Seven Up: Smith, Rice, Jackson, Grimm, LeBeau, Little & Randle Make the HOF
by Rafael Vela on Feb 6, 2010 4:56 PM CST
71 comments
The NFL just announced its class of 2010, which is bigger than usual because two names from the veteran's committee got the the thumbs up, in addition to five new members. It consists of:
- Emmitt Smith
- Jerry Rice
- Russ Grimm
- Dick LeBeau
- Floyd Little
- John Randle
- Ricky Jackson
This was one of the deepest groups of candidates in recent years and the voters nonetheless did a solid job. Rice and Smith were locks. One is the all-time receiving leader. The other is the NFL's all-time rushing leader.
LeBeau probably merited consideration for his playing career alone; he was a standout defensive back for the Lions in the 1960s. His deep body of work as a defensive coordinator got him in. Little was an AFL All-Star and led the combined leagues in rushing for the period from 1967 - 1973. He played in relative anonymity because he led some so-so Broncos squads.
Randle didn't get much press this week, as bigger names from his era like Richard Dent, Charles Haley, Shannon Sharpe and Andre Reed got support. I asked K.C. Joyner yesterday to name players he thought were worthy and Randle's name came up first. "He was a five-time consensus All Pro," Joyner told me. "He was the best of the best at his position in his time." All Pro teams, remember, run one deep. Randle dominated as an interior pass rusher and is worthy.
Grimm was the best player on arguably the best offensive line of the '80s. He's the first member of Washington's "Hogs" to be inducted. Jackson was the best of a late '80s, early '90s Saints LB quartet considered among the game's greatest units.
Congratulations to all.
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Glad One of the Hogs Is Now in
He’s the first member of Washington’s “Hogs” to be inducted.
Finally. Redskin fan complaining about inducting a durable possession receiver like Art Monk instead of one of the Hogs was sheer madness to my eyes.
The committee seems to be getting better with their selections over time. This was a good crop, give or take Floyd Little.
by kindablue on Feb 6, 2010 5:07 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Give or take Floyd Little?
Are you kidding me? Floyd Little was one of the best backs in the 70’s and he played with an average to lousy Denver team. Take a look at his stats" A five-time Pro Bowl pick, Little amassed more than 12,000 all-purpose yards during his nine year career. He gained 6,323 yards on 1,641 career carries and scored 43 touchdowns. He added 215 receptions for 2,418 yards and nine touchdowns.
He was also a great returner and lead the AFL in punt returns as a rookie, totaled 893 yards on 81 career punt returns and returned 104 kickoffs for 2,523 yards in his career.
In 1971, he became the first player in Broncos history to rush for 1,000 yards when he won the NFL’s rushing crown with 1,133 yards on the ground that season.
These are not boarderline numbers these are HOF numbers. Welcome to the club Floyd.
by jimmiejones on Feb 7, 2010 9:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Already Too Many Skill Players
That was my main point, that it was criminal that we had to wait over a decade for the first member of one of the greatest and most pioneering offensive lines get into the Hall, after letting in good but not great skill players like Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann.
Little was a good back in his era. Was he that much more compelling a Hall of Famer than Mike Pruitt, Chuck Muncie, Ken Willard, Lydell Mitchell Mark van Eeghen or Lawrence McCutcheon? Leading the league in rushing for one season, even behind a poor offensive line, doesn’t cut it for me. And his special teams play was good but hardly Hall worthy. When it comes to skill players, I want guys who were dominant or changed how the game was played. Little doesn’t pass that test.
I would much, much rather see the Hall concentrate on more offensive and defensive linemen than yet another skill player who is nearly indistinguishable from his contemporaries.
by kindablue on Feb 7, 2010 1:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
did I miss him?
