Nominees for NFL HOF Class of 2013 released

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  • Hasselbeck
    Jus' bout dat action boss
    • Feb 2009
    • 6175

    Nominees for NFL HOF Class of 2013 released

    *First year of eligibility; ^Past finalist


    QUARTERBACKS
    DREW BLEDSOE – 1993-2001 New England Patriots, 2002-04 Buffalo Bills, 2005-06 Dallas Cowboys
    RANDALL CUNNINGHAM – 1985-1995 Philadelphia Eagles, 1997-99 Minnesota Vikings, 2000 Dallas Cowboys, 2001 Baltimore Ravens
    RON JAWORSKI – 1974-76 Los Angeles Rams, 1977-1986 Philadelphia Eagles, 1988 Miami Dolphins, 1989 Kansas City Chiefs
    NEIL LOMAX – 1981-88 St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
    *STEVE McNAIR – 1995-2005 Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans, 2006-07 Baltimore Ravens
    PHIL SIMMS – 1979-1993 New York Giants, injured-1982
    DANNY WHITE (also P) – 1976-1988 Dallas Cowboys

    RUNNING BACKS
    JAMAL ANDERSON – 1994-2001 Atlanta Falcons
    OTTIS ANDERSON – 1979-1986 St. Louis Cardinals, 1986-1992 New York Giants
    TIKI BARBER – 1997-2006 New York Giants
    ^JEROME BETTIS – 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers
    LARRY CENTERS – 1990-98 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 1999-2000 Washington Redskins, 2001-02 Buffalo Bills, 2003 New England Patriots
    ^ROGER CRAIG – 1983-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991 Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-93 Minnesota Vikings
    STEPHEN DAVIS – 1996-2002 Washington Redskins, 2003-05 Carolina Panthers, 2006 St. Louis Rams
    TERRELL DAVIS – 1995-2001 Denver Broncos
    EDDIE GEORGE – 1996-2003 Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans, 2004 Dallas Cowboys
    *PRIEST HOLMES – 1997-2000 Baltimore Ravens, 2001-05, 2007 Kansas City Chiefs
    BRIAN MITCHELL (also PR/KR) – 1990-99 Washington Redskins, 2000-02 Philadelphia Eagles, 2003 New York Giants
    GERALD RIGGS – 1982-88 Atlanta Falcons, 1989-1991 Washington Redskins
    HERSCHEL WALKER – 1986-89 Dallas Cowboys, 1989-1991 Minnesota Vikings, 1992-94 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995 New York Giants, 1996-97 Dallas Cowboys
    RICKY WATTERS – 1992-94 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-97 Philadelphia Eagles, 1998-2001 Seattle Seahawks

    WIDE RECEIVERS
    ^TIM BROWN (also KR) – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    ^CRIS CARTER – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
    GARY CLARK – 1985-1992 Washington Redskins, 1993-94 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 1995 Miami Dolphins
    MARK CLAYTON – 1983-1992 Miami Dolphins, 1993 Green Bay Packers
    HENRY ELLARD (also PR) – 1983-1993 Los Angeles Rams, 1994-98 Washington Redskins, 1998 New England Patriots
    KEYSHAWN JOHNSON – 1996-99 New York Jets; 2000-03 Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2004-05 Dallas Cowboys, 2006 Carolina Panthers
    *KEENAN McCARDELL – 1991, 2007 Washington Redskins, 1992-95 Cleveland Browns, 1996-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2002-03 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-06 San Diego Chargers
    STANLEY MORGAN – 1977-1989 New England Patriots, 1990 Indianapolis Colts
    ^ANDRE REED – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
    STERLING SHARPE – 1988-1994 Green Bay Packers
    JIMMY SMITH – 1992 Dallas Cowboys, 1995-2005 Jacksonville Jaguars
    ROD SMITH – 1995-2006 Denver Broncos

    TIGHT ENDS
    TODD CHRISTENSEN – 1979 New York Giants, 1979-1988 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
    BEN COATES – 1991-99 New England Patriots, 2000 Baltimore Ravens

    OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
    *LARRY ALLEN (G) – 1994-2005 Dallas Cowboys, 2006-07 San Francisco 49ers
    TONY BOSELLI (T) – 1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2002 Houston Texans (injured reserve)
    LOMAS BROWN (T) – 1985-1995 Detroit Lions, 1996-98 Arizona Cardinals, 1999 Cleveland Browns, 2000-01 New York Giants, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    JIM COVERT (T) – 1983-1990 Chicago Bears
    JOE FIELDS (C) – 1975-1987 New York Jets, 1988 New York Giants
    BILL FRALIC (G/T) – 1985-1992 Atlanta Falcons, 1993 Detroit Lions
    JEFF HARTINGS (G/C) – 1996-2000 Detroit Lions, 2001-2006 Pittsburgh Steelers
    JAY HILGENBERG (C) – 1981-1991 Chicago Bears, 1992 Cleveland Browns, 1993 New Orleans Saints
    CHRIS HINTON (G/T) – 1983-89 Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts, 1990-93 Atlanta Falcons, 1994-95 Minnesota Vikings
    KENT HULL (C) – 1986-1996 Buffalo Bills
    JOE JACOBY (T) – 1981-1993 Washington Redskins
    MIKE KENN (T) – 1978-1994 Atlanta Falcons
    JIM LACHEY (T) – 1985-87 San Diego Chargers, 1988 Los Angeles Raiders, 1988-1992, 1994-95 Washington Redskins
    *TOM NALEN (C) – 1994-2007 Denver Broncos
    *JONATHAN OGDEN (T) – 1996-2007 Baltimore Ravens
    WILL SHIELDS (G) – 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs
    ERIK WILLIAMS (T) – 1991-2000 Dallas Cowboys, 2001 Baltimore Ravens
    STEVE WISNIEWSKI (G) – 1989-2001 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders

    DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
    *SAM ADAMS (DT) – 1994-99 Seattle Seahawks, 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens, 2002 Oakland Raiders, 2003-05 Buffalo Bills, 2006 Cincinnati Bengals, 2007 Denver Broncos
    CARL HAIRSTON (DE/DT) – 1976-1983 Philadelphia Eagles, 1984-89 Cleveland Browns, 1990 Phoenix Cardinals
    ^CHARLES HALEY (DE/LB) – 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys
    ED “TOO TALL” JONES (DE) – 1974-78, 1980-89 Dallas Cowboys
    JOE KLECKO (DE/DT/NT) – 1977-1987 New York Jets, 1988 Indianapolis Colts
    DEXTER MANLEY (DE) – 1981-89 Washington Redskins, 1990 Phoenix Cardinals, 1991 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    CHARLES MANN (DE) – 1983-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 San Francisco 49ers
    *WARREN SAPP (DT) – 1995-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Oakland Raiders
    FRED SMERLAS (NT) – 1979-1989 Buffalo Bills, 1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991-92 New England Patriots
    *MICHAEL STRAHAN (DE) – 1993-2007 New York Giants
    *TED WASHINGTON (DT/NT) – 1991-93 San Francisco 49ers, 1994 Denver Broncos, 1995-2000 Buffalo Bills, 2001-02 Chicago Bears, 2003 New England Patriots, 2004-05 Oakland Raiders, 2006-07 Cleveland Browns
    *BRYANT YOUNG (DE) – 1994-2007 San Francisco 49ers

    LINEBACKERS
    CORNELIUS BENNETT – 1987-1995 Buffalo Bills, 1996-98 Atlanta Falcons, 1999-2000 Indianapolis Colts
    ^KEVIN GREENE (also DE) – 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers
    KEN HARVEY – 1988-1993 Phoenix Cardinals, 1994-98 Washington Redskins
    CLAY MATTHEWS – 1978-1993 Cleveland Browns, 1994-96 Atlanta Falcons
    KARL MECKLENBURG – 1983-1994 Denver Broncos
    SAM MILLS – 1986-1994 New Orleans Saints, 1995-97 Carolina Panthers
    DARRYL TALLEY – 1983-1994 Buffalo Bills, 1995 Atlanta Falcons, 1996 Minnesota Vikings

