His career spanned 16 seasons in which he recorded 42 interceptions, 12.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, 13 fumbles recoveries and 2 touchdowns. In addition to his play on defense, Lewis blocked 11 kicks in 11 seasons with the Chiefs.
Looking back at it, fair to say that some of the best of Albert Lewis happened before Marty arrived in KC when guys like Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross were probably the best players on the team most weeks.
It’s worse when they start become coaches.
I loved the nba growing up. Steve Kerr was a lot fun to watch on those Jordan teams.
Now he’s a multiple nba champion head coach…
Soon to be Head Coach DeMeco Ryans could be coaching either Marvin Harrison Jr, Michael Pittman Jr, Jaycee Horn, or Patrick Surtain Jr depending on who hires him.
Yup.
My immediate thought when I saw this list: holy shit I feel old.
I watched several of these guys as rookies. Most of the offensive players I had on fantasy football teams in my teens and early 20s. What the hell, man?
I turn 30 tomorrow and have spent the last few weeks doing a lot of reflection and making priorities based off whatever "wisdom" I can scrape together. What I have not been able to escape from is the feeling that I am still faking all of it. My job, my relationship, my finances, all of it. I think and hope every adult eventually realizes that there is no magic switch where you suddenly feel like this other version of a person, it's just you slowly making it further along.
Hey! Happy birthday! Also, as a 37 year old, all of that sounds completely normal. We're all just going through life and despite what some say, no one really has it all figured out. Some have mastered certain pieces of life, but no one ever gets it all. So don't let it stress you out - just do the best you can, try to be a good human and enjoy the good times.
Also, since you're only turning 30: you've got about 5 years before your joints start hurting for no fucking reason and hangovers are multi-day events. *It'll happen to youuuu...*.
I still remember Darrelle Revis’ first game which happened to be against the Dolphins. He made the game winning interception and the announcer in excitement said the Jets may have struck third round gold!
I’ll never forget that call for some odd reason.
Don't worry, it just gets worse and weirder and worse and weirder.
Wait till you turn on your local classic rock station and it's albums you remember going to the store to buy on release day.
Source: 37
That's almost what is worse, I really don't listen to the radio aside from NPR and local sports talk. One day my phone was dead so no Spotify so I figured I'd toss it back to the local classic rock station and listen to some '70s jams.
They were playing '90s jams. I'm aware I'm showing my age lol
How is this guy not in the Hall of Fame yet?
16 seasons
47 INT
15 Forced Fumbles
12 Fumble Recoveries
28 sacks
12 defensive TDs
1,028 solo tackles
Super Bowl Champion as a part of one of the best defenses ever in 2002
Get this man a gold jacket already, damn.
Joe Thomas should be the biggest lock on that list
6x First Team All-Pro
2x Second Team All-Pro
10x Pro Bowl
2010s all decade team
10 straight years of never missing a snap
The only consistent, good, part of a terrible Browns era
Holy shit. I never knew where the meme came from until now. I thought you guys were just parodying how much the media loved him, not that they actually printed that lmao
Zach Thomas
5× First-team All-Pro (1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006)
2× Second-team All-Pro (2001, 2005)
7× Pro Bowl (1999–2003, 2005, 2006)
2× NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year (1998, 2006)
2× NFL tackles leader (2002, 2006)
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
Been passed up 7years in a row.
everyone in an all decade team should be HOF…it means you were one of 2 best players in the world for a decade (I don’t consider MLB & OLB exact same positions)
That probably takes it too far. Are there really 4 DT per decade, 4 DE per decade, 6 LB per decade, 4 RB per decade that are HoF worthy? I really don't think so. This would be arguing that guys from the 2010s like Geno Atkins, Eric Weddle, Fletcher Cox, and Chris Harris should be HoF.
Excluding 2010s for being too recent, the list of guys on first team all decade that aren’t in the Hall of Fame yet: Brady (active), Dwight Freeney (first year of eligibility), Lorenzo Neal (Fullback).
He’s basically been held hostage by being only like the 5th best LB of his era. (Lewis, Urlacher, Seau, Brooks)
I’m cool putting him in, and he probably should be in, but only 5th best for a decade in a position with only 31 entries over 70 years is tough. I think that’s the crux of the argument against him and why it’s taken so long. QB is the only position where it doesn’t seem to matter so much how you stack up directly to your contemporaries - lots of great NFL players who haven’t gotten in for similar reasons to Thomas.
Zach Thomas anchored the defense that Tom Brady said was the toughest and best that he’s ever faced in his career.
That defense was the only reason anyone outside of Miami even knew we still had a football team for much (but not all) of Thomas’s career.
6 years is significant. It was enough that Thomas talked about looking up to Seau as he was growing up as a LB, and how he loved that he got to play with him for a couple of years because of that.
Competing for All Pro in those years of truly remarkable LB play is what really should seal it. He was up against Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, Patrick Willis, Derrick Brooks, London Fletcher, Junior Seau. It’s unbelievable he’s been held out this long
It's insane how underrated he is. Maybe it's because he played with Ray Lewis and Urlacher.
But I felt he should have been in a long time ago. TO threw a fit when he didn't get in, but Thomas should definitely be the one complaining.
He is in his tenth year of eligibility. That is insane
feel like Ware is probably a lock too.
4× First-team All-Pro
3× Second-team All-Pro
9× Pro Bowl
2× NFL sacks leader
2× Butkus Award
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
and a SB ring to top it off
He’s not a lock because he didn’t get in last year. So there’s a chance he’s snubbed again. Not that I disagree with you I just think the two I listed are guarantees whereas this class is DEEP so several deserving candidates will get snubbed.
oh damn i totally forgot he was eligible last year actually so yeah you’re right. looking back at it Strahan didn’t get in first year either so i feel like it’s much tougher for defensive linemen to be first ballot
That's so stupid. Even if Favre pussed out, and clearly he did, Strahan was as no-brainer of a first ballot as there is. I cant believe I didn't remember this. Isnt Mark Gastineau still not in anyway?
