Big Lead Sports Bar

9/13/2010

Jerome Bettis, Several Other Steelers Nominated for Hall of Fame



The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced their list of 2011 candidates today, and once again, the class could potentially have a distinct Pittsburgh feel.

 
A number of former Steelers were on the initial list of 113 nominees, including RB Jerome Bettis, C Dermontti Dawson, S Donnie Shell, LB Kevin Greene, K Gary Anderson, Coach Buddy Parker, Defensive Coordinator Bud Carson, Adminstrator Art Rooney Jr. and scout Bill Nunn.

A few former Pitt Panthers are also on the preliminary list, including RB Curtis Martin, DE Chris Doleman,  and assistant coach Jimmy Johnson. 

Sewickley's Chuck Knox, longtime coach of the Rams, Bills, and Seahawks, is also a candidate for induction.

Dawson was a finalist last year, making it to the final 10. He'll eventually get in, but this might be another "logjam" type year for Canton. Besides Bettis and Martin, strong first-year candidates include Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, and Jimmy Smith. And you can't forget about finalists from 2010 who will have another strong case in 2011, including Andre Reed, Tim Brown, Roger Craig, Charles Haley, Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Don Coryell, and Cortez Kennedy.

From this initial list, Hall of Fame selectors will choose 25 as semifinalists in November. The semifinalists will be whittled down to 15 finalists in early January, and election for the Hall takes place the day before the Super Bowl in February.

The full list of 113 nominees is as follows:

K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr.
Owner
1960-Present Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Titans
  Eric Allen
Cornerback
1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders
  Ken Anderson
Quarterback
1971-1986 Cincinnati Bengals
         
Gary Anderson
Kicker
1982-1994 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1995-96 Philadelphia Eagles, 1997 San Francisco 49ers, 1998-2002 Minnesota Vikings, 2003-04 Tennessee Titans
 
  Ottis Anderson
Running Back
1979-1986 St. Louis Cardinals, 1986-1992 New York Giants
  Bruce Armstrong
Tackle
1987-2000 New England Patriots

         
Steve Atwater
Safety
1989-1998 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets
  Al "Bubba" Baker
Defensive End
1978-1982 Detroit Lions, 1983-86 St. Louis Cardinals, 1987, 1989-1990 Cleveland Browns, 1988 Minnesota Vikings
  Bill Bates
Safety (also ST)
1983-1997 Dallas Cowboys

         
Mark Bavaro
Tight End
1985-1990 New York Giants, 1992 Cleveland Browns, 1993-94 Philadelphia Eagles
  Bobby Beathard
Administrator
1966-67 Kansas City Chiefs, 1968-1971 Atlanta Falcons, 1972-77 Miami Dolphins, 1978-1988 Washington Redskins,1990-99 San Diego Chargers
  Cornelius Bennett
Linebacker
1987-1995 Buffalo Bills, 1996-98 Atlanta Falcons, 1999-2000 Indianapolis Colts
         
Jerome Bettis **
Running Back
1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers
  Tony Boselli
Tackle
1995-2002 Jacksonville Jaguars
  Lomas Brown
Tackle
1985-1995 Detroit Lions, 1996-98 Arizona Cardinals, 1999 Cleveland Browns, 2000-01 New York Giants, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
         
Tim Brown *
Wide Receiver (also KR)
1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  Joey Browner
Safety
1983-1991 Minnesota Vikings, 1992 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  LeRoy Butler
Safety
1990-2001 Green Bay Packers
         
Dave Butz
Defensive End/Defensive Tackle
1973-74 St. Louis Cardinals, 1975-1988 Washington Redskins
  Leo Carlin
Administrator
1960-Present Philadelphia Eagles
  Bud Carson
Assistant Coach/Head Coach
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
         
Cris Carter *
Wide Receiver
1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
  Larry Centers
Running Back
1990-1998 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 1999-2000 Washington Redskins, 2001-2002 Buffalo Bills, 2003 New England Patriots
  Ray Childress
Defensive Tackle/Defensive End
1985-1995 Houston Oilers, 1996 Dallas Cowboys
         
Todd Christensen
Tight End
1979 New York Giants, 1979-1988 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
  Gary Clark
Wide Receiver
1985-1992 Washington Redskins, 1993-94 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 1995 Miami Dolphins
  Ben Coates
Tight End
1991-99 New England Patriots, 2000 Baltimore Ravens
         
Jack Kent Cooke
Owner
1974-1997 Washington Redskins
  Don Coryell *
Coach
1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers
  Jim Covert
Tackle
1983-1990 Chicago Bears
         
Roger Craig
Running Back
1983-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991 Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-1993 Minnesota Vikings
  Otho Davis
Trainer
1971-72 Baltimore Colts, 1973-1995 Philadelphia Eagles
  Terrell Davis
Running Back
1995-2001 Denver Broncos
         
Dermontti Dawson *
Center
1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers
  Ed DeBartolo, Jr.
Owner
1979-1997 San Francisco 49ers
  Richard Dent *
Defensive End
1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
         