    DEFENSIVE BACKS
    ERIC ALLEN (CB) – 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders
    STEVE ATWATER (S) – 1989-1998 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets
    JOEY BROWNER (S) – 1983-1991 Minnesota Vikings, 1992 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    LEROY BUTLER (S) – 1990-2001 Green Bay Packers
    NOLAN CROMWELL (S) – 1977-1987 Los Angeles Rams
    ALBERT LEWIS (CB) – 1983-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-98 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
    *JOHN LYNCH (S) – 1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos
    DENNIS SMITH (S) – 1981-1994 Denver Broncos
    TROY VINCENT (CB – 1992-95 Miami Dolphins, 1996-2003 Philadelphia Eagles, 2004-06 Buffalo Bills, 2006 Washington Redskins
    EVERSON WALLS (CB) – 1981-89 Dallas Cowboys, 1990-92 New York Giants, 1992-93 Cleveland Browns
    ^AENEAS WILLIAMS (CB/S) – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis Rams
    DARREN WOODSON (S) – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys

    KICKERS/PUNTERS
    *MORTEN ANDERSEN (K) – 1982-1994 New Orleans Saints, 1995-2000, 2006-07 Atlanta Falcons, 2001 New York Giants, 2002-03 Kansas City Chiefs, 2004 Minnesota Vikings
    GARY ANDERSON (K) – 1982-1994 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1995-96 Philadelphia Eagles, 1997 San Francisco 49ers, 1998-2002 Minnesota Vikings, 2003-04 Tennessee Titans
    SEAN LANDETA (P) – 1985-1993 New York Giants, 1993-96, 2003-04 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1998 Green Bay Packers, 1999-2002, 2005 Philadelphia Eagles
    NICK LOWERY (K) – 1978 New England Patriots, 1980-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-96 New York Jets

    SPECIAL TEAMS
    STEVE TASKER (also WR) – 1985-86 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills

    COACHES
    BILL ARNSPARGER – 1964-69 Baltimore Colts, 1970-73, 1976-1983 Miami Dolphins, 1974-76 New York Giants
    DOUG BLEVINS – 1995-97, 1999 World League/NFL Europe, 1997-2003 Miami Dolphins
    BUD CARSON – 1971-77 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1978-81, 1997 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1982 Baltimore Colts, 1983 Kansas City Chiefs, 1985-88 New York Jets, 1989-1990 Cleveland Browns, 1991-94 Philadelphia Eagles
    ^DON CORYELL – 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers
    BILL COWHER – 1992-2006 Pittsburgh Steelers
    TOM FLORES – 1979-1987 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-94 Seattle Seahawks
    JIMMY JOHNSON – 1989-1993 Dallas Cowboys, 1996-99 Miami Dolphins
    CHUCK KNOX – 1973-77 Los Angeles Rams, 1978-1982 Buffalo Bills, 1983-1991 Seattle Seahawks, 1992-94 Los Angeles Rams
    ^BILL PARCELLS – 1983-1990 New York Giants, 1993-96 New England Patriots, 1997-99 New York Jets, 2003-06 Dallas Cowboys
    BUDDY PARKER – 1949 Chicago Cardinals, 1951-56 Detroit Lions, 1957-1964 Pittsburgh Steelers
    DAN REEVES – 1981-1992 Denver Broncos, 1993-96 New York Giants, 1997-2003 Atlanta Falcons
    MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER – 1984-88 Cleveland Browns, 1989-1998 Kansas City Chiefs, 2001 Washington Redskins, 2002-06 San Diego Chargers
    CLARK SHAUGHNESSY – 1944-47 Washington Redskins, 1948-49 Los Angeles Rams, 1951-1962 Chicago Bears
    DICK VERMEIL – 1976-1982 Philadelphia Eagles, 1997-99 St. Louis Rams, 2001-05 Kansas City Chiefs