Yeah, thanks. He was introduced as “Richard Jackson” right? Thanks. I lost count.
by Rafael Vela on Feb 6, 2010 5:23 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I got all confused because they said "five new members" in addition to Rice & Smith
but they’re including LeBeau as a coach. Got me off by one. Sorry, Ricky.
by Rafael Vela on Feb 6, 2010 5:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
He said Randy Jackson
moron. this isn’t Amercian Idol.
by bewareofdware on Feb 6, 2010 7:51 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
just to be clear
the guy announcing the class is a moron…..not you Raf!!!
by bewareofdware on Feb 6, 2010 7:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
damned good thing you clarified that ...
would’ve made the off-season all that much longer for ya :)
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
by DalaiLuke on Feb 7, 2010 12:45 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
yeah...and thats putting it lightly..
I don't need a compass to know which way the wind shines....
by hashishkabob on Feb 10, 2010 4:32 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
No Haley
Charles Haley pissed off some people in his time and this may cost him, but there is no way in hell that Floyd" I didn’t do shit" Little is a HOFer and Haley is not.
Ahab the Arab
I say keep an eye on this kid, this Louie the Looper. He's going places!
by damnarab2 on Feb 6, 2010 8:40 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Haley is a DE
which is to defense what first basemen are to the MLB HOF. There are so many of them in the line they cancel each other out. Haley didn’t get in, but neither did Richard Dent. The same is true of WRs on offense. Three guys with impressive numbers come up at the same time and none of them get in. Carter, Reed, Brown. All on the outside looking in.
Little was a veteran’s committee guy. He’s not keeping Haley out, so your comparison is needlessly bashing him. It wasn’t either or, with Little and LeBeau, it was up or down.
by Rafael Vela on Feb 6, 2010 9:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Not the Point
I wasn’t making the point that Haley should have got in in place of Little, my point was what did Little do to deserve induction. As far as bashing, is it bashing to ask what was his qualifications. If you like the guy that is fine, but I don’t think saying someone is not entitled and didn’t perform like a HOFer is bashing, just stating an opinion. How many Championships did his team win? How many records does he hold? How did he change the game? What are his qualifications as a Champion? The guy was an average player at best, hell Timmy Smith holds a record for a single game rushing in a Super Bowl, but then that also does not make him a HOFer. Based on that one record I believe that he holds at least one more than Little, but I bet we won’t ever see Timmy in the HOF. Either way Little is now a HOFer and my opinion doesn’t mean squat to anyone but myself.
Ahab the Arab
I say keep an eye on this kid, this Louie the Looper. He's going places!
by damnarab2 on Feb 6, 2010 9:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Floyd Little was a force ... on an average team
The guy was an average player at best
… this is simply wrong. The real question is whether guys like Archie Manning or Floyd Little should be judged on their performance or for their team’s results. That is a debatable gray area. But saying Little was an average player is like saying Dan Fouts was just okay.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
by DalaiLuke on Feb 7, 2010 12:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
No gray area for me...
A player’s HOF candidacy should be judged on whether or not he possessed the talent and other necessary intangibles to be a player in the NFL that was elite (as opposed to if his team was good enough to win). However, this does not mean that statistics should be the only determining factor. I believe strongly that the eyeball test should be used as well to judge that player as a whole. The example that hits home closely is Troy Aikman. He never had the eye-popping stats, and I as I stated earlier, I don’t think a player should get in simply because his team was good enough to win. However, when you watched Troy (unfortunately I can only remember the last few years of his tenure), you could see the natural ability that he had to throw the ball (he could have put up monster numbers in another system) and the amazing respect that he had from his teammates as the leader of all those teams. When you factor in how he played in the playoffs alongside all that other stuff, it becomes quite clear of how deserving he was.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Feb 7, 2010 3:42 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
totally agree... but by this measuring stick Floyd is, IMHO, a Hall of Famer
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
by DalaiLuke on Feb 7, 2010 12:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Sounds good to me...
He came before my time so I can’t really comment on him specifically.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Feb 7, 2010 1:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Fouts
And what did Fouts ever win? Putting up a lot of numbers is great and it shows you have talent, but I don’t think they play the game to show that they simply have talent, they play to win Championships and that is all the way back to Pop Warner football. Finally for those Little fans out there, would you rather have had Little or Dorsett, Little or Smith? All around player is just another word for Jack of all trades, and master of none.
