We are excited here at Notinhalloffame.com that we are unveiling a new section, which looks at the top active players in the big four of sports and how they are positioned at the start of each seasons in regards to Hall of Fame credentials.

We are beginning with Pro Football, and how perfect is that considering the seasons kicks off this week.  Rather than list everyone directly, we have isolated them based on their position and with the exception of Special Teams, we have created a new stat based on the last five modern players (not senior inductees) of their respective position and how the current player compares with that.

This will be updated annually, so this 100 was finalized this week. We will not be updating again until the end of the season.

The new section begins here

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank you all for your continued support and we hope that you enjoy this new section!

We have seen a lot lately of Donovan McNabb and his plight for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, from Terrell Owens simply saying “Who?” when asked about McNabb and McNabb himself comparing his stats to Troy Aikman and saying that he is a Hall of Famer.

McNabb’s candidacy has been much aligned by critics and fans and even on our site, he has not received a lot of support.

He does, however, have a great fan for his potential Hall of Fame bust in his former coach Andy Reid, who had this to say:

“Listen, I’m his biggest fan. I was there. I know he belongs there.  You talk about the great players in the National Football League? Five championship games, a Super Bowl? All those things? Good football player. Great football player, and did some things that weren’t being done at that particular time in a lot of areas. I think the world of him.”

Reid makes a lot of good points, but they seem to have gone on deaf ears in terms of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  McNabb has yet to be a Semi-Finalist and based on history it does not seem that he will be chosen this year.

Either way, we will be paying attention.

As we approach the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, we have been working on our future eligible section.  As football players don’t always retire after they played their last game (usually to see if they can land another job while sitting out as a free agent) we aren’t able to immediately add them.  

With that being the case, we have added to our site, 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame eligible list.

The people eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame whom we are featuring are:

Alterraun Verner:  Verner would be named to the Pro Bowl at Cornerback in 2013 when he was with the Tennessee Titans.

Brian Cushing:  The Linebacker was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2009, but this would be the only year that the career Houston Texan would be named to the Pro Bowl.

Carson Palmer:  Palmer was a three-time Pro Bowl Quarterback who led the NFL in Touchdown Passes in 2005.

Chris Johnson:  Johnson was the Offensive Player of the Year in 2009 and the Running Back would go on to three Pro Bowls.

Cliff Avril:  Avril was a Pro Bowl Linebacker in 2016 and was a Super Bowl Champion with the Seattle Seahawks.

Danny Woodhead:  Woodhead was a popular and undrafted Running Back who would have nearly 5,000 Yards from Scrimmage.

Darrelle Revis:  Revis was the greeter of “Revis Island”, where the Cornerback would be named to seven Pro Bowls and four First Team All-Pros.  Revis would win a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots.

Darren McFadden:  McFadden played at Running Back where he would have 7,535 Yards from Scrimmage.

DeAngelo Hall:  Hall would become a three-time Pro Bowl Defensive Back.

DeMarco Murray:  Murray was explosive in 2014 where the Running Back would be named the Offensive Player of the Year.  He was also a three-time Pro Bowl Selection.

Dwight Freeney:  Freeney was a First Team All-Pro Defensive End three times and he would be named to seven Pro Bowls.  Freeney won the Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts and he retired with 125.5 Quarterback Sacks.

Elvis Dumervil:  At Defensive End, Dumervil was a five-time Pro Bowl and two-time First Team All-Pro who led the NFL in Sacks in 2009.  He retried with 105.5 Sacks over his career.

Eric Decker:  The Wide Receiver would have over 50 Receiving Touchdowns over his career.

Eric Weems:  Weems would record over 5,000 Return Yards and was 2010 Pro Bowl Selection.

Eric Wood:  Wood would be a Pro Bowl Selection at 2015 at the Center Position.

James Harrison:  Harrison was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and was a five-time and two-time First Team All-Pro.  The Linebacker would help the Pittsburgh Steelers win two Super Bowls.

Jay Cutler:  Cutler would throw for over 35,000 Yards and was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2008.

Jeremy Maclin:  Maclin played at Wide Receiver and he had five straight years of 800 Yards.

Joe Thomas:  Thomas played his entire career at Left Tackle for the Cleveland Browns where he was an 11-time Pro Bowl and a six-time First Team All-Pro Selection.

John Kuhn:  Kuhn was a three-time Pro Bowl Fullback who would win two Super Bowls, one with Pittsburgh and one with the Green Bay Packers.