Chris Doleman
Defensive End/Linebacker
1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers
  Kenny Easley
Safety
1981-87 Seattle Seahawks
  Henry Ellard
Wide Receiver (also PR)
1983-1993 Los Angeles Rams, 1994-98 Washington Redskins, 1998 New England Patriots
         
Marshall Faulk **
Running Back
1994-98 Indianapolis Colts, 1999-2005 St. Louis Rams
  Tom Flores
Coach
1979-1987 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-94 Seattle Seahawks
  Russ Francis
Tight End
1975-1980, 1987-88 New England Patriots, 1982-87 San Francisco 49ers
         
Eddie George
Running Back
1996-2003 Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans, 2004 Dallas Cowboys
  Ron Gibbs
Official
1940-1962 National Football League
  Kevin Greene
Linebacker/Defensive End
1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers
         
Ray Guy
Punter
1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
  Charles Haley *
Defensive End/Linebacker
1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys
  Ken Harvey
Linebacker
1988-1993 Phoenix Cardinals, 1994-98 Washington Redskins
         
Ole Haugsrud
Owner
1923-27 Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos
  Lester Hayes
Cornerback
1977-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
  Jay Hilgenberg
Center
1981-1991 Chicago Bears, 1992 Cleveland Browns, 1993 New Orleans Saints
         
Chris Hinton
Guard/Tackle
1983-89 Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts, 1990-93 Atlanta Falcons, 1994-95 Minnesota Vikings
  Kent Hull
Center
1986-1996 Buffalo Bills
  Joe Jacoby
Tackle
1981-1993 Washington Redskins
         
Jimmy Johnson
Coach
1989-1993 Dallas Cowboys, 1996-99 Miami Dolphins
  Brent Jones
Tight End
1987-1997 San Francisco 49ers
  Ed "Too Tall" Jones
Defensive End
1974-78, 1980-89 Dallas Cowboys
         
Mike Kenn
Tackle
1978-1994 Atlanta Falcons
  Cortez Kennedy *
Defensive Tackle
1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks
  Frank "Bucko" Kilroy
Administrator
1962-64 Washington Redskins, 1965-1970 Dallas Cowboys, 1971-1984 New England Patriots
         
Joe Klecko
Defensive End/Defensive Tackle/Nose Tackle
1977-1987 New York Jets, 1988 Indianapolis Colts
  Chuck Knox
Coach
1973-77 Los Angeles Rams, 1978-1982 Buffalo Bills, 1983-1991 Seattle Seahawks, 1992-94 Los Angeles Rams
  Jim Lachey
Tackle
1985-87 San Diego Chargers, 1988 Los Angeles Raiders, 1988-1992, 1994-95 Washington Redskins
         
Albert Lewis
Cornerback
1983-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-98 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
  Nick Lowery
Kicker
1978 New England Patriots, 1980-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-96 New York Jets
  Dexter Manley
Defensive End
1981-89 Washington Redskins, 1990 Phoenix Cardinals, 1991 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
         
Charles Mann
Defensive End
1983-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 San Francisco 49ers
  Curtis Martin **
Running Back
1995-97 New England Patriots, 1998-2005 New York Jets
  Clay Matthews
Linebacker
1978-1993 Cleveland Browns, 1994-96 Atlanta Falcons
         
Art McNally
Official
1968-1991 National Football League
  Karl Mecklenburg
Linebacker
1983-1994 Denver Broncos
  Sam Mills
Linebacker
1986-1994 New Orleans Saints, 1995-97 Carolina Panthers
         
Frank Minnifield
Cornerback
1984-1992 Cleveland Browns
  Brian Mitchell
Running Back (also KR/PR)
1990-99 Washington Redskins, 2000-02 Philadelphia Eagles, 2003 New York Giants
  Art Modell
Owner
1961-1995 Cleveland Browns, 1996-2003 Baltimore Ravens
         
Herman Moore
Wide Receiver
1991-2001 Detroit Lions, 2002 New York Giants
  Stanley Morgan
Wide Receiver
1977-1989 New England Patriots, 1990 Indianapolis Colts
  Bill Nunn
Administrator
1968-Present Pittsburgh Steelers
         
Buddy Parker
Coach
1949 Chicago Cardinals, 1951-56 Detroit Lions, 1957-1964 Pittsburgh Steelers
  Jim Plunkett
Quarterback
1971-1975 New England Patriots, 1976-1977 San Francisco 49ers, 1979-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
  Mike Quick
Wide Receiver
1982-1990 Philadelphia Eagles
         
Andre Reed *
Wide Receiver
1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
  Dan Reeves
Coach
1981-1992 Denver Broncos, 1993-96 New York Giants, 1997-2003 Atlanta Falcons
  Gerald Riggs
Running Back
1982-88 Atlanta Falcons, 1989-1991 Washington Redskins
         
Willie Roaf **
Tackle
1993-2001 New Orleans Saints, 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs
  Joe Robbie
Owner
1966-1989 Miami Dolphins
  Reggie Roby
Punter
1983-1992 Miami Dolphins, 1993-94 Washington Redskins, 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1996-97 Houston/Tennessee Oilers, 1998 San Francisco 49ers
         
