unanimous first ballot hall of famers nfl

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MLB history was made this afternoon. Isbell remains in limbo despite the fact the bulk of the receiving success of Don Hutson was a result of passes thrown by Cecil Isbell. I disagree. He wasn’t unanimous like longtime teammate Mariano Rivera, who became the first unanimous Hall of Famer last year. Only players who received at least one selection to a Pro Bowl, Associated Press All-Pro team or Pro Football Writers of America all-conference team during the 2010-19 seasons were eligible. I recently read an article on NFL.com by Gil Brandt. Not to single anyone out, but how can middle linebacker Brian Urlacher be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he was two years ago, when he would arguably be a fourth-ballot inductee in the Bears' Hall of Fame behind Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Bill George? So why is it now a slight if he or anyone else waits a year or two to be inducted? The great Babe Ruth made it on 95.13 percent of his ballots. In the last 20 years, the 49ers have 7 players who were first-ballot Hall of Famers. As previously stated, for CFL stars, there is a corresponding Canadian Football Hall of Fame; only one player, Warren Moon, and one coach, Bud Grant, are enshrined in both halls. The 55-member team is the result of votes cast over the last several weeks by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 48-member selection committee. However, that would only be the tip of the iceberg, as Mr. Sandman becomes the first player in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB) to be voted in unanimously by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). I count one. Since then there have been 84 first-ballot Hall of Famers, excluding the upcoming class. For many years there were two all-decade quarterbacks, for example, mired in the senior pool. Next, maybe steroid-tainted stars have a chance, too. [2] These nominees are referred as "seniors nominees" (formerly "old-timer" nominees). Get it out of the way. This outrage must be redressed and I encourage civil disobedience, riots, and outright revolution until it is. The odds are far better that you get in during your 20-year eligibility span than make it through the senior portal. The problem is: They can’t all go in at once because entry is capped at five modern inductees a year. [9] Two coaches (Marv Levy,[10] Bud Grant[11]), one administrator (Jim Finks), and five players (Warren Moon,[12] Fred Biletnikoff, John Henry Johnson, Don Maynard, Arnie Weinmeister) who spent part of their careers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) have been inducted; two of which have been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame: Warren Moon and Bud Grant. We do not yet know who the five new inductees will be because it won’t be made public for two more weeks, but few, if any, of those 15 finalists don’t deserve a bust in Canton. This outrage must be redressed and I encourage civil disobedience, riots, and outright revolution until it is. Rivera is the all-time leader in saves with 652. Ken Griffey Jr. nearly became the first unanimous Hall of Famer in 2016. There are no clear cut Hall of Famers set to join the ballot in 2021, nevermind a candidate for unanimous induction. The 2005 draft class was loaded with quarterback talent. The charter class of seventeen was selected in 1963. Nobody else has more than 3. In the past five years, voters put in 10 first-ballot inductees out of a possible 25 slots, an alarming 40 percent of inductees jumping ahead of men who waited years for their own inductions. Pro Football Hall of Fame photo courtesy of Talk of Fame Network. Ravens coach John Harbaugh says "there's no doubt" LB Ray Lewis should be a unanimous selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Five players played some at least one year in the Ohio League, the predecessor to the NFL. Rivera became baseball's first unanimous Hall of Fame selection, elected Tuesday along with Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina and the late Roy Halladay. Maddux, in fact, has the highest vote total of all time, with 555. He was in. Former Colts and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, widely considered one of the greatest NFL players of all time, is now a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer. So 1970 has been designated as the point where this began. No way. The Pro Football Hall of Fame's charter class of 17 members was enshrined on September 7, 1963. Certainly there have always been first-ballot Hall of Famers, but an overemphasis on their significance is a recent phenomenon and not a healthy one. / Rivera 1st unanimous Hall of Fame pick; Doc, Edgar, ... That's just ahead of first-ballot Hall of Fame pitchers Nolan Ryan and Tom Glavine. They included former Browns’ linebacker Clay Matthews, who was in his 20th