Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
PFRA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the history of professional football. Formed in 1979, PFRA members include many of the game's foremost historians and writers.
Bob Gill wrote:If Brown had come out of college one year earlier, he could've made it FOUR straight years with a different coach. What a missed opportunity!
Or Chris Hanburger...who was shutout of postseason honors in 1971...he got 3 of 4
But it's an oddity of note that he did go from post-season honors from 1966-1970 and then 1972-1976 but nothing
at all in 1971.
Jack Pardee got the "votes" I guess. But it's not like he played badly...or it was an off-year, nothing
that was written about, anyway.
I'd hazard a guess that he was better than Pardee in grades were they available ... Pardee was so slow at that time ...
but he did make a lot of plays in '71
Haha ... I could be saving the best for last but it depends on criteria.
Priest Holmes technically played 10 seasons but if we take out his first and last season--where he tried to come back after missing a whole season--he has the TD HOF argument. This guy may have been the best free agent acquisition in the salary cap era. Very deserving IMO.
I have spoken for Mark Bavaro on numerous occasions. Even without injuries his numbers simply arent good enough to make the HOF but as a total tight end, his importance in helping his team win games, being one of the few weapons on his team ... It seemed like ALL of his numbers, especially in postseason, were crucial.
Congratulations to Roger Craig finally making the senior finalist list.
This thread is about great players who got injured but would have probably made the HOF had they not gotten hurt. Most players on this list probably only had 6-8 quality seasons but then there is Roger Craig and Ottis Anderson, who both held on, to extend their careers beyond 10 seasons but were much better players before major injuries. For both running backs, their first seven years were on a HOF path before suffering knee injuries ... Anderson in 1985 and Craig in 1990. With Craig, he was also slow out of the gate being the blocking fullback for talented but about to get injured, Wendell Tyler. Craig showed his postseason value and ability in the 1984/85 SB having over 130 total yards while scoring 3 TDs, blocking great as well.
Despite being named All-Pro once, his career overlapped other excellent backs like Payton, Dickerson, Dorsett, Anderson, Allen, Brooks, Thomas, Tyler and Simms. Only Allen and Payton during their heyday could catch the ball as well. Due to Bill Walsh understanding his value as a total back, that could do everything, Craig didnt get his due from HOF voters, who blindly continue to look at running numbers beyond all else.
In postseason, Craig added about another 1400 yards and 9 TDs to his resume, having huge postseasons in 84, 88 and 89 as the Niners won it all. Despite Jerry Rice winning the MVP in the 88/89 SB, it was Craig's clutch catches, that kept drives alive for the team, including the game winning drive from over 90 yards out.
He is probably the the last 49er of the 80s Team Of The Decade that should make the HOF, though Cross has a case himself and I hope it is sooner rather than later ...