    CONTRIBUTORS
    K.S. “BUD” ADAMS, JR. (Founder/Owner) – 1960-Present Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Titans
    GEORGE ANDERSON (Trainer) – 1960-1993 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
    BOBBY BEATHARD (Admin.) – 1966-67 Kansas City Chiefs, 1968-1971 Atlanta Falcons, 1972-77 Miami Dolphins, 1978-1988 Washington Redskins, 1990-99 San Diego Chargers
    GIL BRANDT (Admin.) – 1960-1988 Dallas Cowboys, 1995-present National Football League
    C.O. BROCATO (Scout) – 1974-76, 1981-present Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans
    LEO CARLIN (Admin.) – 1960-Present Philadelphia Eagles
    JACK KENT COOKE (Owner) – 1974-1997 Washington Redskins
    OTHO DAVIS (Trainer) – 1971-72 Baltimore Colts, 1973-1995 Philadelphia Eagles
    ^ED DeBARTOLO, JR. (Owner) – 1979-2000 San Francisco 49ers
    RON GIBBS (Official) – 1940-1962 National Football League
    RALPH KOHL (Scout) – 1978-1992 Minnesota Vikings
    EDDIE KOTAL (Admin.) – 1947-1961 Los Angeles Rams
    ROBERT KRAFT (Owner) – 1994-Present New England Patriots
    ART McNALLY (Official) – 1968-Present National Football League
    ^ART MODELL (Owner) – 1961-1995 Cleveland Browns, 1996-2011 Baltimore Ravens
    BILL POLIAN (Admin.) – 1978-1982 Kansas City Chiefs, 1984-1992 Buffalo Bills, 1993-94 National Football League, 1995-97 Carolina Panthers, 1998-2011 Indianapolis Colts
    ART ROONEY, JR. (Admin.) – 1961-Present Pittsburgh Steelers
    STEVE SABOL (Contrib.) – 1964-2012 NFL Films
    CARL STORCK (Owner/Coach/Admin.) – 1918-1930 Dayton Triangles, 1930-1941 National Football League
    ^PAUL TAGLIABUE (Commissioner) – 1989-2006 National Football League
    BURL TOLER, SR. (Official) – 1965-1989 National Football League
    JIM TUNNEY (Official) – 1960-1991 National Football League
    RON WOLF (Admin.) – 1991-2001 Green Bay Packers
    ^GEORGE YOUNG (Admin.) – 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-78 Miami Dolphins, 1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 National Football League

    First-year eligible
    Hall of Fame bylaws require that a player or a coach must have last been active at at least five full seasons before being eligible for consideration. There are 13 individuals among the 2013 modern-era nominees who are eligible for the first time.

    Sam Adams, DT
    Larry Allen, G
    Morten Andersen, K
    Priest Holmes, RB
    John Lynch, S
    Keenan McCardell, WR
    Steve McNair, QB
    Tom Nalen, C
    Jonathan Ogden, T
    Warren Sapp, DT
    Michael Strahan, DE
    Ted Washington, DT/NT
    Bryant Young, DE
    Lots of good names on this list. I'd say Ogden, Strahan, Larry Allen and Sapp are probably favorites to get in.
    Originally posted by ram29jackson
    I already said months ago that Seattle wasn't winning any SB
  • EmpireWF
    Giants in the Super Bowl
    • Mar 2009
    • 24082

    #2
    Among the first timers, Strahan, Sapp and Allen for sure.


    Comment

    • Warner2BruceTD
      2011 Poster Of The Year
      • Mar 2009
      • 26142

      #3
      You know how you know you're getting old? When you can remember the entire careers of Hall of Fame players from draft day to induction.

      Comment

      • Warner2BruceTD
        2011 Poster Of The Year
        • Mar 2009
        • 26142

        #4
        Also, I can't take the Hall of Fame seriously until Cris Carter, Bill Parcells, Aeneas Williams, and George Young are in.

        I threw the towel on getting worked up about the baseball hall of fame a few years ago, same here until the can get the obvious ones right.

        Comment

        • Glenbino
          Jelly and Ice Cream
          • Nov 2009
          • 4994

          #5
          Originally posted by Warner2BruceTD
          You know how you know you're getting old? When you can remember the entire careers of Hall of Fame players from draft day to induction.
          Keyshawn Johnson was the first draft I ever watched. The Broncos took John Mobley that year.

          I'd love to see Atwater and Nalen get in but I know they have no shot.

          Comment

          • Leftwich
            Bring on the Season

            • Oct 2008
            • 13700

            #6
            This is a tough class. A lot of guys are gonna feel left out.