Art Rooney, Jr.
Administrator
1961-Present Pittsburgh Steelers
  Carroll Rosenbloom
Owner
1953-1971 Baltimore Colts, 1972-78 Los Angeles Rams
  Ed Sabol
Founder
NFL Films
         
Steve Sabol
President
NFL Films
  Deion Sanders **
Cornerback (also KR/PR)
1989-1993 Atlanta Falcons, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-99 Dallas Cowboys, 2000 Washington Redskins, 2004-05 Baltimore Ravens
  Shannon Sharpe *
Tight End
1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Broncos, 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens
         
Clark Shaughnessy
Coach
1944-1947 Washington Redskins, 1948-49 Los Angeles Rams, 1951-1962 Chicago Bears
  Donnie Shell
Safety
1974-1987 Pittsburgh Steelers
  Phil Simms
Quarterback
1979-1993 New York Giants, injured-1982
         
Fred Smerlas
Nose Tackle
1979-1989 Buffalo Bills, 1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991-92 New England Patriots
  Jimmy Smith **
Wide Receiver
1992 Dallas Cowboys, 1995-2005 Jacksonville Jaguars
  J.T. Smith
Wide Receiver (also PR)
1978 Washington Redskins, 1978-1984 Kansas City Chiefs, 1985-1990 St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
         
Paul Tagliabue
Commissioner
1989-2006 National Football League
  Darryl Talley
Linebacker
1983-1994 Buffalo Bills, 1995 Atlanta Falcons, 1996 Minnesota Vikings
  Steve Tasker
Special Teams (also WR)
1985-86 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills
         
Dick Vermeil
Coach
Philadelphia Eagles 1976-1982, St. Louis Rams 1997-99, Kansas City Chiefs 2001-05
  Herschel Walker
Running Back
1986-89 Dallas Cowboys, 1989-1991 Minnesota Vikings, 1992-94 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995 New York Giants, 1996-97 Dallas Cowboys
  Ricky Watters
Running Back
1992-94 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-97 Philadelphia Eagles, 1998-2001 Seattle Seahawks
         
Aeneas Williams
Cornerback/Safety
1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis Rams
  Doug Williams
Quarterback
1978-1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1986-1989 Washington Redskins
  Steve Wisniewski
Guard
1989-2001 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
         
Ron Wolf
Administrator
1991-2001 Green Bay Packers
  Darren Woodson
Safety
1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys
  Louis Wright
Cornerback
1975-1986 Denver Broncos
         
Frank Wycheck
Tight End
1993-94 Washington Redskins, 1995-2003 Houston/Tennessee Oiler/Titans
  George Young
Administrator
1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-78 Miami Dolphins, 1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 National Football League
   

* Among 17 finalists for Class of 2010; ** First year of eligiblity

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

7 comments:

jmarinara said...

My votes:

Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin, Deion Sanders, Herschel Walker, Tim Brown, Shannon Sharpe, Dermontti Dawson, Richard Dent, Ed Jones, Donnie Shell, Darren Woodson, Gary Anderson, Jimmy Johnson, Paul Tagliabue

It is an absolute travesty that Gary Anderson and Dermontti Dawson aren't in the hall already. Anderson was absolutely the best ever at his position and Dawson is in the top 5 at his position all time.

I predict that one of the three RB's (Martn, Faulk, Bettis) will not be in this year's class. They should all be shoe-ins though.

Koz said...

Ray Guy is a huge travesty on this list. The guy is by all accounts the best punter ever. Last time I checked, every team has a punter. It's a part of football. Save the macho BS about kickers. The position counts and this guy should be in.

The baseball hall of fame is full of hypocrisy, but the football HOF hardly represents the game fairly.

BURGH08 said...

Ray Guy gets in when the Chris Carters, Donnie Shells, etc get in as far as I'm concerned.

Those type of players deserve it more than a...yes...a PUNTER.

HomeRunFromBehindTheMeatballs said...

I'm with you KOZ. Ray Guy is by far the most shocking name on the list. Are Cris Carter/Donnie Shell unanimously regarded as the best EVER at THEIR positions? This guy invented 'hangtime'. He SHOULD get in (SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN), but he's a punter.

HomeRunFromBehindTheMeatballs said...

No one else on that list changed the game like Ray Guy. It's a travesty, and he'll only get elected the year after he dies... cause that's how people do things. :-/

BurressWithButterflywings said...

I wonder who the best Long Snapper ever was? I doubt he is in the HOF.

BTW, it's certainly not Silverback!

Maybe the voters know what many have suspected about the Raidah's using helium balls when guy punted ( sarcasm).

Since I am far too young to remember, there was apparently a punter for KC , I believe, that some believe to have been better than Guy.

Also, if you're pushing for Ray Guy, what about Steve Tasker?

HomeRunFromBehindTheMeatballs said...

Placekickers get in... what's the difference?

(i must concede, good point about Tasker though. i thought that when i saw his name on the list, but was hoping no one else would notice him)