Julius Thomas:  Thomas was a two-time Pro Bowl Tight End.

Kam Chancellor:  Chancellor helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl and the Strong Safety was a four-time Pro Bowler. 

Martellus Bennett:  Bennett was a Pro Bowl Tight End in 2014 and a Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots.

Matt Forte:  Forte was a two-time Pro Bowl Running Back who retired with 9,796 Rushing Yards and another 4,672 Yards from Receiving.  

NaVorro Bowman:  Bowman was a First Team All-Pro Linebacker who would lead the NFL in Tackles in 2015.

Paul Pozluszny:  Pozluszny was a Pro Bowl Linebacker in 2013.

Shane Lechler:  Lechler was the best Punter of his era, going to seven Pro Bowls and earning six First Team All-Pro Selections.

Tamba Hali:  Hali would have 89.5 Sacks over his career and the career Kansas City Chief would go to five Pro Bowls.

Terence Newman:  Newman was a two-time Cornerback. 

The entire group eligible for 2023 can be found here.

As always, we encourage you to vote and state your opinion.

Thank you again for your support!

As we approach the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, we have been working on our future eligible section.  As football players don’t always retire after they played their last game (usually to see if they can land another job while sitting out as a free agent) we aren’t able to immediately add them.  

With that being the case, here are some new additions to the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame eligible list.

Antonio Smith: Smith played on the Defensive Line where he was a 2011 Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans.

Darrell Stuckey: Stuckey played at Safety for his entire career with the San Diego Chargers where he was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2014.

Dashon Goldson: Goldson would twice be name to the Pro Bowl (2011 & 2012), the latter of which seeing the Free Safety win the First Team All-Pro.

DeAngelo Williams:  Williams was an eleven-year veteran, all with the Carolina Panthers and he was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2009.

D’Qwell Jackson: Jackson was a Pro Bowl Linebacker in 2014 and he would lead the NFL in Solo Tackles in 2011.  

Gary Barnidge: Barnidge was a Pro Bowl Tight End in 2015.

Jon Dorenbos: Dorenbos was a two-time Pro Bowl Long Snapper.

Marc Mariani: Mariani would be named to the Pro Bowl as a Returner in 2010.

Mario Williams: Williams was the first overall pick in 2006 and would become a four-time Pro Bowl Selection.

Michael Griffin: Griffin would go to two Pro Bowls at Free Safety as a Tennessee Titan.

Paul Soliai: Soliai was a Pro Bowler in 2011.

Roman Harper: Harper was a two-time Pro Bowler and would win the Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints.

Ryan Matthews: Matthews was a Pro Bowl Running Back in 2011 and he would have two 1,000 Rushing Yard seasons.

Trent Cole: Cole was a two-time Pro Bowl Linebacker (2007 & 2009) who would accumulate 90.5 Quarterback Sacks.

Victor Cruz: Crus would win a Super Bowl with the New York Giants and was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2012.

This group joins A.J. Hawk, Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Antonio Cromartie, Arian Foster, Branden Albert, Brandon Flowers, Chad Greenway, Chris Chester, DeMarcus Ware, Devin Hester, Evan Mathis, Jake Long, James Laurinaitis, Jeremy Zuttah, Jerome Felton, Jordan Cameron, Josh Brown, Justin Forcett, Nick Mangold, Pat McAfee, Percy Harvin, Robert Mathis, Ryan Clady, Steve Smith, Tony Romo, Vince Wilfolk and Vincent Jackson who are already featured.

The entire group eligible for 2022 can be found here.

As always, we encourage you to vote and state your opinion.

Thank you again for your support!

TMZ brings us more Hall of Fame related news as it caught up with Terrell Owens who was asked about Donovan McNabb’s claim that he should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He answered with one word:

“Who?”

There is a lot of shade in that one-word answer isn’t there?

McNabb and Owens played together in the 2004 and 2005 Season where they feuded with one another.  The Wide Receiver would be injured late in the 2004 season but returned early to assist the Eagles in the Super Bowl where he caught nine passes for 122 Yards. McNabb would throw for three TDs, but also three Interceptions and when Owens would seek a renegotiation of his contract quipped that “he didn’t get tired at the Super Bowl”.  Owens made other comments through the 2005 season and he was suspended by the team and would be released on March of 2006.

He would later claim that he left Philadelphia because “McNabb didn’t want him there.”  