and final year of eligibility, Carolina Panthers' linebacker Sam Mills who was in his 19th , as well as Packers' safety LeRoy Butler and Jacksonville Jaguars’ tackle Tony Boselli, both in their 15th years. First, there’s a guy you may have heard of, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. And remember: These aren't the only 10 active players who should be first-ballot Hall of Famers. Here's a look at the year-by-year classes. The proliferation of first-ballot selectees is a large part of the problem. Terrell Owens played his last season of professional football in the Indoor Football League. Was he more impactful than John Mackey or Derrick Thomas or Kevin Greene, who retired with the third most sacks in history at 160 yet had to wait 12 years and until his fifth time as a finalist to gain induction? Hall of Fame voters were unanimous on Mariano Rivera. But what could the 2020 class look like? Each entry includes the year of induction (i.e., "class"), position(s) played, team(s) each was associated with, and tenures with each team. Not including the charter class, 76 players have been inducted in their first year of eligibility. https://www.thedelite.com/current-nfl-players-who-will-be-hall-of-famers This year, for example, John Lynch was on the list for the eighth time, Alan Faneca for the sixth and Tony Boselli for the fifth. The Boston Yanks are also a unique case, too; such that, they also technically have had no inductees play for them. Report Save. He was included on 437 of 440 ballots (99.3 percent), which set a record (in 1992, Tom Seaver was on 98.8 percent of ballots). Meaning 4.87 percent of established baseball voters decided the Sultan of Swat was undeserving of the Hall of Fame. And that’s just at the wide-receiver position. If a player after 20 years of eligibility is not elected to the Hall of Fame he tumbles into the senior pool -- or, as I dubbed it several years after becoming one of the nine voters on the senior committee, “the great abyss.’’ While one player a year does emerge as a nominee annually from this vast pool of forgotten talent, the likelihood of anyone escaping is slim. Was he more impactful than John Stallworth (10th year), Lynn Swann (14th year), Terrell Owens (third year and still complaining about it)? Continue this thread level 2. This is a designation that, frankly, didn’t exist only a few years ago and has no real definition or importance except in the minds of the small minded. But the recent expansion in the perceived significance of first-ballot Hall of Famers has created a growing rift that was heavily debated Tuesday among the 48 voters for nearly an hour. No, he wasn’t. Go figure. That would be awesome. A First Ballot Hall of Famer is a player who is elected to the Hall of Fame on his first appearance on the BBWAA ballot. Actually it’s not a criminal offense at all. The Ohio League had five individuals contribute, the All-America Football Conference had fifteen, and the American Football League which merged with the NFL had thirty-nine Hall of Famers play for the league. [1], Enshrinees are selected by a 48-person selection committee which meets each year at the time and location of the Super Bowl. As some inductees were both players and coaches, the position indicated here is the position indicated on the Hall of Fame website. In addition, the original class of inductees in 1963 were all “first-ballot’’ because it was THE first ballot. Ken Griffey Jr. — 99.32 percent in 2016 The closest we’ve come to a unanimous Hall of Famer was Ken Griffey Jr. in 2016. When it took three years for Joe Namath or Willie Lanier or Michael Irvin to get in there was no hue and cry about slights and disrespect, either. Fifteen inductees spent some of their playing career in the All-America Football Conference during the late 1940s. I think he will get in, but not on the first ballot. Cris Carter had to wait a few years on the ballot before he was finally let into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Enshrinees are selected by a 48-person selection committee which meets each year at the time and location of the Super Bowl. He was a finalist eight straight times during his years of eligibility and was always the guy the committee was going to put in ‘next year’’ ... until he ran out of next years. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts ... 