            Originally posted by Tailback U
            It won't say shit, because dying is for pussies.

            Comment

            • ram29jackson
              Noob
              • Nov 2008
              • 0

              #7
              Henry Ellard

              Comment

              • NAHSTE
                Probably owns the site
                • Feb 2009
                • 22233

                #8
                Originally posted by Warner2BruceTD
                You know how you know you're getting old? When you can remember the entire careers of Hall of Fame players from draft day to induction.
                The Warren Sapp draft was one of the first ones I remember watching as as a kid. I just remember him falling like a stone (due to rumors of marijuana use, the horror!) and that Jets fans really wanted him but got Kyle Brady instead. Probably my first NFL draft memory, in fact. Damn. I do feel old.

                Comment

                • Woy
                  RIP West
                  • Dec 2008
                  • 16372

                  #9
                  Go Steve!




                  ^ Shouts to MvP for the sick sig. GFX TEAM BACK

                  .

                  Comment

                  • ram29jackson
                    Noob
                    • Nov 2008
                    • 0

                    #10
                    Coaches
                    BUDDY PARKER – 1949 Chicago Cardinals, 1951-56 Detroit Lions, 1957-1964 Pittsburgh Steelers

                    Get Stats, Coaching Records, Team Ranks, Coordinators, and more for Buddy Parker on Pro-football-reference.com.


                    CLARK SHAUGHNESSY – 1944-47 Washington Redskins, 1948-49 Los Angeles Rams, 1951-1962 Chicago Bears
                    Recently nominated as a semifinalist in the coaches category for the Hall of Fame, Clark Shaughnessy will go down in history as one of the game's great innovators, writes Len Pasquarelli.


                    greater emphasis on the quarterback and making running schemes more efficient.


                    Of the 10 men recently nominated as semifinalists in the coaches category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2010, only one served as a sideline boss for just two full NFL seasons and for fewer than 35 games.

                    Yet Clark Shaughnessy, who led the Los Angeles Rams for just two seasons (1948 and '49) and compiled a modest 14-8-3 record in that capacity, rightfully earned his "coach" title. Perhaps far more important, however, Shaughnessy commanded the less defined but probably more durable handle of "innovator," a rare distinction that likely merited him a Hall of Fame nomination.

                    "He definitely belongs in that [innovator] category," said Miami Dolphins executive vice president Bill Parcells, kind of an amateur historian of the game. "He lent a lot of ideas to the game."

                    The nomination of Shaughnessy is timely and fortuitous, indeed, given that there has been a recent groundswell among Hall of Fame selectors to recognize men whose contributions to the professional game were primarily as assistant coaches. Longtime assistants such as Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau are most often cited, although the seniors committee has nominated him this year for his outstanding if sometimes ignored playing career.

                    The term innovator is a fairly nebulous one and certainly subjective. Not all great coaches are considered innovators. Late Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, for instance, is almost universally recalled as a great coach, but not necessarily an innovator. Shaughnessy, regarded by most as one of the game's great, fertile minds and by a few as perhaps its greatest tinkerer, is generally deemed more the latter than the former.

                    Paul Brown, of course, is responsible for so many elements that we now consider integral to the NFL that a lot of people have forgotten half of them.

                    The great Amos Alonzo Stagg all but invented many of the tenets of football. Sid Gillman developed the modern passing game. Buddy Ryan scribbled up the 46 defense. Bill Walsh popularized the West Coast offense. Red Hickey introduced the shotgun as an every-down formation. Mouse Davis basically created the run 'n' shoot offense. And Joe Gibbs fine-tuned the two-tight end/one-back offense.

                    Yep, a pretty impressive roll call of innovators.

                    Except that litany of fertile football minds doesn't include Shaughnessy, arguably the most innovative man in the history of football. (And, yes, we expect a ton of e-mails from the many folks supporting Brown for that same title.) Certainly, Shaughnessy, much better known for his coaching success at the college level, is one of the premier innovators and a man who left his considerable imprint on the NFL game.

                    Those who champion Brown's cause possess a sound argument. Certainly, the game would be radically different without the genius of Brown, the man who gave us face masks, a playbook, calling plays from the sideline, scouting techniques, film study and the practice squad (although it was termed the taxi squad years ago).