Owens was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year on his third year of eligibility.  He famously criticized the Hall for not selecting him in his first two years and he did not attend the ceremony, choosing to hold his own festivities at his alumni, Tennessee-Chattanooga.  As for McNabb, he has never been a Finalist.

We love this and can’t wait to see what HOF comments TMZ will uncover next!

As we here at Notinhalloffame.com consistently work hard to create new lists we have to continuously update the ones that we have.  One of our main core lists, the Football List of those to consider for the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been updated.  

The first step for us is to take out all of those who were chosen for the Hall.  This takes out Tony Gonzalez (#1), Champ Bailey (#2), Ed Reed (#3), Johnny Robinson (#7), Kevin Mawae (#16) and Ty Law (#28).

The second step is to add those who are now eligible.  As we have a Football Futuressection that allows you to vote and make comments prior to their eligibility we factor that input before we slot in the new entries.  

This leads to our third step, which is taking in your votes and comments on the existing names on the list and altering our rankings if deemed necessary.

The entire list can be found here, but on this page the new top ten are:

For the first time, Chuck Howley moved to the top.  The former Linebacker and Super Bowl V MVP was a six time Pro Bowl and five time First Team All Pro Selection.  He was ranked at #5 last year.

L.C. Greenwood rocketed to #2 from #6.  Greenwood played for the Pittsburgh Steelers all of his career and was a member of the dynasty that won four Super Bowls in the 1970’s.  The Defensive End was a six time Pro Bowl Selection and he was a Finalists for the Hall of Fame on six occasions.

Alan Faneca went up from #4 to #3.  The Offensive Lineman was a nine time Pro Bowl and six time First Team All Pro and helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XL.  He has been a Finalist the last four years.

Former NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1978) Randy Gradisharjumps from #8 to #4.  The former Denver Bronco would be chosen for seven Pro Bowls, five First Team All Pros and was a Finalist for the Hall of Fame twice.

Our highest new entry is also our highest rated offensive skill player in former Wide Receiver, Reggie Wayne.  Wayne helped the Colts win Super Bowl XLI and caught 1,070 Receptions with 14,345 Yards. He was a six time Pro Bowl Selection who led the NFL in Receiving Yards in 2007.

Roger Craig went from #9 to #6.  The versatile Running Back helped the San Francisco 49ers win three Super Bowls and he was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1988.  He made history as the first player to rush for 1,000 Yards and catch for 1,000 Yards.

Steve Atwater increased his rank from #12 to #7.  “The Smilin’ Assassin” and former Denver Bronco was first a Finalist in 2016 and was against this year.  The Defensive Back was an eight time Pro Bowler and two time Super Bowl Champion.

Troy Polamalu is the second new entry to break our top ten.  Spending his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Polamalu was chosen for eight Pro Bowls, four First Team All Pros and was the 2010 Defensive Player of the Year.  He helped Pittsburgh win the Super Bowl twice.

Former Super Bowl Champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ronde Barber is #9 after climbing from #11.  The Defensive Back was chosen for five Pro Bowls and was the league leader in Interceptions in 2001.

Rounding out the top ten is Isaac Bruce, the former St. Louis Rams Wide Receiver of their “Greatest Show on Turf”. Bruce was a former Super Bowl Champion who caught 1,024 Passes for 15,208 Yards and 91 Touchdowns.  He would go to four Pro Bowls.

There are other new entries on out Notinhalloffame.com Football List.  Also making their debut are:

Patrick Willis comes in at #16.  Playing his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers the Linebacker would be invited to seven Pro Bowls and five First Team All Pros.  

John Abraham makes his first appearance at #40.  Abraham is in the top 15 all time in Quarterback Sacks, Tackles for Loss and Forced Fumbles and he was a five time Pro Bowl Selection.

Former Chicago Bear Linebacker Lance Briggs enters at #80.  He was a seven time Pro Bowl Selection.

The final new entry is Justin Smith at #101.  Smith is a five time Pro Bowl Selection.

As you will see, there are 103 names on this list.  Our intent is to eventually grow it to 250 (or possibly more) so as we are adding and subtracting names, we feel leaving it at this number is fine for now.

You know what we want you to do!

Take a look at our revised list and cast your votes and offer your opinions!

As always we here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank you for your support.

This has always been one of our favorite days at Notinhalloffame.com as while we prepare for the Super Bowl the Pro Football Hall of Fame also decides the next Hall of Fame Class.  It is a class dedicated to the defensive side of the ball, mostly the secondary, which has traditionally been overlooked by Canton.