Ahab the Arab
I say keep an eye on this kid, this Louie the Looper. He's going places!
by damnarab2 on Feb 8, 2010 10:07 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Haley > Rickey Jackson
They were both pass rush specialists and Haley was better individually and absolutely had a bigger impact on the game. Plus, Haley didn’t have Pat Swilling rushing off the opposite side like Jackson.
by JimmyJohnson on Feb 7, 2010 11:31 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Jackson had 27.5 more career sacks than Haley and 20 more fumble recoveries.
I am not necessarily saying Jackson is better (because I never really got to watch him outside of highlights), but Jackson sounds pretty deserving to me.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Feb 7, 2010 1:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well..congratulations..to Emmit..a class act and a great player
I just read a new report that Warren Sapp is in trouble..What is up with these guys?
"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"
by Bobbiblue on Feb 6, 2010 9:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Sapp. You gotta be kidding me.
And as far as Emmitt, what about “I ain’t signing shit” for some guy’s grandma, from Boys Will Be Boys?
by Elwood62 on Feb 6, 2010 10:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Read that book and I'm not convinced...
…that a lot of that is not embellished to sell books.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
by gee-roj on Feb 6, 2010 10:11 PM CST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
I think alot of it is true...
Pearlman doesn’t make stuff up. He was getting all of this from people who were around the area.
Secondly, that doesn’t shock me at all. I’ve heard from a few people that Emmitt along with a few other players could be assholes if you saw them away from the field.
I’m sure alot of it has to do with timing and moods, but people are people.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Feb 7, 2010 9:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't remember him doing or saying that..Is that true?
I do remember LT not giving my Son an autograph..It really kinda pissed me off ..but I’ve never been an autograph hound I just felt bad for my boy..All he had was a little pad I still have it..most of the players signed it LT just blew him off..He was 6 yrs old at the time..I just said thanks Lawerence for nothing..but Harry Carson made his day along with the rest of the players…Carson spotted him and came over to him because he had just learned how to blow bubbles with bubble gum, but the bubbles were popping on his face..add a little dust and he was quite a spectical..So Harry picked him up and asked: “What is that all over your face?”..My Son sheepishly replied:“Bubble gum”..Well Harry howled laughing..because he set him down and my boy made a bee-line behind me and grabbed my leg..I told Harry “Yeah I’ll protect him from you”..We laughed for 15 minutes over that..What a great man that guy is..
"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"
by Bobbiblue on Feb 7, 2010 7:54 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Great Story
My step sister in law got Carl Banks’ autograph in Hawaii before the 1987 Pro Bowl. Said he was a pretty cool guy, too.
by kindablue on Feb 7, 2010 1:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Great to hear that
And wasn’t Carsons the one that was known to be a little grumpy? Anyone that treats kids good is OK in my book. BTW, for my money, that was the best LB corps ever. I’d take them over the Saints or any of the Steelers groups.
by illcowboy on Feb 7, 2010 2:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Carson was only grumpy on the field..Off the field he was/is one of the nicest guys
you could imagine..and yes Carl Banks was/is another great guy..They had a awesome LB unit back then..LT was the only mean one on and off the field…but he seems to have mellowed with age especially after taking care of his issues with drugs, etc.. Plus he has a Son and I think he decided he wanted to be a Dad and role model and got himself straightened out.
"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"
by Bobbiblue on Feb 8, 2010 9:30 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Emmitt
I think that people sometimes get confused with on field persona and off the field behavior. Autographs are made out to be something that is not worth much, except to collectors and players know and understand this, so they are reluctant after awhile to sign them. In my opinion there are guys who are really nice on and off the field, but most are fairly arrogant and above the masses. It is actually what they have been told all their lives about being something special. That is why some of these guys get into a lot of trouble. Hell OJ was a great player and this lead him to believe he could murder people, if you get my point.
Ahab the Arab
I say keep an eye on this kid, this Louie the Looper. He's going places!
by damnarab2 on Feb 6, 2010 10:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Consider the context of that quote ...