[Here's that year's HoF class](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/hof/2013-ballot.htm)
It's not the first time they picked 4 players but Strahan was a no-brainer so leaving him out like that was obviously intentional
He was my favorite player growing up. I was a big dolphins fan growing up and became more of a bengals fan after I moved away from Cincinnati. I would be so happy if he gets in
A lot of great Zach Thomas moments, but one of my favorite ones was how he surprised a fan, just a day after Thomas was told he didn’t make the HOF cut. Warning, a lot of text, but here’s the [link to the story. ](https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/02/zach-thomas-surprises-lifelong-fan-after-hof-snub/)
-edit- [Link to the Twitter video of Thomas giving Ramon the jersey. ](https://twitter.com/willcain/status/1223817566231191553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1223817566231191553%7Ctwgr%5E92d5536697ed4d9d0872d62f73764247f56a3bf5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdolphinswire.usatoday.com%2F2020%2F02%2F02%2Fzach-thomas-surprises-lifelong-fan-after-hof-snub%2F)
“…Thomas continues to prove himself to be a Hall of Fame role model and person to boot.”
“Imagine being in Thomas’ shoes. You’ve just found out that the Hall of Fame has passed you over for the seventh year in a row. What do you do? Do you close up shop for the night and head to bed early? Do you pack up your stuff and head home?”
“Not if you’re Zach Thomas. Because last night, Thomas received a text from ESPN’s Will Cain. Cain was at a Miami bar, speaking with a man named Ramon — a bartender who moved to America six years ago and has a long history of worshipping Thomas, the football player.”
“Photo after photo, Ramon pulls up chapters of his life and in each and every one he’s wearing the same #54 — all because of Zach Thomas.”
“Hearing and seeing from such an avid fan apparently left quite a mark on Thomas, because Thomas — on the night of another Pro Football Hall of Fame snub, mind you — showed up at the bar with a signed #54 Zach Thomas jersey to present to one of his biggest fans, Ramon.”
No joke, I know so many “Ramon’s.” Myself included. I design jerseys for a side hustle and every single one has 54 and it’s for my all time favorite player. I gave a friend who gets 54 as the number and our first pick in the drafts name every year. One of the dolphins podcaster named his son Zach. It’s amazing the impact he’s had
Revis and Joe Thomas are basically first ballot locks imo, hope Barber finally gets in and the same for Zach Thomas, those two should’ve been in the HoF a long time ago.
If Barber was on a bigger market team he might have been first ballot
\-Most solo tackles by a DB in NFL history
\-Most iconic play in a franchises history
\-4th all time in return touchdowns behind Hester, Primetime, and Rod Woodson
\-3rd all time in passes defended
\-2nd all time for TFLs and sacks by a DB (3 less career TFL's than Richard Seymour)
Not trying to be a debbie downer (I do believe he deserves a place at some point in the near-future), but there's at least 9 names on this list that he absolutely, 100% should not be making it in over IMO. In no particular order, I would say Revis, both Thomases, Ronde Barber, Dwight Freeney, DeMarcus Ware, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis, and Jared Allen should make it in before Hester. Not saying that as a slight against him at all, but those players were every bit the best at their position during their primes that Hester was at his.
Yeah, the first-year eligible list is absolutely insane, and the HoF being a little unorthodox with their selections last year meant there's a couple of guys that I would've had as first-balloters (DeMarcus Ware and Andre Johnson) on top of the existing backlog. Just not a great environment for him to make it in immediately.
I don't think it gets easier for him next year, either. Julius Peppers has to be a first-balloter, and Antonio Gates feels like one as well. Add in whatever four players from my above list that don't make it, and I think that's another year where it feels like he should be on the outside looking in.
I think 2025 is his year. There's a lot of guys coming in that feel like they'll be HoFers in time (Kuechly, Yanda, Staley, Marshawn, Eli Manning, Cameron Wake), but I don't personally think that list contains a first-balloter. By that time, the guys I'd personally put before him will all mostly have cleared out, so he'd probably be near the top at that point.
Just my personal thoughts, though. Obviously not on the HoF committee, so it's not like they'll necessarily have the slightest bearing with what they actually end up doing.
Willis was absolutely a HOF player, just a short career. By play, he still deserves it, but it's an uphill battle to convince the voters. He's in the top 25 all time linebackers, and it's fairly easy to make the argument that he was the best linebacker of his playing time that also includes some all time greats like Ray Lewis (10 years difference in age), Demarcus Ware (2 yrs), and Terrell Suggs (3 yrs). From 2007-2012, he was an absolute terror and every team tried as hard as they could to avoid him at all costs. The only thing he didn't have is longevity, ultimately due to fraudsters taking advantage of his lack of financial / investment knowledge.
I still don't know a Mike LB that I would choose over him. The middle of the field was closed with Willis on the other side, and he was equally good in coverage as on running plays. It was thanks to him that I understood how coverage sacks worked, as he would blow up crosses and then prevent screens on the same damn play, allowing Justin Smith (another HOF great) or Aldon Smith to blow up the OL even when bringing 3. Adding Bowman to the ILB spot helped, but Willis helped Navarro more than Navarro helped Willis.
I'm super blessed to now watch Fred Warner, who is also great and might be HoF worthy in time, but honestly not even in the same conversation as Willis. Fred makes mistakes, misreads, and gets beat physically by OL far more than Willis. Love Fred to death, but Willis was just something else. It's funny to me that a bunch of the 49ers best plays during Willis's era are by other defenders in large part because the opposing team just simply thought "no, we're not going to go all in on the ground or in the air against Willis. That's fucking stupid" so they tried elsewhere instead. He was just that good.
The short career argument has got to end soon.
Players are going to continue to retire early. Running backs careers are way shorter. They won’t be putting up the numbers the backs of the 70s-90s at a regular level.
The only position that is being inflated is the QB position
We can’t keep holding them to the longevity and numbers standards of old.