The Class of 2019 is:

Champ Bailey:  Bailey gets in on his first year of eligibility and was a twelve time Pro Bowl Selection.  Bailey played for the Washington Redskins from 1999 to 2003 and was with the Denver Broncos from 2004 to 2013.  The three time Frist Team All Pro would lead the NFL in Interceptions in 2006 and he would tally 52 in total.

Pat Bowlen:  Bowlen purchased the Denver Broncos in 1984 and he would serve as the team’s CEO until 2014 when he stepped down due to the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. Under Bowlen’s leadership, the Broncos became a power in the American Football Conference winning the AFC Championship seven times and the Super Bowl three times.

Gil Brandt:  Brandt is credited with revolutionizing scouting and he served as an Executive for the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys, the latter of which he helped to create an empire.

Ed Reed:  Reed enters on his first ballot and he joins fellow Ravens teammates, Ray Lewis and Jonathan Ogden in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  A nine time Pro Bowler, Reed was a former Defensive Player of the Year.

Tony Gonzalez:  Easily the most productive Tight End of all-time, Tony Gonzalez enjoyed a 17 year career where his 1,325 Receptions and 15,127 Receiving Yards are by far the most of any NFL player at his position.  Now a successful broadcaster, Gonzalez was a 14 time Pro Bowl and 6 time First Team All Pro.

Ty Law:  A vital part of the New England Patriots’ success, Ty Law was a two time Interception leader, three time Super Bowl Champion and five time Pro Bowl Selection.

Kevin Mawae:  An Offensive Lineman for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans, Mawae went to eight Pro Bowls and was chosen for seven First Team All Pro honors.

Johnny Robinson:  Robinson was this year’s Senior Candidate and he brought a resume where he was a three time AFL Champion with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and was a First Team All AFL Selection five times and First Team All Pro once.  Robinson recorded 57 Interceptions over his career.

The Finalists who did not make the cut were Steve Atwater, Ronde Barber, Tony Boselli, Alan Faneca, Tom Flores, John Lynch and Richard Seymour.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate all of the members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019.  We will now begin work on our new Notinhalloffame.com Football List.

Leading up to Saturday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame vote, we have some developments that we think are very interesting and definitely noteworthy.

Both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have penned letters to the Selection Committee extolling the virtues of Ty Law and Richard Seymour, both former New England Patriots who are among the Finalists this year.

Brady’s letter regarding Ty Law can be found here.

Belichick’s letter regarding Richard Seymour can be found here.

In an ESPN article, Hall of Fame Running Back Curtis Martin endorses former New York Jet teammate, Kevin Mawae for a spot in Canton.

Ed Reed stated in an interview with Bleacher Report that he would rather see the other Safety on the ballot, Steve Atwater get in than himself

We are only 48 hours from finding out who will comprise the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019 and we can’t wait to find out!

Never underestimate how much First Team All Pro Selections mean in terms of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  While it is possible to enter Canton without one, this accolade tells everyone that in that particular year you are the best at your position.  Now granted it means more in some positions than others (Special Teams for example will always struggle to get players inducted) but this is a vital step to get into the Hall.

Rather than look at the 2018 First Team All Pro Selections by position, let’s list them in order of how many they have in total.

5^th: J.J. Watt, Defensive End: Houston Texans.  Watt was named a First Team All Pro each season from 2012 to 2015 but injuries prevented him earning any accolades the last two seasons.  He is clearly back!  Watt is currently an eight year veteran of the National Football League.

5^th: Luke Kuechly, Linebacker: Carolina Panthers.  Kuechly was a First Team All Pro in 2013 2014, 2015 and 2017 previously and he is a six time Pro Bowl Selection over his seven season career.

4^th: Aaron Donald, Defensive Lineman: Los Angeles Rams. Donald has been chosen for his fourth straight First Team All Pro and he is a five year veteran.  Donald received the maximum number of votes.

4^th: Bobby Wagner, Linebacker: Seattle Seahawks.  This is Wagner’s fourth First Team All Pro and third in a row.  He is a seven year veteran, all with the Seahawks.

3^rd: Zach Martin, Right Guard: Dallas Cowboys.  In five seasons in the NFL, Martin has been a Pro Bowl in all of them and a First Team All Pro in three.  This is a Hall of Fame caliber start.

