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

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.”

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1968 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1967 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 22nd 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 1967:

This is for the “Senior Era”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1967.

About the 1967 Inductees:

Emlen Tunnell DB, NYG 1948-58 & GNB 1958-61: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1967 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

After playing at Toledo, a stint with the Coast Guard, and another college football run with Iowa, Emlen Tunnell would make Giants' history as the first African-American they signed.  As it turned out, Tunnell would also become the best signing they had ever done.

Tunnell blossomed into a ball hawk, petrifying Quarterbacks and infuriating Receivers for over a decade.  From his rookie season to 1957, Tunnell never had a year where he had less than six Interceptions, and he peaked with a 10-INT year in 1949.  Tunnell was named to the Pro Bowl annually from 1950 to 1957, earning four of those years a First Team All-Pro spot.  He was also vital to a loaded Giants team that won the 1956 NFL Championship.

He would have 72 Interceptions over his Giants career, which remains a franchise record.  Overall, he had another seven with Green Bay and was the all-time leader in Interceptions at the time of his retirement.

Tunnell was also used as a returner, and he twice led the NFL in Punt Return Yards, and he brought back five punts for a Touchdown. He would accumulate 2,206 Punt Return Yards with the Giants (and another three with Green Bay), and he was the all-time leader in Punt Return Yards at his retirement. 

Tunnell’s contract was sold to the Green Bay Packers after the 1958 Season.  He played under the legendary Vince Lombardi for three seasons, earning another Pro Bowl and a second NFL Championship.

He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967, and Tunnell was named one of the NFL 100^th Anniversary Team.  The Giants also chose Tunnell for their Ring of Honor in 2010.

Art Donovan DT-T, BCL 1950, NYY 1951, DTX 1952 & BAL 1953-61: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1967 on his first Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.

Known for one generation for his radio show and David Letterman appearances, another generation knew him for his excellent defensive play and “Bulldog” like tendencies.  Donovan was a member of the first version of the Baltimore Colts, which folded in 1950, and then the New York Yanks, which folded the following year. 

Coincidentally, it happened again when he signed with the Dallas Texans in 1952, making him the only player in NFL history to play for three teams in three years that all went out of business (though the new Baltimore Colts bought all the Texans’ assets, which is how he came to Baltimore a second time).

That was when Donovan’s career took off as he rattled off five consecutive Pro Bowls and four straight First Team All-Pros.  Donovan was also a member of the back-to-back NFL Championships in the late ’50s.

Gene Brito, DE-E, WAS 1951-53 & 1955-58, RAM 1959-60.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1966 on his 2nd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

A late round draft pick by the Washington Redskins from Loyola Marymount in 1951, Gene Brito would play on both sides of the ball in his first two seasons.   The End was certainly solid in his role, but by 1953, Brito was focused on the Left Defensive End position and was chosen for his first Pro Bowl. 

Brito would have another four-year streak of Pro Bowls (1955-58) and likely would have netted another one in 1954 had he been in the league (he opted to play in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders instead) and in 1955 the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club named him the NFL Player of the Year.   Brito was so beloved in Washington that he was one of the first players to host a local television show while still as an active athlete.

The defensive star would play his final two years with the Los Angeles Rams.

Hunk Anderson G-C, CHI 1922-25 & CLE 1923.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1967 on his 17^th Senior Ballot.  Was never Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It took a long time (from 1946 to 1967), but Hunk Anderson finally breaks through on his 17^th year on the Senior Ballot. 

A product of Knute Rockne at Notre Dame where he was part of two undefeated Fighting Irish squads (1919 & 1920), Anderson allegedly played under a summed name for the Canton Bulldogs in the first two years of the NFL’s existence.  He later played for George Halas and the Chicago Bears where he was a top Lineman for four years and later was named to the 1920s All-Decade Team.

1967 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 1966.

For “1967,” 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.

35 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 Class of the 1967 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!

1967 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 21 years thus far.

For “1967,” 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. 

40 Votes took place (a new record)

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.”

We also had a vote to see if you wanted to change the voting parameter on the Final Ballot and asked if you wanted to keep it as is (vote max 5) or expand it to a maximum of 6 or 7.

31 of you said to keep it as is, so we will do that going forward.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1967 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1966 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 21st official class;

Below are the final results of this project based on 3q 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 1966:

This is for the “Senior Era”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1966, though no candidate made the 50% threshold.

About the 1966 Inductees:

Norm Van Brocklin QB, RAM 1949-57 & PHI 1958-60: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1966 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

Norm Van Brocklin entered the NFL as a Fourth Rounder from Oregon, but the Quarterback entered a unique situation where he shared the duties with fellow Hall of Famer, Bob Waterfield.  It worked well enough, as Van Brocklin was an NFL Champion in 1951, and he was still among the league leaders in passing, winning the Passing Yards Title in 1954, after Waterfield’s retirement.