Only 4 players have more all-pro team selections. Shane Lechler (first year eligible), Joe Thomas (finalist), Steve Wisniewski (was nominated) and Bobby Wagner (still playing)
There are so many names there that deserve it. I fucking hate the arbitrary limit per year. All of these guys were absolute beasts deserving of celebration.
That’s what makes it exclusive though and not like the NBA HOF, I like it. Does suck for some greats not to get recognized, but it’s nice that “hall of famer” really means something
He was at least top 3 if not the best middle linebacker in the league from the second he was drafted. Dude played eight years. Should've been first ballot. That's literally Megatron's resume.
To be fair, the bar is set very high and the standard has been upheld consistently with very few exceptions over the past quarter century.
* Charles Woodson 2021 CB 51
* Peyton Manning 2021 QB 125
* Calvin Johnson 2021 WR 36
* Troy Polamalu 2020 S 43
* Ed Reed 2019 S 58
* Tony Gonzalez 2019 TE 71
* Champ Bailey 2019 CB 54
* Ray Lewis 2018 ILB 80
* Brian Urlacher 2018 ILB 46
* Randy Moss 2018 WR 41
* LaDainian Tomlinson 2017 RB 53
* Jason Taylor 2017 DE 33
* Brett Favre 2016 QB 76
* Junior Seau 2015 LB 66
* Derrick Brooks 2014 LB 63
* Warren Sapp 2013 DT 57
* Larry Allen 2013 LG 62
* Jonathan Ogden 2013 LT 61
* Deion Sanders 2011 CB 59
* Marshall Faulk 2011 RB 40
* Emmitt Smith 2010 RB 63
* Jerry Rice 2010 WR 104
* Bruce Smith 2009 DE 84
* Rod Woodson 2009 FS 59
* Darrell Green 2008 CB 27
* Bruce Matthews 2007 LG 73
* Troy Aikman 2006 QB 24
* Reggie White 2006 DE 98
* Warren Moon 2006 QB 12
* Steve Young 2005 QB 57
* Dan Marino 2005 QB 42
* John Elway 2004 QB 55
* Barry Sanders 2004 RB 76
* Marcus Allen 2003 RB 36
* Jim Kelly 2002 QB 13
* Jackie Slater 2001 RT 19
* Joe Montana 2000 QB 91
* Ronnie Lott 2000 S 67
* Lawrence Taylor 1999 OLB 80
* Eric Dickerson 1999 RB 41
* Mike Singletary 1998 ILB 63
* Anthony Munoz 1998 LT 77
I copy pasted the list from a football site I found via a Google search. I think the numbers are an equivalent to football refecences approximate value score.
https://futurefootballlegends.com/1st_Ballot/
>The "Legends Score" is a simple measure of individual career accomplishments using the following point system, relatively weighted based on the award's exclusivity:
>
> 1 point per Pro Bowl Selection
>
> 5 points per 1st Team All-Pro Selection
>
> 3 points per 2nd Team All-Pro Selection
>
>15 points per 1st Team All-Decade Selection
>
> 9 points per 2nd Team All-Decade Selection
>
> 12 points per general All-Decade Selection (no 1st or 2nd Teams designated)
>
> 9 points per regular season MVP
>
> 8 points per Super Bowl MVP
>
> 5 points for non-MVP Super Bowl Winning QBs
>
> 1 point per AFL All-Star Team Selection
>
> 15 points for AFL All-Time 1st Team
>
> 9 points for AFL All-Time 2nd Team
Here's the current finalists' ratings:
> Joe Thomas (1x Finalist) 58
>
> DeMarcus Ware (2x Finalist) 47
>
> Zach Thomas (4x Finalist) 47
>
> Patrick Willis (2x Finalist) 47
>
> Devin Hester (2x Finalist) 43
>
> Dwight Freeney (1x Finalist) 40
>
> Darrelle Revis (1x Finalist) 39
>
> Ronde Barber (3x Finalist) 35
>
> Jared Allen (3x Finalist) 25
>
> Torry Holt (4x Finalist) 24
>
> Andre Johnson (2x Finalist) 23
>
> Willie Anderson (2x Finalist) 22
>
> Darren Woodson (1x Finalist) 20
>
> Reggie Wayne (4x Finalist) 17
>
> Albert Lewis (1x Finalist) 14
Still pisses me off that Sapp and Taylor were first ballots and fucking Strahan wasn’t. You can’t tell me that Jason Taylor deserved to be a first ballot and Strahan did not
Just didnt have the longevity imo. He was my favorite linebacker growing up. An absolute legend. Have his jersey hanging on my wall. I hope this is the year
Very few names on this list that I'd disagree with.
Revis and Thomas ought to be first round locks, I think; that leaves three spots remaining for returning players.
I'm pleasantly surprised Albert Lewis made the cut. He was the best shutdown corner in the game for a few years. I hope there's a good enough presentation for him to get the votes.
Thank you, Albert Lewis. For a second there I thought that i was getting so old that i would know all 15 players this year. One more year of youth for me!
In 2011, we named our dog Revis and he’s almost 12 years old and thriving
When we first got him, we used to call him taking a shit taking a Brady. When Revis went to the Patriots we called him traitor when the game was on
Anyways [here](https://imgur.com/a/EtQE8n5/) is Revis
Reggie Wayne is 10th all-time in catches and receiving yards. More than any other WR on this list. He also has the highest HOFm score (Pro Football Reference) of any WR on this list. Let’s not make him wait any longer.
It's really frustrating that Andre is clearly going to get in before Smith. Very similar statistics but Smith won a triple crown, was a dominant return man and went to a super bowl.
I don't disagree, but Holt needs to get in first he's way overdue and waited longer. Looking at the Pro reference scores, they're under a 2 point difference anyway.