3^rd: Khalil Mack, Defensive End: Chicago Bears.  In four seasons with Oakland, Mack went to two First Team All Pros.  In his fifth season in the NFL and first in Chicago he was chosen for his third First Team All Pro.

3^rd: Justin Tucker, Place Kicker: Baltimore Ravens. Tucker’s two previous selections were in 2013 and 2016.

2^nd: Todd Gurley, Running Back: Los Angeles Rams. Gurley is in his fourth season and this is his second straight selection.  He led the league in Rushing Touchdowns (17) and had 1,251 Yards with another 580 from the air.

2^nd: Tyreke Hill, Wide Receiver (Flex Selection): Kansas City Chiefs.  Hill was a First Team All Pro in his rookie season and this his third year in the NFL. The Kansas City Chief caught 87 passes for 1,479 Yards and 12 Touchdowns.

2^nd: DeAndre Hopkins, Wide Receiver: Houston Texans.  Hopkins was first chosen for this honor in 2017 and this year he caught 115 Passes for 1,572 Yards and 11 Touchdowns.

2^nd: Travis Kelce, Tight End: Kansas City Chiefs.  The first time he did this was in 2017 and this is now his sixth season in the NFL.  Kelce set personal records with 103 Receptions, 1,336 Receiving Yards and 10 Touchdowns.

2^nd: Jason Kelce, Center: Philadelphia Eagles.  This is Kelce’s eight season and second straight First Team All Pro Selection.

1^st: Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback: Kansas City Chiefs. The second year man set record after record this year and he threw for an NFL high 50 Touchdown passes with 5,097 Yards.

1^st: Michael Thomas, Wide Receiver: New Orleans Saints. In his third season, Thomas continued his streak of 1,000 Receiving Yard seasons with a career high of 1,405.  He would lead the NFL in Receptions with 125 and he caught 9 Touchdown passes.

1^st: David Bakhtiari, Left Tackle: Green Bay Packers. This is his sixth season in the NFL and he on a 90 Game starting streak.

1^st: Mitchell Schwartz, Right Tackle: Kansas City Chiefs. In his seventh season in the league, Schwartz become a First Team All Pro Selection for the first time.

1^st: Quenton Nelson, Left Guard: Indianapolis Colts.  Nelson is a First Team all Pro as a rookie.  The sky is the limit for Nelson.

1^st: Fletcher Cox, Defensive End: Philadelphia Eagles. Cox has been in the league now for seven years and he has been named a Pro Bowler in the last fourth however this is the first time that he received a First Team All Pro.

1^st: Darius Leonard, Linebacker: Indianapolis Colts. This is Leonard’s rookie season and he would lead the National Football League in Solo Tackles.

1^st: Kyle Fuller, Cornerback: Chicago Bears.  In the fourth season of Fuller’s career he was chosen for his first Pro Bowl and First Team All Pro this year.

1^st: Stephon Gilmore, Cornerback: New England Patriots. This is Gilmore’s seventh season and it is first time being named a First Team All Pro.

1^st: Eddie Jackson, Safety: Chicago Bears.  Jackson’s first time being named an All Pro comes in his sophomore year.  Two of his six Interceptions were ran back for Touchdowns.

1^st: Derwin James, Safety: Los Angeles Chargers.  We have another rookie off to a great start by earning this accolade.

1^st: Desmond King, Defensive Back: Los Angeles Chargers. King was also used as a Returner this year for the Chargers.

1^st: Michael Dickson, Punter: Seattle Seahawks.  Dickson is a rookie and you can’t ask for a better start.

1^st: Andre Roberts, Kick Returner: New York Jets.  This is the ninth season for Roberts and his fifth team as he played previously for Arizona, Washington Detroit and Atlanta.

1^st: Tarik Cohen, Punt Returner: Chicago Bears.  Cohen is a sophomore with the Bears and he was the leader in Punt Return and Punt Return Yards.

1^st: Adrian Phillips, Special Teams: Los Angeles Chargers. This is Phillip’s fifth season and he also played Defensive Back, Linebacker and Safety this season.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate all of the 2019 First Team All Pro Selections.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced their Finalists for the Class of 2019 and as per normal, there are little surprises.

The Finalists are:

Steve Atwater:  Atwater played Free Safety for the Denver Broncos from 1989 to 1998 and in that span, he would win two Super Bowls and would be named to two First Team All Pro and eight Pro Bowls.  He was known for delivering the most punishing hits for a Safety.  Atwater played one final season for the Jets and this is his second time as a Finalist, the last being in 2016.  He is ranked #12on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.  

