Longevity And The Terrell Davis HOF Injury Argument

[Brian wolf]

Terrell Davis as everyone knows, made the HOF despite playing only 78 career regular season games in seven seasons. His dominance for four of those seasons including the 1997 and 1998 postseasons with back-to-back championships, vaulted him into the HOF. Many people believe he should have been elected, while many others believe he shouldnt have, considering the Denver team had a great offensive line and running game even after he left and of course the career longevity argument which has helped --and hindered-- the careers of many great players.

Unfortunately for Davis, his name will be linked to other great, injured players who deserve the same argument for HOF induction--postseason success or not--yet, which players deserve this argument and other than Walker, Stanfel, Sayers, Stephenson, Covert, Johnson(retired after nine years), Boselli, will any future players --senior or modern--get the same injury or early retirement argument?

Cecil Isbell became a senior finalist last year despite playing only five seasons. His case probably wont happen again but there are players who played less than ten years who deserve to be heard.
Of course Patrick Willis and later, Luke Kuechly will get their chance to be elected. Sterling Sharpe has his chance this year among the seniors.

Pro Football Journal did an excellent short-career team over two years ago and many of those guys have cases but are there other ones, besides a player like safety Dick Anderson who I mentioned on other posts today?

[JohnTurney]

besides a player like safety Dick Anderson who I mentioned on other posts today?

The guys that come to mind for me are a lot of AFL guys--they were left out in part (also maybe some anti-AFL bias)
because of not checking that box.

Rich Jackson
Earl Faison
Ernie Ladd
Tom Sestak

those are the first ones off top of my head...but also what is cutoff . . . 8-9 years played?

[Brian wolf]

I am looking at your list from the PFJ All-Time Team from 2020 John, so for injuries 9 years sounds about right, though Herman Moore, George Webster, others could be considered for trying to hang on ...

[Brian wolf]

Players With TD HOF Injury Argument

Billy Sims -- 5 yrs
Dan Towler -- 6 ... *edited
William Andrews -- 6
Robert James -- 6
Sterling Sharpe -- 7 ... Possible Class Of 2024
Howard Mudd -- 7 ... though Andy Piascik would disagree ... haha
Wally Chambers? -- 7
Rich Jackson -- 7
Tom Sestak -- 7
Navarro Bowman -- 7 ... too many All-Pro selections to ignore
Chuck Foreman -- 8 ... *edited
Bill Stanfill -- 8 ... though borderline
Bob Baumhower -- 8
John Offerdahl -- 8 ... though borderline
Clem Daniels -- 9 ... *edited ... injury forced him to miss SB II
Harlon Hill -- 9
Dick Anderson -- 9
Mike Quick -- 9 ... *edited
Mark Bavaro -- 9 ... *edited ... Did any TE do more with less numbers?
Shaun Alexander -- 9 ... *edited
Clinton Portis -- 9 ... *edited
Eric Berry -- 9


Non- Injury Cases

Mike Reid -- 5 ... early retirement
Warren Wells -- 5 ... turned into cult zombie due to experimental incarceration
Don Doll -- 6
George Sauer Jr -- 6 ... early retirement
Ken Kavanaugh -- 8 ... military service
Goose Gonsoulin -- 8 ... *edited
Don Perkins -- 8 ... early retirement for broadcasting career
Earl Faison -- 9
Abe Woodson -- 9
Bob Talamini -- 9 ... Gerry Philbin claims had Bob been on the offensive line in 1969, the Jets would have beaten KC in the playoff ...
Eddie George -- 9 ... Has the same overuse argument as Earl Campbell
Bill Fralic -- 9
Bobby Boyd -- 9 ... very underrated
Gene Brito -- 9 ... including Canada
Jake Scott -- 9

Are there others ? I didnt count Schnellbacher or Milt Davis due to four year careers.

[JohnTurney]

a lot of great names.

Some of them maybe played 7-8 years but one or two were barely a year---so
a 7-year career is really 6 and so on...

Some of them had maybe 8 really solid years...out of 8

interesting list.

[Brian wolf]

I didnt know Scott played in Canada. Wasnt Brito diagnosed with cancer in 1960?

[Brian wolf]

Speaking of AFL bias ... Gonsoulin played 8 years but was good in the NFL for SF, his final year

[JohnTurney]

I didnt know Scott played in Canada. Wasnt Brito diagnosed with cancer in 1960?

Brito got a muscle degenerative disease in 1961, ALS-like (Lou Gehrig's disease) but I don't think it was
though not sure how they distinguish...but when you see ALS now, I think that is things getting
repeated over time...but it's also a harmless difference, both do similar things

Anyway is sapped his strength and he had to retire, almost died in early 1962 but then stabilized
for a short time...but he finally succumbed in 1965. He wasn't strong enough to breath...
I think is how that works

[Brian wolf]

My bad, I should have known that from the piece you did in the Journal but I had a brain freeze and thought it was cancer like Ernie Davis ... Lets hope he makes the semifinals this year.

[Brian wolf]

Will add Mike Quick to the list as well who was great his first seven years, got injured in 1988 and tried to hang on his final two seasons. Clinton Portis was also great and benefitted from the line play of the Broncos like Terrell Davis but got hurt in Washington in year 8 and hung on his final season. Shaun Alexander is another example who was off and running before injuries in year 7 of his career, derailed him.

Don Perkins didnt have flashy stats during his 8 yr career, but he was called upon to block alot for the Cowboys as a light fullback and retired to become a broadcaster with CBS, where he didnt get the chance to broadcast long for the network. Some NFL critics felt he was a hiring example of tokenism, so the league, owners and networks werent accused of racism. With his good looks and calm demeanor, he could have been a broadcast or even acting star ...

Though Otis Anderson and Roy Green hung on with their careers better than most players, injuries both suffered in 1985 with the Cardinals took away chances at the HOF, though I still feel OJ is deserving. Green just didnt catch enough passes his final six seasons to help his chances.

Unfortunately, free agency can affect many players longevity as well where big payday contracts can and will shorten a career that was off and running like LeVeon Bell or even Ezekial Elliot ...