Wayne was great-still think if you put Holt in that offense with Manning at QB he would have likely had the best WR numbers of all-time except for Rice. 6-straight 1300 yard seasons still not bad
Both guys should get in eventually but Holt should absolutely be the first one of them to get in. Been on the ballot longer and imo has a *slightly* better resume
For those who are interested…Brian Urlacher on the Pat McAfee show talking about Darelle Revis, Zach Thomas, and who actually votes on the HOF.
https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1537110501661868033?s=20&t=BhIgiw802FXRbHLfG8V2Mg
Revis, thomas, willis, johnson
God this one was hard. Im also pleasantly surprised to see jared allen on this list i didnt realize he had 136 sacks jesus
Willie Anderson making it the same year his son gets drafted top 5 would be a really fun storyline tho. Joe thomas gets in over him every time tho
I don't think Fred ever makes it. If Corey Dillon isn't in, and him and Fred Taylor are right next to each other in career totals, then Fred isn't making it. In terms of per game average, he's actually an all time great, he was just plagued by injuries. If he just played as many games as Jerome Bettis (who retired younger) and assuming he kept up his per game average, he would have around 15,000 yards and 85-ish touchdowns. But that said, I don't think the voting committee has much sympathy for him, even with him holding almost all all of the Jacksonville franchise records in rushing.
As great a player as Fred was he’s an even better man off the field. I’ve been blessed to have gotten to know him. I think he will eventually when people really examine his numbers.
That guy was a monster. Absolute shutdown corner. He made Kevin Ross' career by way of teams absolutely not wanting to throw to Lewis' side of the field. I swear that half of Derrick Thomas' sacks were just because that Cornerback duo.
Albert Lewis, he absolutely deserves to be here.
Any non chiefs fans who don’t know this guy, he was probably the single best special teams player of his era, and a damn good corner.
Y’all should look up the 1986 chiefs. May be the only team in NFL history who got led to the playoffs directly because of the contributions of their special teams on a week to week basis. That last week against Pittsburgh is, by far, without question, the best performance of Special teams in any game in NFL history.
I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I’ve watched every HOF finalist play
Soon you will have watched all the senior finalists play too
I can only hope!
Albert Lewis I don't remember well. That is only one though.
He's the punt block god
His career spanned 16 seasons in which he recorded 42 interceptions, 12.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, 13 fumbles recoveries and 2 touchdowns. In addition to his play on defense, Lewis blocked 11 kicks in 11 seasons with the Chiefs.
Yes! I remember him as a great cover guy, a hard hitter and the punt block god!
Looking back at it, fair to say that some of the best of Albert Lewis happened before Marty arrived in KC when guys like Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross were probably the best players on the team most weeks.
I had no idea who Albert Lewis was but I was 3 years old when he retired so that makes sense lol
It’s worse when they start become coaches. I loved the nba growing up. Steve Kerr was a lot fun to watch on those Jordan teams. Now he’s a multiple nba champion head coach…
You say that like I didn't watch Vrabel play...
Soon to be Head Coach DeMeco Ryans could be coaching either Marvin Harrison Jr, Michael Pittman Jr, Jaycee Horn, or Patrick Surtain Jr depending on who hires him.
Also matchups like Surtain Jr and Asante Samuel Jr against Marvin Harrison Jr.
Asante Samuel Jr against Tom Brady
I mean. I'm 26 and remember Vrabel TDs. Vividly? Not necessarily, but I remember the hype around it.
God damn it I forgot about that. Fuck we are old.
Those young kids working on the sidelines of the Broncos runs in 97-98? Those guys are all Head Coaches now.
And also having Asante Samuel, Antoine Winfield and Joe Horn's kids in the league.
Yup. My immediate thought when I saw this list: holy shit I feel old. I watched several of these guys as rookies. Most of the offensive players I had on fantasy football teams in my teens and early 20s. What the hell, man?
Yup same Time has flown by but mentally feel the same I don’t feel old or grown up or mature at all lol
I turn 30 tomorrow and have spent the last few weeks doing a lot of reflection and making priorities based off whatever "wisdom" I can scrape together. What I have not been able to escape from is the feeling that I am still faking all of it. My job, my relationship, my finances, all of it. I think and hope every adult eventually realizes that there is no magic switch where you suddenly feel like this other version of a person, it's just you slowly making it further along.
Hey! Happy birthday! Also, as a 37 year old, all of that sounds completely normal. We're all just going through life and despite what some say, no one really has it all figured out. Some have mastered certain pieces of life, but no one ever gets it all. So don't let it stress you out - just do the best you can, try to be a good human and enjoy the good times. Also, since you're only turning 30: you've got about 5 years before your joints start hurting for no fucking reason and hangovers are multi-day events. *It'll happen to youuuu...*.
I still remember Darrelle Revis’ first game which happened to be against the Dolphins. He made the game winning interception and the announcer in excitement said the Jets may have struck third round gold! I’ll never forget that call for some odd reason.
Same bro! See you at 5 o’clock bingo tomorrow
Wow, Bingo is starting that late? Kids these days.
Well, dinner is at 4, so...
Thats all right old boy. You know your gettin older and you cant chase rabbits anymore. *loads shot gun Lets go out back for one last walk
"Tell me about the rabbits, George..."
Keep in mind that these guys have around 10 year careers. Even if I was the fattest Bears fan, that’s not a lot of time.
Welcome to the "I wake up with an achy back and knees" club!
It feels weird seeing Hall of Fame classes made up of players I grew up watching
It makes the aches in my body that much worse. Damn you Father Time.
>Damn you Father Time "Who's that?" - Tom Brady
Tom Brady kisses Father Time on the lips, it's what keeps him youthful.
It's that father who awkwardly kisses you on the lips and cuddles you in his lap as a teen. Finkel is Einhorn!
I was thinking the same thing. I’m 25 and I recognize 12/15 which is super weird to me
Don't worry, it just gets worse and weirder and worse and weirder. Wait till you turn on your local classic rock station and it's albums you remember going to the store to buy on release day. Source: 37
When I heard foo fighters on my local classic rock station I damn near got a hernia
Nirvana did it for me. Then Stone Temple Pilots. Foo was the nail in my reception of myself as "younger."