Champ Bailey:  Bailey began his career playing for the Washington Redskins in 1999 where he quickly would establish himself as one of the top Cornerbacks in the NFL.  He would play there for five seasons, going to four Pro Bowls in his last four seasons there, but he would be traded to the Denver Broncos and elevated his career even more.  A Bronco from 2004 to 2013 was a First Team All Pro three years in a row 2004-06 and was a Pro Bowl Selection eight more times.  He retired with 52 Interceptions.  Bailey becomes a Finalist in his first year of eligibility and he is ranked #2on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Tony Boselli:  Arguably the greatest Jacksonville Jaguar of all-time, Boselli was only in the National Football League for seven seasons, but was a Pro Bowler for five of them and he was chosen for three straight First Team All Pros from 1997 to 1999.   This is his third straight time for the Offensive Lineman as a Finalist and he is ranked #64on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Isaac Bruce:  Bruce was an explosive Wide Receiver who played the first fourteen of his sixteen years with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and he was a member of the Rams Super Bowl winning “Greatest Show on Turf”.  Bruce was the NFL leader in Receiving Yards in 1996 and retired with 15,208 Receiving Yards, which is fifth all-time.  His 1,024 Receptions and 91 Receiving Touchdowns are thirteenth and twelfth all-time. Like Boselli this is Bruce’s third straight year as a Finalist.  He is ranked #13on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Don Coryell:  Coryell was the Head Coach of the St. Louis Cardinals (1973-77) and the San Diego Chargers (1978-86) and had a 114-89-1 record.  Coryell never won a Super Bowl but is known for revolutionizing the passing game in football.  This is his fifth time as a Finalist (2010, 2015, 2016 & 2017).

Alan Faneca:  Faneca was a veteran of thirteen NFL seasons, the first ten of which were with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he won a Super Bowl and was named to five First Team All Pro and seven Pro Bowls.  He followed that up with two Pro Bowl seasons with the New York Jets and one final season with Arizona.  This is his fourth straight year as a Finalist and he is ranked #4on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Tom Flores:  Flores was the Head Coach of the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1979-87) and the Seattle Seahawks (1992-94) and had a 105-90 record.  He would win two Super Bowls as a Head Coach with the Raiders and this is the first time that he is a Hall of Fame Finalist. 

Tony Gonzalez:  Gonzalez is the most successful Tight End in terms of offensive output and his contributions to the Kansas City Chiefs (1997-2008) and Atlanta Falcons (2009-13) will never be forgotten.  Gonzalez caught 1,325 passes for 15,127 Yards and 111 Touchdowns, which are by far the best by anyone of his position.  He would be named to six First Team All Pro and fourteen Pro Bowls and is a Finalist on his first year of eligibility.  He is ranked #1on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Steve Hutchinson:  Playing for the Seattle Seahawks (2001-05), Minnesota Vikings (2006-11) and Tennessee Titans (2012) over his career, the Left Guard would be a Pro Bowl in seven straight seasons (2003-09).  He was also named to five First Team All Pro teams and this is his second year being names as a Finalist.  He is ranked #26on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Edgerrin James:  With the Indianapolis Colts for the first seven years of his career, James would lead the NFL in Rushing Yards in his first two seasons.  James would be a four time Pro Bowl and one time First Team All Pro as a Colt and he would finish his career with Arizona for three seasons and a final one in Seattle.

Ty Law:  Law played Cornerback for the New England Patriots from 1995 to 2004 where he was a four time Pro Bowl, two time First Team All Pro but more importantly was a three time Super Bowl Champion.  Law would go to another Pro Bowl as a New York Jet and he would also finish his career with Kansas City and Denver.  The two time leader in Interceptions is a Finalist for the third straight year and he is ranked #28on our Notinhslloffame.com football list.

