Green Bay were enough for him to set (and still hold) the franchise record for interceptions.  Dillon would also be named a First Team All-Pro in four of his eight seasons.  

It's not a bad career for someone alleged to have only one working eye.

1968 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 1967.

For “1968,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1961. 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:

We will post the Class of the 1968 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!

1968 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 1967.

For “1968,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1961. 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:

We will post the Class of the 1968 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!

1968 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 22 years thus far.

For “1968,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1959. 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. 

33 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