No offense intended but definitely shows your age if you think most people listen to radio anymore (in this age range)
That's almost what is worse, I really don't listen to the radio aside from NPR and local sports talk. One day my phone was dead so no Spotify so I figured I'd toss it back to the local classic rock station and listen to some '70s jams. They were playing '90s jams. I'm aware I'm showing my age lol
I know I’m late to comment but that was my reaction reading all the names. Are we old now? I don’t feel it, but I might be.
Oh just wait. I flew past the sons of players I grew up with and approaching their grand kids in HS.
Damn, how the hell are you going to choose only 8 names?
5 names, actually. The other 3 come from separate lists.
Likely by excluding Ronde again.
Zach Thomas getting snubbed again too
Holt again too
How is this guy not in the Hall of Fame yet? 16 seasons 47 INT 15 Forced Fumbles 12 Fumble Recoveries 28 sacks 12 defensive TDs 1,028 solo tackles Super Bowl Champion as a part of one of the best defenses ever in 2002 Get this man a gold jacket already, damn.
John Lynch took his spot. John Lynch is the most overrated play from the 90s. Look it up, it’s wild
My yearly reminder that our GOAT isn't a hall of famer. Shit is crazy.
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So I'm not just being a homer, right?
Brady has to retire to get in
So he really is never gonna get in. Shit hurts.
Man you guys may never have a hall of famer
John Lynch exists lol, but we can take credit for him if you really twist our arm
I’d argue that Derrick Brooks is your GOAT, no? I can’t say that I watched much of him, but remember him being a huge factor in that Tampa 2.
It's obviously Brooks. Most Bucs fans know this. He was 1st ballot.
TIL Ronde isn't in the hall and now I'm angry
*resists linking Barber shutting down the Vet clip* I want him to get in this year but I feel he will be overlooked again.
Jared Allen qualified for Curling Nationals this year
Man, Joey Fatone XL is awesome. I hope he makes it in eventually. He was the player that really made me appreciate impactful defense.
Should end up a fine looking class of 5.
It would be the most fine with a nice mullet in the mix
Sadly with this list I think our boy waits another year.
Joe Thomas should be the biggest lock on that list 6x First Team All-Pro 2x Second Team All-Pro 10x Pro Bowl 2010s all decade team 10 straight years of never missing a snap The only consistent, good, part of a terrible Browns era
Also the first offensive lineman in NFL history. https://i.imgur.com/aWTNDZs.jpg
Holy shit. I never knew where the meme came from until now. I thought you guys were just parodying how much the media loved him, not that they actually printed that lmao
I’ll never not laugh at this 😂
They won't, but it'd be amazing if this were referenced in his display somehow.
Way out of context, they just meant he cursed a lot at inappropriate times
All the so-called "offensive lineman" in the 80 or so years of football preceding him? __FRAUDS.__
Impressive.
Zach Thomas 5× First-team All-Pro (1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006) 2× Second-team All-Pro (2001, 2005) 7× Pro Bowl (1999–2003, 2005, 2006) 2× NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year (1998, 2006) 2× NFL tackles leader (2002, 2006) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team Been passed up 7years in a row.
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everyone in an all decade team should be HOF…it means you were one of 2 best players in the world for a decade (I don’t consider MLB & OLB exact same positions)
That probably takes it too far. Are there really 4 DT per decade, 4 DE per decade, 6 LB per decade, 4 RB per decade that are HoF worthy? I really don't think so. This would be arguing that guys from the 2010s like Geno Atkins, Eric Weddle, Fletcher Cox, and Chris Harris should be HoF.
Excluding 2010s for being too recent, the list of guys on first team all decade that aren’t in the Hall of Fame yet: Brady (active), Dwight Freeney (first year of eligibility), Lorenzo Neal (Fullback).
5x First Team, 2x Second Team+ All Decade That alone should be HOF, how he isn't in already is wild
He’s basically been held hostage by being only like the 5th best LB of his era. (Lewis, Urlacher, Seau, Brooks) I’m cool putting him in, and he probably should be in, but only 5th best for a decade in a position with only 31 entries over 70 years is tough. I think that’s the crux of the argument against him and why it’s taken so long. QB is the only position where it doesn’t seem to matter so much how you stack up directly to your contemporaries - lots of great NFL players who haven’t gotten in for similar reasons to Thomas.
If he was a 5 time First team All Pro, then wouldn’t that suggest he was as worst the second best at his position for most of a decade?
There would be two MLB/ILB slots per year for first team so technically he was top 2 those years, but yes I agree with you
Voting within those 2 spots was public, he was never 1st.
RB too. Jerome Bettis was a far worse RB than Zach Thomas was LB.
bettis had some memorable moments. thomas played in some very bad dolphins teams.
Zach Thomas anchored the defense that Tom Brady said was the toughest and best that he’s ever faced in his career. That defense was the only reason anyone outside of Miami even knew we still had a football team for much (but not all) of Thomas’s career.
Crazy to remember that Thomas and Seau were only drafted 6 years apart.
6 years is significant. It was enough that Thomas talked about looking up to Seau as he was growing up as a LB, and how he loved that he got to play with him for a couple of years because of that.
Competing for All Pro in those years of truly remarkable LB play is what really should seal it. He was up against Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, Patrick Willis, Derrick Brooks, London Fletcher, Junior Seau. It’s unbelievable he’s been held out this long
Patrick Willis got drafted like 10th year of Thomas' career. Wasnt really him. The others yeah
It's insane how underrated he is. Maybe it's because he played with Ray Lewis and Urlacher. But I felt he should have been in a long time ago. TO threw a fit when he didn't get in, but Thomas should definitely be the one complaining. He is in his tenth year of eligibility. That is insane
Thomas and Revis are the only two absolute locks.
feel like Ware is probably a lock too. 4× First-team All-Pro 3× Second-team All-Pro 9× Pro Bowl 2× NFL sacks leader 2× Butkus Award NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and a SB ring to top it off
He’s not a lock because he didn’t get in last year. So there’s a chance he’s snubbed again. Not that I disagree with you I just think the two I listed are guarantees whereas this class is DEEP so several deserving candidates will get snubbed.
oh damn i totally forgot he was eligible last year actually so yeah you’re right. looking back at it Strahan didn’t get in first year either so i feel like it’s much tougher for defensive linemen to be first ballot
TIL. How the fuck was Strahan not first-ballot? That's as bad as Terrell Owens and Cris Carter needing three years.