John Lynch:  Lynch played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1993 to 2003 where at Strong Safety he helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl and was a five time Pro Bowl and two time First Team Al Pro.  He would move to Free Safety and the Denver Broncos the last four seasons of his career and was a Pro Bowl in all of them.  This is Lynch’s sixth straight year as a Finalist and he is ranked #34on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Kevin Mawae:  Mawae played for the Seattle Seahawks (1994-97), the New York Jets (1998-2005) and the Tennessee Titans (2006-09) and it was with the Jets where he was at their best with six straight Pro Bowls (1999-2004) with two First Team All Pros in that stint.  He had two more Pro Bowls with Titans.  Mawae is a Finalist for the third straight year and he is ranked #16on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Ed Reed:  The 2004 Defensive Player of the Year was a nine time Pro Bowl and five time First Team All Pro Selection who played all but his final season with the Baltimore Ravens. A Super Bowl Champion with the Ravens, Reed was a three time Interception leader and he is seventh all time in Interceptions and first in Interception Return Yards.  This is Reed’s first year of eligibility and he is ranked #3on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Richard Seymour:  A three time Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots, Richard Seymour was also a First Team All Pro Defensive Tackle three years in a row from 2003 to 2005. The seven time Pro Bowl also played for the Oakland Raiders.  This is Seymour’s first time as a Finalist and he is ranked #50on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

This group joins three Johnny Robinson (Seniors Finalists), Pat Bowlen (Contributor) and Gil Brandt (Contributor).

Johnny Robinson:  A member of the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs throughout his career, Robinson was a Safety who was a Pro Bowl/AFL All Star seven times and a First Team All Pro five times.  A Super Bowl Champion and three time AFL Champion is a Finalist for a seventh time, his last being in 1986.  He is ranked #7on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list.

Pat Bowlentook over ownership of the Denver Broncos in 1984 and over that timeframe the team appeared in seven Super Bowls with three wins.

Gil Brandtis credited with revolutionizing scouting and his methods helped the Dallas Cowboys win Super Bowls. 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Committee will announce their selections on February 2.

This weekend a huge contest will take place in the National Football League as the New Orleans Saints take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.  As is the case with many important matchups in professional football, a lot of jawjacking is taking place prior to by some of the players and one of them is certainly Hall of Fame related as today a reporter described the upcoming matchup between Quarterbacks Drew Brees (New Orleans) and Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh) as a battle between future Hall of Famers.  Saints Defensive End Cameron Jordan apparently disagrees.

“Is that true?” when Jordan questioned the reporter when he said that Roethlisberger would eventually be enshrined in Canton and he said yes, Jordan said the following:

“Really? In this era?  “You’d put him at like a top three in this era?  Top five of this era?  Top five of this era?  You’d put him at top five of this era?  Is that a yes or no?”

The yes answer from the reporter elicited a response from Jordan asking if Roethlisberger was better than Los Angeles Chargers’ Quarterback, Philip Rivers. This was after he named Brees, Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay), Tom Brady (New England) and Peyton Manning ahead of “Big Ben”. As the conversation continued, Jordan mentioned that he would also put Eli Manning over Roethlisberger.

Regardless of what Cameron Jordan thinks, the odds are strong that Ben Roethlisberger, who is a two time Super Bowl Champion will one day be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It is a major day for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as they have announced their preliminary nominees for enshrinement.

Let’s take a look at who was chosen at this stage by way of their position:

Quarterbacks:

Randall Cunningham, Dave Krieg, Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair.

Running Backs:

Shaun Alexander, Tiki Barber, Earnest Byner, Larry Centers, Corey Dillon, Eddie George, Edgerrin James, Darryl Johnston, Eric Metcalf (WR/KR/PR), Clinton Portis, Fred Taylor, Herschel Walker, Chris Warren, Ricky Watters.

Wide Receivers:

Isaac Bruce, Gary Clark, Henry Ellard, Torry Holt, Chad Johnson, Derrick Mason, Sterling Sharpe, Rod Smith, Hines Ward.

Tight Ends:

Mark Bavaro, Tony Gonzalez, Brent Jones, Jay Novacek.

Offensive Linemen:

Willie Anderson (T), Tony Boselli (T), Lomas Brown (T), Ray Donaldson (C), Alan Faneca (G), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), Steve Hutchinson (G), Mike Kenn (T), Olin Kreutz (C), Kevin Mawae (C/G), Tom Nalen (C), Chris Samuels (T), Richmond Webb (T), Steve Wisniewski (G).

Defensive Linemen:

La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Russell Maryland (DT), Leslie O’Neal (DE), Simeon Rice (DE), Richard Seymour (DT), Neil Smith (DE), Bryant Young (DT).

Linebackers:

Carl Banks, Cornelius Bennett, Tedy Bruschi, London Fletcher, Seth Joyner, Wilber Marshall, Clay Matthews, Willie McGinest, Karl Mecklenburg, Sam Mills, Chris Spielman, Takeo Spikes, Darryl Talley, Zach Thomas.