Guys get hammered for autographs every time they leave their home. Whether someone says it’s for themselves, their beautiful child, their grandmother or their crippled neighbor … at some point it just gets tiring to always say yes. Emmitt might be a model citizen and sign 99% of autograph requests, but there’s always gonna be that time he just says “not now.”
Hard to judge on one incident.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
by DalaiLuke on Feb 7, 2010 12:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
it was for a teammate though
which is kind of cold
by I_miss_Switzer on Feb 7, 2010 9:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
if so, I stand corrected... but I stand by my "it's easy to misinterpret" theory :)
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
by DalaiLuke on Feb 7, 2010 12:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
emmit also kept every ball he scored with
autographed them and sold em
great player, but a pretty obvious asshole, and not the brightest crayon either
by blee on Feb 7, 2010 2:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Hmmm..that is another shocker!
Like he needs the money, right?..geez..Alot of players will score and run over to a little fan and hand it to them..and it used to cost them a 200.00 fine..I don’t know if that is still the case, but it used to be.
"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"
by Bobbiblue on Feb 8, 2010 9:45 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah I agree..they all get pursued for autographs constantly..
So there comes a point where they need a break..that is why I have never been one to even ask for one..but if it is a little kid or a grandma..gee whiz..Still I am not going to harbor any ill will on Emmit if that did happen..Heck he may very well have signed a 100 of them already on that particular day..Its a wonder these guys don’t all suffer from Carpal Tunnell syndrome..
"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"
by Bobbiblue on Feb 8, 2010 9:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Dawson didn't make it Raf
is definitely deserving
by I_miss_Switzer on Feb 6, 2010 10:51 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Ricky Jackson?
I need to go back and look at his stats, I thought the 2 other Saints LB’s were better.. Pat Swilling and Sam Mills were the guys I remember.
Drago says, "We must break you!"
by APerfectStar on Feb 6, 2010 11:20 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
No, those two were good
but Jackson was the full package. When he was in S.F. he blitzed in an ’04 game and
hit Emmitt from the blind side. Knocked him from the game for a series.
Emmitt had a high threshold for pain but I can say that was one time he was hurt. Jackson just blew him up.
by Rafael Vela on Feb 7, 2010 12:20 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You know who didn't get in?
Dermontti Dawson.
by Key19 on Feb 6, 2010 11:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I don't understand this
I watched this live.
I went back and counted a story that had him.
I have lost my mind.
Okay, corrected.
by Rafael Vela on Feb 7, 2010 12:16 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Raf, you have referenced a game in the 90's in Philly or New York as the end of the All World Emmitt
Can you elaborate?
And Congratulations Emmitt Smith – GOAT.
(Greatest Of All Time)
by alanTdot. on Feb 6, 2010 11:32 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I think you're thinking of a Meadownlands game that was the end of Troy
where he threw five picks and kept underthrowing open receivers, because his back was gone.
by Rafael Vela on Feb 7, 2010 12:15 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Emmit was never really the same after he landed on his head in Chicago on opening day '96
and messed up his neck.
by Rafael Vela on Feb 7, 2010 12:18 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Emmitt came 11 yards of leading the NFC in rushing in 1999 (and he missed 1.5 games)
and had a solid career after 30 yars, 5700+ yards.
But yes, his 1991-1995 seasons were classic. That’s probably the best 5-year run of any running back in NFL history, all things considered (yards, TDs, receptions, playoff performance)
by DavidH22 on Feb 7, 2010 9:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
ahhh thats the one
thank you. I think I’m gonna make a trip to Canton this year …..
by alanTdot. on Feb 7, 2010 3:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
U go Emmitt
dont let the haters stop you from doin your thang.
by THEjarhead on Feb 6, 2010 11:38 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Emmitt's one of the very few Cowboys that even Skin's and Iggles fans rarely hate.
You can find guys that will debate whether he’s worthy of GOAT (see above) status… but most Cowboys haters I come across respect Emmitt Smith.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
by DalaiLuke on Feb 7, 2010 12:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh you haven't run up against this argument?