Strahan was punished for his "sack record", and it's not a conspiracy theory they really picked 4 players only on his first eligible year
That's so stupid. Even if Favre pussed out, and clearly he did, Strahan was as no-brainer of a first ballot as there is. I cant believe I didn't remember this. Isnt Mark Gastineau still not in anyway?
God I hate the voters so much. 4 players in a year is inexcusable. There are so many deserving players. What a slap in the face.
[Here's that year's HoF class](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/hof/2013-ballot.htm) It's not the first time they picked 4 players but Strahan was a no-brainer so leaving him out like that was obviously intentional
yeah no idea. the only argument against Ware was maybe he didn’t have a DPOY but even that didn’t work for Strahan lmao
Lots of very good on this list, but yeah, Thomas and Revis are in a different category than the rest.
It's him or Revis
It's him AND Revis.
Hopefully this is Zach Thomas’ year
Absolute travesty he is not in already
As a Pats fan, agreed. 7x all pro, all decades team, 2x tackles leader, should be a lock by now.
It won’t be. Seen this movie before. He deserves it more than anyone. Stats speak for themselves and he’s a fantastic dude.
He was my favorite player growing up. I was a big dolphins fan growing up and became more of a bengals fan after I moved away from Cincinnati. I would be so happy if he gets in
Please please please put Big Willie in the hall. Dude was a beast.
For the love of god that man deserves it
A lot of great Zach Thomas moments, but one of my favorite ones was how he surprised a fan, just a day after Thomas was told he didn’t make the HOF cut. Warning, a lot of text, but here’s the [link to the story. ](https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/02/zach-thomas-surprises-lifelong-fan-after-hof-snub/) -edit- [Link to the Twitter video of Thomas giving Ramon the jersey. ](https://twitter.com/willcain/status/1223817566231191553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1223817566231191553%7Ctwgr%5E92d5536697ed4d9d0872d62f73764247f56a3bf5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdolphinswire.usatoday.com%2F2020%2F02%2F02%2Fzach-thomas-surprises-lifelong-fan-after-hof-snub%2F) “…Thomas continues to prove himself to be a Hall of Fame role model and person to boot.” “Imagine being in Thomas’ shoes. You’ve just found out that the Hall of Fame has passed you over for the seventh year in a row. What do you do? Do you close up shop for the night and head to bed early? Do you pack up your stuff and head home?” “Not if you’re Zach Thomas. Because last night, Thomas received a text from ESPN’s Will Cain. Cain was at a Miami bar, speaking with a man named Ramon — a bartender who moved to America six years ago and has a long history of worshipping Thomas, the football player.” “Photo after photo, Ramon pulls up chapters of his life and in each and every one he’s wearing the same #54 — all because of Zach Thomas.” “Hearing and seeing from such an avid fan apparently left quite a mark on Thomas, because Thomas — on the night of another Pro Football Hall of Fame snub, mind you — showed up at the bar with a signed #54 Zach Thomas jersey to present to one of his biggest fans, Ramon.”
Damn that’s wholesome🥺, hopefully this is his year to get in.
No joke, I know so many “Ramon’s.” Myself included. I design jerseys for a side hustle and every single one has 54 and it’s for my all time favorite player. I gave a friend who gets 54 as the number and our first pick in the drafts name every year. One of the dolphins podcaster named his son Zach. It’s amazing the impact he’s had
Revis and Joe Thomas are basically first ballot locks imo, hope Barber finally gets in and the same for Zach Thomas, those two should’ve been in the HoF a long time ago.
If Barber was on a bigger market team he might have been first ballot \-Most solo tackles by a DB in NFL history \-Most iconic play in a franchises history \-4th all time in return touchdowns behind Hester, Primetime, and Rod Woodson \-3rd all time in passes defended \-2nd all time for TFLs and sacks by a DB (3 less career TFL's than Richard Seymour)
Zach Thomas absolutely deserves to be in the HoF and is long overdue for it. Hope this is his time.
I'm surprised that he isn't in already.
HESTER BABY!!!!!!
Not trying to be a debbie downer (I do believe he deserves a place at some point in the near-future), but there's at least 9 names on this list that he absolutely, 100% should not be making it in over IMO. In no particular order, I would say Revis, both Thomases, Ronde Barber, Dwight Freeney, DeMarcus Ware, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis, and Jared Allen should make it in before Hester. Not saying that as a slight against him at all, but those players were every bit the best at their position during their primes that Hester was at his.
I have to agree. Hester should be in, but this years list is *stacked.* Not a chance for him this year.
Yeah, the first-year eligible list is absolutely insane, and the HoF being a little unorthodox with their selections last year meant there's a couple of guys that I would've had as first-balloters (DeMarcus Ware and Andre Johnson) on top of the existing backlog. Just not a great environment for him to make it in immediately. I don't think it gets easier for him next year, either. Julius Peppers has to be a first-balloter, and Antonio Gates feels like one as well. Add in whatever four players from my above list that don't make it, and I think that's another year where it feels like he should be on the outside looking in. I think 2025 is his year. There's a lot of guys coming in that feel like they'll be HoFers in time (Kuechly, Yanda, Staley, Marshawn, Eli Manning, Cameron Wake), but I don't personally think that list contains a first-balloter. By that time, the guys I'd personally put before him will all mostly have cleared out, so he'd probably be near the top at that point. Just my personal thoughts, though. Obviously not on the HoF committee, so it's not like they'll necessarily have the slightest bearing with what they actually end up doing.