4 years ago. They take the 15 finalists and will meet the day before the Super Bowl needs an 80% vote from the selectors. Yet even when those guys became first-ballot Hall of Famers nobody thought much about it. Mariano Rivera was the first player to be elected unanimously; Derek Jeter … If you have to say a word more, as was the case with Johnson this year, then you’re not a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Since being named President and CEO of the Hall of Fame seven years ago, David Baker has pushed hard to expand the Hall and grow its brand. Subscribe to our Free Newsletter. Players like Joe Thomas and Frank Gore , to name just two of a … Nearly one out of 20—11 of … Larry Fitzgerald – Cardinals WR. Why those two were not is beyond me, but that persisted until Stabler finally made it in 2016. [6] Ray Guy was the first full-time punter inducted (class of 2014). [2] Any person may nominate an individual to the hall, provided the nominee has not played or coached for at least five seasons prior to the nomination. Site Last Updated: Sunday, March 21, 5:50AM Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League both have their own halls of fame. The 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class has been announced. We assembled our NFL experts to form a five-person panel and make their preliminary selections on whether 10 debate-worthy candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame should be in or out. The way the HOF voting works is that: their are 44 electors or board of selectors (one from each NFL city, 11 national and one PFWA rep). The former Supplemental Draft Pick from Ohio State started with the Eagles and made his mark with the Vikings before finishing his career in 2002 with the Dolphins. By my best guess, there should have been 20 unanimous Hall of Famers already. “Lawrence Taylor.’’ Enough said. This Month in Sports Reference Current rules of the committee stipulate that between four and eight individuals are selected each year. It was all part of a process. Bert Bell 1933-1959 -- Commissioner - National Football League, 1946-1959; Team Owner - Philadelphia Eagles, 1933-1940, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1941-1946 … The date of the enshrinement ceremonies are in italics and parentheses. Shaw was the only player not to make the formal transition to the NFL, as he had retired the year before the merger. The voters put in three first-ballot nominees three times in the past five years and might very likely make it four in the last six when the Class of 2021 is announced in two weeks. Just as noticeable are the players who are not on the list. And why would it be a slight if players waiting for years to be enshrined go in ahead of someone with 19 years of eligibility left? The hall is not officially affiliated with the National Football League (NFL), although as of 2018 all but one enshrinee participated in the NFL for at least a portion of his career; the single exception being Billy Shaw. [4], In 2020, a special Blue-Ribbon Panel selected an additional 15 new members, known as the "Centennial Slate", to be inducted into the Hall of Fame to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Football League (NFL).[5]. Derek Jeter Class of 2020 There was never a doubt that Jeter was going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. r/nfl: NFL: National Football League News & Discussion. Another more important point is dialing back the idea that it is somehow “disrespectful’’ or an “insult’’ if a great player has to wait a year or two -- or even three -- to get to Canton, while deserving players ahead of them go first. George Blanda was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981. Fitzgerald is a lock. Teams With No Inductees. Ken Griffey Jr. nearly became the first unanimous Hall of Famer in 2016. His adjusted ERA+ of 205 ranks first all-time and he was ridiculously consistent in the postseason as well. That's allowing guys to be double-listed. 13 Active First Ballot NFL Hall of Famers. The following are NFL teams with no Hall of Fame Inductees (five seasons or more): The following are NFL teams of less than five seasons with no Hall of Fame Inductees: The following are NFL teams with a relocated franchise that have no Hall of Fame Inductees: Technically the St. Louis Gunners, Hartford Blues, and Dayton Triangles do not have Hall of Fame inductees; however, each of these three teams had an inductee play at least one season with them before they entered the NFL. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees is also an easy first-ballot decision. Press J to jump to the feed. Hall of Famers by Year of Enshrinement. Will it happen first time? With the election of the Class of 2020, there are now 346 members in the Hall of Fame. The list is complete through the first half of the 2021 Hall of Fame class (elected in 2020, but part of the 2021 class; there was no 2020 class because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic). But there’s no special wing of Cooperstown for people who get 100 percent of the vote. Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Cy Young, Tris Speaker, Nap Lajoie, Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews, Roy Campanella and Harmon Killebrew all had to wait until at least their second ballot to be elected. NFL, PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME . A first-ballot Hall of Famer is difficult to define, but in my mind it is as simple as this. Was Calvin Johnson all that much more impactful than, say, Cris Carter and his 130 touchdown catches and 1,101 receptions, which were both second all-time when he retired? [3], In addition to the regular selection committee, which primarily focuses on contributions made over the past approximately thirty seasons, a nine-member seniors committee (which is a subset of the larger committee) submits two nominees each year whose contributions came prior to 1985. Former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is now the first unanimous first ballot Hall of Famer in baseball history. “Deacon Jones.’’ We’re done. 22nd overall pick J.P. Losman turned out to be a bust, but third rounder Matt Schaub … And if you know anything about me, you know that I … Actually, it’s more than 20 when you consider Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson and Honus Wagner and other players before World War II, but I the Hall of Fame was a different thing in their time. No. 10 NFL teams with the most Hall of Famers. He ranks third all-time in catches, third all-time … Of the 77 pitchers in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, it’s Seaver who was closest to earning a unanimous selection. Luke Kuechly. Well, it didn’t even exist in their time. Unwittingly, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has opened a can of worms for itself with the recent proliferation of first-ballot Hall of Famers. Where it goes awry is that all voters know there are far more than five players who deserve induction each year and that if you keep putting in guys with 19 years of eligibility left you eventually end up leaving someone like Bob Kuechenberg behind. Tom Seaver holds the record at 98.84 percent. He has been financially successful, expanding the grounds, increasing its television ratings and doubling its net assets in half a decade. Not until "The Sandman" could everyone agree. Since then there have been 84 first-ballot Hall of Famers, excluding the upcoming class. More concerning is that the trend is getting worse. Paying more attention to the number of times it takes to induct guys voters keep saying are Hall of Famers is one thing. Philip Rivers Is a Hall of Famer. DiMaggio’s time came in 1955, when he earned 88.8% of votes in his third year on the ballot — easily surpassing the 75% needed to enter the Hall of Fame as he appeared on 223 of the 251 submitted ballots. first-ballot contenders Reggie Wayne, WR Alongside surefire future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and current Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, Wayne was … On January 22, 2019, Mariano Rivera got the call to the hall, becoming a first ballot hall of fame inductee. Johnson was one of 15 finalists voted on Tuesday by the 48-person committee, and it was a list with an abundance of worthy candidates. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account. The Pro Football Hall of Fame includes players, coaches, and contributors (e.g., owners, general managers and team or league officials) who have "made outstanding contributions to professional football". Bears. Johnson would seem to be a lock to make it to the Hall of Fame eventually given what he did in the NFL for years and also given the way he changed the game at wide receiver. He was included on 437 of 440 ballots (99.3 percent), which set a record … Nothing. Among those trapped there are 60 players who were named to the Hall’s various all-decade teams over the years. Because when the Hall of Fame Class of 2022 gathers in Canton, Hester should absolutely be a member. On the surface, that sounded logical. Many of the highest voting percentages have come to first ballot players. The centerfielder led a class of four that year, with Ted Lyons, Dazzy Vance, and Gabby Hartnett joining him — each had been on the ballot for at least 10 years. NFL, American Football League, AAFC, and Ohio League (listed as pre-NFL) teams are recognized in the Hall of Fame. So that’s a different thing. "*" indicates that a team had at one point in their existence participated in the NFL. During his NFL career, Hester returned 19 kicks or punts or touchdowns — by far the NFL … Why must they wait again so someone who was a great player ... but hardly an icon of the game ... leap-frog them in his first year of eligibility? waited, it doesn’t seem like a criminal offense if guys like Charles Woodson, Calvin Johnson and others like them do as well. This was primarily a result of the fact that in the early years the Hall was playing catch-up on nearly 40 years of the game’s history. Since the year 2000, 36 players have been inducted first ballot, which is 42.8 percent of all first-ballot Hall of Famers in the past 51 years. It is a classic case of the curse of unintended consequences. The Veterans Committee, prior to 2003, never released vote totals; nor … He deserves it. “Of course, it will feel like a slight, I guess, if you don’t get in the first time and you’re up there, a finalist,’’ Johnson told the NFL Network. It was just because he didn't want Peyton Manning to have a unanimous MVP. His 77,888 passing yards are most in NFL history, almost 3,000 yards — or close to a full season’s worth — more than second-place Tom Brady. “Earl Campbell.’’ Move on to the next guy. Bill Polian founded the Alliance of American Football, but he was inducted into the hall in 2015 and the league started in 2019. As of 2020, four players have contributed to AFL I, one to AFL II, one to AFL III, two to the American Association, three to the Arena Football League, one to the Indoor Football League, eleven to the Canadian Football League, four to the World Football League, seven to the United States Football League, two to the Continental Football League, one for NFL Europe, one for the 1960s United Football League, one for Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit, and ten played for independent teams (several of which played in the NFL at some point). 7. I just double checked the sources and (this may rock you to the core as it has me) Leaf is not only not a first-ballot inductee, he is not in the hall of fame at all. The Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed the 25 modern-era semifinalists for the Class of 2021 on Tuesday. Not really. Yet Carter went in on his sixth time as a finalist. The Cowboys and Raiders have 6. If great players like Night Train Lane, Ken Stabler, Mel Renfro, Roosevelt Brown, John Mackey, Buck Buchanan, Dwight Stephenson, Kevin Greene, Charles Haley, Tim Brown, Willie Davis, Cris Carter, Jim Ringo, Jerry Kramer and Johnny Robinson (how about 45 and 43 years waiting in their cases?) The term has become known as a way to symbolize certain Hall of Famers and active players as above the rest. The swelling ranks of the senior pool are the major reason some sort of a queue needs to be maintained by voters among the modern candidates. By: Gavin Rodriguez | July 21, 2020. Finishing in the top-five in league history for passing yards and touchdowns without ever missing a game, Rivers leaves the NFL with a first-ballot Hall of Fame résumé. Moss, R. Lewis lead first-year HOF nominees "If anybody votes against him, then there's an agenda," Harbaugh said. Again for the Arena Football League, there is also a corresponding Arena Football Hall of Fame; similarly, one player, Kurt Warner, has been enshrined into both halls. Cal Ripken, Jr. is third (and first among hitters) with 98.53 percent. Four players, Larry Csonka, Leroy Kelly, Don Maynard, and Paul Warfield, played a portion of their career in the short-lived World Football League. He died last year at 71, still waiting for the call from the Hall. 5 years ago. So that’s a different thing. Phoenix Cardinals (1988–1993), currently known as the Arizona … No honoree has ever been elected unanimously by the BBWAA, but there have been other doorways into the Hall. I really liked the piece, even if I have some qualms with the players Brandt chose and the rankings he gave them. The Pro Football Hall of Fame includes players, coaches, and contributors (e.g., owners, … first-ballot contenders Reggie Wayne, WR Alongside surefire future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and current Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, Wayne was … Hall of Fame voters were unanimous on Mariano Rivera. The 311-game winner was named on 425 of 430 ballots in 1992. His presenter says “Jim Brown,’’ and sits down. It's common sense, which of late has not been so common when it comes to voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lewis headlines the 11 first-year-eligible players for the Hall of Fame. So why is it taking so long to close the deal? That is where this obsession with first-ballot Hall of Famers has begun to threaten the entire process. There are no clear cut Hall of Famers set to join the ballot in 2021, nevermind a candidate for unanimous induction. Granted, you can make an argument for guard Marshal Yanda, and I’ve heard a couple of Hall-of-Fame selectors voice support for Eli Manning as a first-ballot choice. Longtime Hall of Fame voter John McClain wrote Wednesday that he's always "taken for granted" Seau would be a unanimous first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. Through 2020, Billy Shaw is the only player in the Hall of Fame who has never played in the NFL; he played the entirety of his career with the Buffalo Bills in the AFL. The 49ers have 7 players who are not on the first unanimous Hall of.. Because it was titled, “ Eleven active players as above the rest and coaches, position... I encourage civil disobedience, riots, and possibly as many as,! Moss, R. Lewis lead first-year HOF nominees `` if anybody votes against him, then there been! Candidates from the selectors Rivera got the call to the Hall of Famers already Yankees closer Mariano Rivera as... 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