                    But by positioning the quarterback directly behind the center for a hand-to-hand exchange, and by making the position the undeniable focus of an offense instead of merely a glorified blocker in the single wing, Shaughnessy forever altered the game. He conjured up the man in motion, misdirection, the counter play and the three-wide receiver formation. Shaughnessy prioritized deft ballhandling and intelligent decision-making by quarterbacks, and made the ground game more viable and modern by drawing up quick hitters and eliminating much of the backfield traffic that slowed the run and previously rendered the game a ponderous exercise in physical superiority.

                    As head coach at the University of Chicago in the '30s, Shaughnessy engendered a strong but often confrontational relationship with Bears coach George Halas. Shaughnessy teamed with the Papa Bear to handpick Columbia University single wing tailback Sid Luckman as a revolutionary Hall of Fame quarterback who operated the modern T-formation, a Shaughnessy brainchild, in the NFL.

                    "He loved to draw things up and transfer them from paper to the field," said NFL vice president Joel Bussert, an Illinois native who grew up an avid Bears fan and has done extensive research on Shaughnessy's career.

                    But it might have been Shaughnessy's ability to work both sides of the street -- to implement changes in defensive theory as well -- that set him apart from most men regarded as innovators. Hired by Halas in 1951 (as a consultant and de facto defensive coordinator) to develop a defense that could answer the modern T-formation and to deal with offenses that were becoming increasingly aerial, Shaughnessy stressed man-to-man coverages.

                    "He understood that you've got to be able to cover [man-to-man] to win," Parcells said.

                    Shaughnessy, who died in 1970, also merged his single-coverage philosophies with the umbrella or zone techniques that were so pervasive around the league, and came up with combo-style pass coverages. And, as Bussert noted, "He loved to blitz."

                    Until that time, the standard NFL blitz was to send the middle linebacker on a red dog into the opposition's backfield. Shaughnessy brought pass-rushers from many different angles. He dropped linebackers and even ends to cover the flat areas. In a game increasingly dependent on throwing the ball, he worked creatively to get defenders into the passing lanes.

                    As a coach, Shaughnessy's most notable success was at Stanford in the early '40s, taking a team that had gone 1-7-1 in 1939 to an undefeated campaign the following year. As an innovator, however, his reach was across all levels and all eras.

                    Hall of Fame vice president Joe Horrigan, himself a football history buff, kindly referred to Shaughnessy as "maybe too cerebral." Former longtime NFL defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon, who played in Chicago's secondary during much of Shaughnessy's stint with the franchise, was less delicate.

                    "He could be sharp-tongued, abrupt and impatient," Petitbon said. "But I feel like a lot of people who think on a higher level in any [endeavor] are like that."

                    Len Pasquarelli, a recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's McCann Award for distinguished reporting, is a senior writer for ESPN.com

                    Comment

                    • NAHSTE
                      Probably owns the site
                      • Feb 2009
                      • 22233

                      #11
                      Morten Andersen should be a lock, btw.

                      Comment

                      • Saluki
                        Ball So Hard
                        • Oct 2008
                        • 9445

                        #12
                        Chris Carter might have to keep waiting.

                        Sent from my HTC myTouch 4g using Tapatalk 2

                        Comment

                        • Blick
                          The Judge
                          • Mar 2009
                          • 1557

                          #13
                          Ogden and Larry Allen received more notoriety and played for more popular teams (by far), but Will Shields should get in eventually. He and Willie Roaf basically paved the way for Priest Holmes to be a nominee here...and Priest has no fucking chance to get in ever.

                          Comment

                          • BigBucs
                            Unpretentious
                            • May 2009
                            • 12758

                            #14
                            Yea, Sapp, Allen and Strahan 1st ballots. Maybe Ogden. Carter and Haley should get in. How many do they induct every year, 6?




                            Comment

                            • Rayman
                              Spic 'n Spanish
                              • Feb 2009
                              • 4626

                              #15
                              lol @ Danny White being on there. Who knew?

                              Would anyone really be shocked if the sympathy vote kicked in right away and Steve Sabol got put in?



                              Comment

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