WILLIS
Willis was absolutely a HOF player, just a short career. By play, he still deserves it, but it's an uphill battle to convince the voters. He's in the top 25 all time linebackers, and it's fairly easy to make the argument that he was the best linebacker of his playing time that also includes some all time greats like Ray Lewis (10 years difference in age), Demarcus Ware (2 yrs), and Terrell Suggs (3 yrs). From 2007-2012, he was an absolute terror and every team tried as hard as they could to avoid him at all costs. The only thing he didn't have is longevity, ultimately due to fraudsters taking advantage of his lack of financial / investment knowledge. I still don't know a Mike LB that I would choose over him. The middle of the field was closed with Willis on the other side, and he was equally good in coverage as on running plays. It was thanks to him that I understood how coverage sacks worked, as he would blow up crosses and then prevent screens on the same damn play, allowing Justin Smith (another HOF great) or Aldon Smith to blow up the OL even when bringing 3. Adding Bowman to the ILB spot helped, but Willis helped Navarro more than Navarro helped Willis. I'm super blessed to now watch Fred Warner, who is also great and might be HoF worthy in time, but honestly not even in the same conversation as Willis. Fred makes mistakes, misreads, and gets beat physically by OL far more than Willis. Love Fred to death, but Willis was just something else. It's funny to me that a bunch of the 49ers best plays during Willis's era are by other defenders in large part because the opposing team just simply thought "no, we're not going to go all in on the ground or in the air against Willis. That's fucking stupid" so they tried elsewhere instead. He was just that good.
The short career argument has got to end soon. Players are going to continue to retire early. Running backs careers are way shorter. They won’t be putting up the numbers the backs of the 70s-90s at a regular level. The only position that is being inflated is the QB position We can’t keep holding them to the longevity and numbers standards of old.
Zach Thomas is in this year
If not, we riot
Me, every year
It really is wild that he isn’t in yet. It makes zero sense
Only 4 players have more all-pro team selections. Shane Lechler (first year eligible), Joe Thomas (finalist), Steve Wisniewski (was nominated) and Bobby Wagner (still playing)
Zach fucking Thomas better get in this year....he's been held out way too long.
Way too long.
Please Dre.
Put in Zach Thomas this time, you morons!
Willie better make it
There are so many names there that deserve it. I fucking hate the arbitrary limit per year. All of these guys were absolute beasts deserving of celebration.
That’s what makes it exclusive though and not like the NBA HOF, I like it. Does suck for some greats not to get recognized, but it’s nice that “hall of famer” really means something
I wish the voting system was like the MLB HOF. Not the politics of their voting, but just actually process of how they vote
The MLB has the worst hall of Fame system of them all
Fuck everything about the MLB HOF, the fact that they often go multiple years with no one getting in drives me nuts.
Fuck, I really am old 😆💀
Welcome to the club
I'm still surprised Patrick willis wasn't first ballot
One of the best ever, but a relatively short career.
He was at least top 3 if not the best middle linebacker in the league from the second he was drafted. Dude played eight years. Should've been first ballot. That's literally Megatron's resume.
Same along with Ware.
To be fair, the bar is set very high and the standard has been upheld consistently with very few exceptions over the past quarter century. * Charles Woodson 2021 CB 51 * Peyton Manning 2021 QB 125 * Calvin Johnson 2021 WR 36 * Troy Polamalu 2020 S 43 * Ed Reed 2019 S 58 * Tony Gonzalez 2019 TE 71 * Champ Bailey 2019 CB 54 * Ray Lewis 2018 ILB 80 * Brian Urlacher 2018 ILB 46 * Randy Moss 2018 WR 41 * LaDainian Tomlinson 2017 RB 53 * Jason Taylor 2017 DE 33 * Brett Favre 2016 QB 76 * Junior Seau 2015 LB 66 * Derrick Brooks 2014 LB 63 * Warren Sapp 2013 DT 57 * Larry Allen 2013 LG 62 * Jonathan Ogden 2013 LT 61 * Deion Sanders 2011 CB 59 * Marshall Faulk 2011 RB 40 * Emmitt Smith 2010 RB 63 * Jerry Rice 2010 WR 104 * Bruce Smith 2009 DE 84 * Rod Woodson 2009 FS 59 * Darrell Green 2008 CB 27 * Bruce Matthews 2007 LG 73 * Troy Aikman 2006 QB 24 * Reggie White 2006 DE 98 * Warren Moon 2006 QB 12 * Steve Young 2005 QB 57 * Dan Marino 2005 QB 42 * John Elway 2004 QB 55 * Barry Sanders 2004 RB 76 * Marcus Allen 2003 RB 36 * Jim Kelly 2002 QB 13 * Jackie Slater 2001 RT 19 * Joe Montana 2000 QB 91 * Ronnie Lott 2000 S 67 * Lawrence Taylor 1999 OLB 80 * Eric Dickerson 1999 RB 41 * Mike Singletary 1998 ILB 63 * Anthony Munoz 1998 LT 77
What do the numbers on the right represent?
I copy pasted the list from a football site I found via a Google search. I think the numbers are an equivalent to football refecences approximate value score.
https://futurefootballlegends.com/1st_Ballot/ >The "Legends Score" is a simple measure of individual career accomplishments using the following point system, relatively weighted based on the award's exclusivity: > > 1 point per Pro Bowl Selection > > 5 points per 1st Team All-Pro Selection > > 3 points per 2nd Team All-Pro Selection > >15 points per 1st Team All-Decade Selection > > 9 points per 2nd Team All-Decade Selection > > 12 points per general All-Decade Selection (no 1st or 2nd Teams designated) > > 9 points per regular season MVP > > 8 points per Super Bowl MVP > > 5 points for non-MVP Super Bowl Winning QBs > > 1 point per AFL All-Star Team Selection > > 15 points for AFL All-Time 1st Team > > 9 points for AFL All-Time 2nd Team Here's the current finalists' ratings: > Joe Thomas (1x Finalist) 58 > > DeMarcus Ware (2x Finalist) 47 > > Zach Thomas (4x Finalist) 47 > > Patrick Willis (2x Finalist) 47 > > Devin Hester (2x Finalist) 43 > > Dwight Freeney (1x Finalist) 40 > > Darrelle Revis (1x Finalist) 39 > > Ronde Barber (3x Finalist) 35 > > Jared Allen (3x Finalist) 25 > > Torry Holt (4x Finalist) 24 > > Andre Johnson (2x Finalist) 23 > > Willie Anderson (2x Finalist) 22 > > Darren Woodson (1x Finalist) 20 > > Reggie Wayne (4x Finalist) 17 > > Albert Lewis (1x Finalist) 14
Still pisses me off that Sapp and Taylor were first ballots and fucking Strahan wasn’t. You can’t tell me that Jason Taylor deserved to be a first ballot and Strahan did not
Tbh Jason Taylor sticks out in that list as a real surprise. No disrespect but there’s a fair number of players I’d put in front of him.