Van Brocklin retired in 1958 but thought better of it, and the Rams traded him to Philadelphia, where he picked up right where he left off.  The QB would have a monster 1960 season, winning the UPI MVP, NEA MVP, and Bert Bell Award while leading the Eagles to an NFL Championship.  With that win, the “Dutchman” could say he did one thing no other QB could defeat a Vince Lombardi-led team in a Championship Game.

Dick Stanfel G, DET 1952-55 & WAS 1956-58: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1965 on his 3^rd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

From the University of San Francisco, Dick Stanfel arrived in Detroit as the Second Overall Pick in 1951, but a knee injury prevented him from joining the Lions until 1952.

He was worth the wait.

The Guard anchored Detroit to NFL Championships in 1952 and 1953, and the five-time First Team All-Pro was traded to Washington, where he was a stalwart on their line before retiring early to join Notre Dame on their coaching staff.  He was named to the 1950s All-Decade Team.

Ed Sprinkle, DE-E-G-LB, CHI 1944-55.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1966 on his 6^th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Joining the Chicago Bears in 1944 after being undrafted out of Navy, Sprinkle would help the Bears win the 1946 NFL Championship.  Sprinkle would become a significant player on the defensive side of the ball, where he would become known as a ferocious (some would say dirty) pass rusher and was a forebearer for what would come.  Think about that for a second.  In a sport where you are encouraged to do whatever it takes, he was feared among players in a game who aren't afraid of much.

Regardless of that assessment, this was a highly skilled football player. Sprinkle would be named to four Pro Bowls in the '50s, and he would be named to the 1940's All-Decade Team.

1966 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 1965.

For “1966,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1956. 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 also put forth a vote asking if you wanted to have another level in the Finals to ten.

You decided not to on an overwhelming 24-6 vote.

We will post Class of the 1966 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!

1966 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 18 years thus far.

For “1966,” 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. 

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.

We also had a vote to see if you wanted to change the entrant parameters.

You voted with over 80 percent to keep as is with the Top Five entering providing they get 50% of the final vote.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1966 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1965 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 that 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. Following that, we 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 20th official class;

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

Remember that the group took a vote in “1963”, 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 “1966”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1965:

This is for the “Senior Era”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1965, though no candidate made the 50% threshold.

About the 1965 Inductees:

Lou Creekmur T-G-DG-DT, DET 1950-59: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1965 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Lou Creekmur was a special breed in a game that features the toughest of the tough. 

A rock on Detroit’s offensive line throughout the 1950s, Creekmur anchored the line that brought the Lions to four NFL Championships and won three.  Equally incredible on both the pass and rush offense, Creekmur’s dominating presence at Left Tackle ensured success on that side of the ball.

Individually, Creekmur was a six-time First Team All-Pro and an eight-time Pro Bowl Selection and never missed a game until his final season, a testament to his durability. 

Jack Butler DB, PIT 1951-59: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1965 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

Playing at St. Bonaventure, Jack Butler did not receive any attention from NFL scouts, which is reflected in his not being a Pick in the Draft. Butler found employment with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1951, which worked well for both parties. 

Butler won the starting job on the right side at Defensive Back as a rookie, and he had a sweet five-pick year in his first year on the job.  The former Bonnie played his entire career with the Steelers as a starter, which ended after he retired in 1959.  Butler was considered at his best in the last half of his career, where he was named to four Pro Bowls and three First Team All-Pros, and he led the NFL in Interceptions with 10 in 1957.  He would have 52 Interceptions in total with four Touchdown Returns. 

Lou Rymkus, T-DT, WAS 1943, CLE 1946-51.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1965 on his 9^th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Paul Brown called Lou Rymkus the best pass protector he had ever seen, which is high praise considering how many people he had seen do that task.

Brown did not see much of Rymkus as a rookie, as he played for the Washington Redskins after being drafted there in 1943 after an outstanding career at Notre Dame.  Rymkus enlisted in the military during World War II, and upon his return to football, he elected to join the Cleveland Browns of the AAFC.  He would quickly establish himself as an upper-echelon Tackle on both sides of the ball.  With Cleveland, he would be named to a version of the All-Pro team each of the team's four years in the AAFC and was a significant factor in the Browns winning all four of their league championships.  Rymkus and the Browns would prove that the AAFC was for real, as when the NFL absorbed the team, they would win the NFL Championship, making it five in a row for the Tackle.

He would later be a Coach, winning the AFL title twice with the Houston Oilers (1960 & 1961) as their Head Coach and a Super Bowl as the Baltimore Colts Offensive Line Coach.

1965 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 1964.

For “1965,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1956. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, and the top 25 vote-getters were named Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

32 Votes took place, with the top five 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 Class of the 1965 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!

1965 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 17 years thus far.

For “1965,” 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. 

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