“He wasn’t that good, it was his offensive line”..They love to hate.
"The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart."
by Benthere on Feb 7, 2010 1:16 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah...
I had a master sergeant that was like “Emmitt Sucked, Irvin sucked, Troy sucked” and me and my buddy were like, "Wow for a team that had a horrible QB, WR, and RB, they sure did manage to win a few super bowls.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Feb 7, 2010 10:02 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
if we're talking about "those guys" ... well, nothing will satisfy them!!
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
by DalaiLuke on Feb 7, 2010 12:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Congratulations to Emmitt
IMO, the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be. His individual talents were not standouts like speed or power, but the overall package was off the charts. As was his heart.
Emmitt was the reason I became a Cowboy fan in 1993. Watching him play made me realize he was just the sort of role model I can pattern after. He made it easier to swallow the ugliness of the scandals, and then the rough decline and fall of the Cowboy Empire of the late 90s. He even got me through the Campo years. Of course I’ve embraced the new faces since BP came in, but none can compare to Emmitt.
by mdlusk on Feb 7, 2010 2:43 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Well I have been a little wishy-washy trying to pick a winner tonight..
Then I read the paper this morning and decided to root for the Colts..the reason is there is a local woman here..Her name is Laura Sprague..a diehard lifelong Colts fan with stage 4 breast cancer who is getting a chance to go to the game to root for her team..I don’t know her but I will be rooting for her tonight.
"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"
by Bobbiblue on Feb 7, 2010 8:06 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Sounds like a great reason
I’m still on the fence. I like both teams. This may come down to a coin toss…
FREE THE OGLETREE!!!
by dunkman on Feb 7, 2010 9:04 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I have decided to go for the Colts...
just because living in MS, the New Orleans bandwagon is steaming.
A guy was talking trash to me the other day all decked out in his New Orleans gear and I was like, “What was New Orleans record last year?”
He couldn’t tell me, then I started naming off Dallas’s records over like the past ten years and stopped and was like, “Three years from now when the Saints suck again and your Marques Colston jersey is hanging up in a closet, I’ll still be rocking the star whether Dallas is good or not.”
He really had nothing to come back with… it was sweet.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Feb 7, 2010 10:00 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't know who I WANT to win
but I DO think the Colts are going to win. I’m just going to enjoy the aerial assualt.
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.
by White Wolf on Feb 7, 2010 1:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
sorry any tips
for someone who wants to go to canton to see this?
should i reserve a hotel room? any suggestions on hotel?
when do tickets go on sale?
any info would be get esp from someone whos been
thanks in advance
What the French?! Toast!
by thebigham on Feb 7, 2010 10:01 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
*** so any tips
What the French?! Toast!
by thebigham on Feb 7, 2010 10:02 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Interesting Article on the Selection Process
According to this, Haley did not make the Final Ten
Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey
by Seanrude on Feb 7, 2010 10:11 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I wish Emmit's highlight films
showed more of his blocking. He was the most devastating pass-blocking RB I’ve ever seen.
by JimmyJohnson on Feb 7, 2010 10:55 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Yea Emmit !
If Smith stepped on the field today he would still be the best in the game
Why did he retire?
He’s always open. He catches a lot of balls. He’s un-guardable, no matter how old he is
by WarWolf on Feb 7, 2010 11:21 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Was Marshall Faulk eligable or was that next year?
"Austin made the play, Austin saved the day" Brad Sham
by Boyzfan94 on Feb 7, 2010 3:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Eligible Next Year
He retired in 2005.
by kindablue on Feb 7, 2010 3:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
It's next year I think...
I say this about alot of guys, but I don’t see how he isn’t a first ballot guy.
Considering that for the most part he’s what people think of when they think “all purpose” back.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Feb 7, 2010 3:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes your right..He'll be a candidate next year..Another no brainer for the HOF.
And JJ is right about Smiths blocking he was a bonecrusher..better than Faulk at blocking.
"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"
by Bobbiblue on Feb 8, 2010 10:09 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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