Just didnt have the longevity imo. He was my favorite linebacker growing up. An absolute legend. Have his jersey hanging on my wall. I hope this is the year
Megatron?
Thought the same. Dude was so fun to watch
Very few names on this list that I'd disagree with. Revis and Thomas ought to be first round locks, I think; that leaves three spots remaining for returning players. I'm pleasantly surprised Albert Lewis made the cut. He was the best shutdown corner in the game for a few years. I hope there's a good enough presentation for him to get the votes.
Thank you, Albert Lewis. For a second there I thought that i was getting so old that i would know all 15 players this year. One more year of youth for me!
How many of these "first ballot Hall of Famers" will get into the hall of fame on the first ballot?
I think all of these guys should get in.
Me as a HoF voter: Yup Yes Definitely For sure Absolutely Yes Yep Of course
In 2011, we named our dog Revis and he’s almost 12 years old and thriving When we first got him, we used to call him taking a shit taking a Brady. When Revis went to the Patriots we called him traitor when the game was on Anyways [here](https://imgur.com/a/EtQE8n5/) is Revis
Is there a revis island? Or does he only let you live in half your house?
Reggie Wayne is 10th all-time in catches and receiving yards. More than any other WR on this list. He also has the highest HOFm score (Pro Football Reference) of any WR on this list. Let’s not make him wait any longer.
Steve Smith has more receiving yards and one less TD and he didn’t make the list.
and he didn't have Peyton Manning throwing to him
With shittier qb play
Smith was an all pro returner too and a better playoff performer, I really don’t get the argument for Wayne over Smith
Wait are you fucking kidding me I assumed he wasn't listed here because he was in already
It's really frustrating that Andre is clearly going to get in before Smith. Very similar statistics but Smith won a triple crown, was a dominant return man and went to a super bowl.
Andre put up almost the same numbers, with more than a season less games played, and waaay worse quarterbacks.
Are you telling me Matt Schaub is not better than Peyton Manning?
I don't disagree, but Holt needs to get in first he's way overdue and waited longer. Looking at the Pro reference scores, they're under a 2 point difference anyway.
Wayne was great-still think if you put Holt in that offense with Manning at QB he would have likely had the best WR numbers of all-time except for Rice. 6-straight 1300 yard seasons still not bad
Both guys should get in eventually but Holt should absolutely be the first one of them to get in. Been on the ballot longer and imo has a *slightly* better resume
Man, as a Texan fan, I hope both Reggie and Andre get in, it's just always down to the amount of spots they allocate
Joe Thomas was the first lineman in nfl history. That has to count for something
How the fuck is Torry Holt and Zach Thomas not in the hall yet?
Receiver log jam. We just recenty finally got Isaac Bruce in.
Zach Thomas Patrick Willis Revis Thomas Holt
This has to be the year at least Thomas makes it in
For those who are interested…Brian Urlacher on the Pat McAfee show talking about Darelle Revis, Zach Thomas, and who actually votes on the HOF. https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1537110501661868033?s=20&t=BhIgiw802FXRbHLfG8V2Mg
Demarcus ware 🙏
Please let this be Zach Thomas' year. It's criminal that he's had to wait this long.
Please put my man Willie in.
Come on Willie!
Revis, thomas, willis, johnson God this one was hard. Im also pleasantly surprised to see jared allen on this list i didnt realize he had 136 sacks jesus Willie Anderson making it the same year his son gets drafted top 5 would be a really fun storyline tho. Joe thomas gets in over him every time tho
I’m a fins fan but it’s a travesty Zach Thomas is not in and I will say this every year until he is in.
That’s a rock solid 15 but my man Fred Taylor left out again. It’s ridiculous he can’t get in the top 15.
I'm sorry to say you'll be waiting a long time if he ever gets in one pro bowl being his only accolade is gonna be tough
I don't think Fred ever makes it. If Corey Dillon isn't in, and him and Fred Taylor are right next to each other in career totals, then Fred isn't making it. In terms of per game average, he's actually an all time great, he was just plagued by injuries. If he just played as many games as Jerome Bettis (who retired younger) and assuming he kept up his per game average, he would have around 15,000 yards and 85-ish touchdowns. But that said, I don't think the voting committee has much sympathy for him, even with him holding almost all all of the Jacksonville franchise records in rushing.
For real. I was really hoping he would make the 15 this year. Do you think he’ll get in? I’m bias as he’s my fav player of all time.
As great a player as Fred was he’s an even better man off the field. I’ve been blessed to have gotten to know him. I think he will eventually when people really examine his numbers.
Crazy I got to see Albert Lewis live, a bunch, and I still have a bunch of his trading cards
That guy was a monster. Absolute shutdown corner. He made Kevin Ross' career by way of teams absolutely not wanting to throw to Lewis' side of the field. I swear that half of Derrick Thomas' sacks were just because that Cornerback duo.
Albert Lewis, he absolutely deserves to be here. Any non chiefs fans who don’t know this guy, he was probably the single best special teams player of his era, and a damn good corner. Y’all should look up the 1986 chiefs. May be the only team in NFL history who got led to the playoffs directly because of the contributions of their special teams on a week to week basis. That last week against Pittsburgh is, by far, without question, the best performance of Special teams in any game in NFL history.
Really hoping Willie makes it. He deserves it and we need some more representation in Canton.
Joe Thomas aka the only good thing about the browns for 10 solid years