Defensive Backs:

Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Champ Bailey (CB), Ronde Barber (CB/S), Bill Bates (S), LeRoy Butler (S), Nick Collins (S), Thomas Everett (S), Rodney Harrison (S), Ty Law (CB), Albert Lewis (CB), John Lynch (S), Tim McDonald (S), Ed Reed (FS), Dennis Smith (S), Troy Vincent (CB), Adrian Wilson (S), Darren Woodson (S).

Special Teams:

Jason Elam (K), Jeff Feagles (P), Sean Landeta (P), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB), Steve Tasker (ST also WR).

Coaches:

Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, Tom Flores, Jim Hanifan, Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil.

There are four first time nominees in Tony Gonzalez, London Fletcher, Ed Reed and Champ Bailey.

In November 25 Semi-Finalists will be chosen and the Finalists will be announced in January.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced their two contributor finalists for the 2019 Class, which are Pat Bowlen and Gil Brandt.

Pat Bowlen became the owner of the Denver Broncos in 1984 and over that time the franchise would win the AFC seven times and the Super Bowl three times. In 2014 due to Alzheimer’s disease he would step down as the CEO of the team.

Brandt worked as a scout for the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers in the late 1950’s and he would take over as the chief talent scout for the Dallas Cowboys in 1960, a position he would hold for nearly 30 years. Brandt’s innovations in scouting would become a template for NFL teams.

Bowlen and Brandt automatically become finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which will be chosen days before the Super Bowl.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate both Bowlen and Brandt for advancing to this stage.

Well this is interesting.

As we all know, Terrell Owens skipped the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton, Ohio and had his own in Chattanooga, Tennessee at his alma mater. Apparently, the Hall is feeling a little embarrassed by the spectacle and wants to ensure that this does not happen again.

This news comes from Pro Football Talk, which reported that the institution wants to enforce a rule change that would force all inductees to attend the ceremony in Canton. It is not sure how they can enforce that though the speculation is that once a candidate reaches the Semi-Finalist stage they would have to sign a waiver stating that they would attend the ceremony.

In our eyes, this is a strange action by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. During Owens’ speech he stated that the reason he boycotted Canton was that he was protesting the Hall of Fame selection process, which he viewed as flawed.

Specifically, he stated this during the ceremony:

“Many of you are probably wondering why we’re here, instead of Canton. I’d like to set the record straight. It’s about the mere fact that the sportswriters are not in alignment with the mission core values of the Hall of Fame. These writers disregarded the system, the criteria and by-laws and ultimately, the true meaning of the Hall of Fame and what it represents. I wanted to take a stand so the next gut coming after me will not have to go through what I, and others have gone through.”

Honestly, we here at Notinhalloffame.com have been vocal about our belief that Terrell Owens should have entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot with all due respect he wasn’t even close to being the person who had a long wait for enshrinement…that would be Jerry Kramer who waited decades and until this past weekend was the only member of the NFL 50th anniversary team not to be enshrined. If Owens feels snubbed, we wonder if he had a long conversation with Jerry Kramer on that subject.

We don’t think he did either.

Having said that the actions of Terrell Owens were his right to do. While we weren’t enamored of it the fact that the Pro Football Hall of Fame are now looking to create a policy to prevent this seems very totalitarian to us, especially considering that there was a good chance that what Terrell Owens did would be a “one-off” and that we are unlikely to see this again, but with the political climate of the NFL, unnecessary rules may not help potential inductees to “tow the line”.

Chances are that the T.O. Hall of Fame drama is over and it is unlikely that we will see this occur again…whether they try to enforce this or not.

We were wondering how the Pro Football Hall of Fame were going to react when Terrell Owens decided that he was going to do his Hall of Fame speech somewhere other than Canton with the rest of the inductees. We found out today, and their answer is to not acknowledge him at all that evening.

The Hall of Fame’s Executive Director, Joe Horrigan stated that Owens will not be introduced for the Gold Jacket ceremony nor will be announced the following evening at the Induction Ceremony.

“The focus, is on the guys who are here” Horrigan said, which obviously excludes Terrell Owens. As for his gold jacket, it will be shipped to him separately.

Owens will be giving his speech earlier in the day at his alma mater, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The other inductees are Jerry Kramer, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, Brian Dawkins, Bobby Beathard, Brian Urlacher and Robert Brazile.