Which 15 HOF semifinalists should be selected for Class of 2015.

[cdumler7]

I guess the argument I would have against longevity would be Gale Sayers. The guy is in the HOF with only I think 7-years in the league.


the other is hard to argue against but I will say Davis' 1998 season should go down as one of the top-4 or so seasons by a RB. That season he sat out 2 games worth of playing time because they were blowing teams out so bad so just imagine 2 more games of production on top of what he already did and he blows the record for rushing yards in a season out of the water. So as great as the OL was to help all those backs top 1,000 yards Davis if he played throughout the game would have been something like 2,300 yards for a season.

 

[The PK]

Agreed. Broncs don't win those SBs without Terrell.

Concur

And nice Striper!

 

[Wazmankg]

It was a different era with Sayers. He was 1st team all pro every season (5) until he tore up his knee ... with mediocre to crappy teams. TD had a great 3 year window with loaded teams. Then you had Anderson and Bell follow him and average nearly 100 ypg. That hurt the perception of his accomplishments.... unfairly I believe. I think TD will get in eventually.

 

[Tainthappening]

I guess the argument I would have against longevity would be Gale Sayers. The guy is in the HOF with only I think 7-years in the league.

Yeah... agree, but Sayers appears to be the exception and not the rule and personally I wonder if he should be in HOF. Ray Guy is now in the HOF... hopefully that is the exception and not the rule as well... do not need more punters in HOF, they play what 5-6 snaps a game.

Only 7 members get in HOF a year, sometimes less if coach or extra senior member. It is not easy.

Terrell Davis had 3 great seasons from 1996-1998, I think it should take more than 3 great seasons to get in.

Every team has potential HOF inductees whose career was cut short and therefore never make it... Packers have Sterling Sharpe and Nick Collins.

 

[cdumler7]

I agree that TD is one of those guys he is somewhat on the outside looking in because of his short career. I just think he had about as good of a 3-year run as any RB in the history of the game so hard to argue with such accomplishments in my opinion but at the same time I do understand longevity being a bit of the equation but I just think that has more to do with luck than actual skill.


My guess is TD will eventually get in as one of the old guys getting put in 20-30 years down the road kind of thing.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

I liked Terrell Davis a lot as a player... other than Super Bowl vs Packers

I do not think he will get in however for 2 reasons...
1. Longevity - career cut short by injury, if he had another 3-4 healthy seasons a shoe in.
2. Gary topped 1,000 yards and then Anderson topped 1,000 yards the 2 seasons after Davis got hurt. Perception is that several backs probably could do the same behind that OL.

NFL Career Rushing Yards Leaders | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Davis is currently 52nd on the all time rushing list & will probably be lower in a few years & he played during a time when the running game was much more dominant. He basically only had 3-4 productive years. I truly admire & respect him, but this is really not a resume that warrants inclusion in the HOF for modern day players especially when there are others with much better #s & even multiple SBs who are still waiting to get into the HOF.

 

[PatsFan2003]

I guess the argument I would have against longevity would be Gale Sayers. The guy is in the HOF with only I think 7-years in the league.


the other is hard to argue against but I will say Davis' 1998 season should go down as one of the top-4 or so seasons by a RB. That season he sat out 2 games worth of playing time because they were blowing teams out so bad so just imagine 2 more games of production on top of what he already did and he blows the record for rushing yards in a season out of the water. So as great as the OL was to help all those backs top 1,000 yards Davis if he played throughout the game would have been something like 2,300 yards for a season.

Sayers is always brought up. He had that "wow" factor that got him in. Davis was as dominant a running back as there was when he was healthy but didn't blow people away as Sayers did.

I don't know if that's fair to Davis but I think that's the difference.

 

[NorthernLights88]

This needs to be made into a smiley!

 

[cdumler7]

Sayers is always brought up. He had that "wow" factor that got him in. Davis was as dominant a running back as there was when he was healthy but didn't blow people away as Sayers did.

I don't know if that's fair to Davis but I think that's the difference.

Sayers had the wow factor because he was the he could make one move and be gone. Davis doesn't get the attention because he was more of a power back but his MVP season to me is what will make it hard to keep him out forever. I think all but 2 players that have been eligible for the HOF that won the MVP have made it in. In that season he had the 3rd most rushing touchdowns in a single season ever. Throw in being in the 2,000 yard rushing club which is pretty unique.

The other part of the equation with him is people forgetting about his playoff success. He has the record for most rushing touchdowns in a single playoff run with 8. He is also 4th all time in rushing touchdowns in the playoffs even with pretty much only playing 4 years. Again with only 4 years he is 6th in playoff rushing yards. He is 2nd and 3rd in playoff yards in a single playoff run. So again people seem to focus on his regular season and how short it was but it is the playoffs where he really turned his game up a notch and will go down as one of the best playoff running backs of all-time.

 

[calsnowskier]

I agree that TD is one of those guys he is somewhat on the outside looking in because of his short career. I just think he had about as good of a 3-year run as any RB in the history of the game so hard to argue with such accomplishments in my opinion but at the same time I do understand longevity being a bit of the equation but I just think that has more to do with luck than actual skill.


My guess is TD will eventually get in as one of the old guys getting put in 20-30 years down the road kind of thing.

So you support Bo Jackson being in the HOF?

 

[Xponentialchaos]

I don't think Davis or Bruce deserve to get in. At least not yet.

Seeing very average running backs have success in Denver after Davis left shows that he was the product of an excellent line and having one of the best QB's keeping the defense honest. Factor in his short career, and I say no. He's no Gale Sayers.

There are a few WR's with similar careers and it's difficult to distinguish one over the other, which makes it hard to justify him going in at this point instead of the others imo.

 

[cdumler7]

So you support Bo Jackson being in the HOF?

I said I understand longevity being a part of the equation. No I do not think he should be in as he did only play 4-years in the league and other than having a high yards per carry average he really didn't rack up many yards. Heck Davis had almost as many yards rushing in one season as Bo Jackson had in 4. In Jackson's best season he didn't even crack the top-10 for the league in rushing so to me when you are not the best player in a single season at your position it is hard to justify the idea that he should be in the HOF. To me that is one of the biggest differences between Jackson and Davis. Davis for a 3-year run was pretty much considered the best back in the league by quite a wide margin. I mean he had in 4-years where he averaged over 1,600 yards a season and scored 60 touchdowns in that time span. So again you are comparing apples and oranges with putting that name out there.

 

[Caynine29]

Oh... that's easy...

Orlando Pace
Kurt Warner
Torry Holt
Isaac Bruce
Kevin Greene

 

[PatsFan2003]

Sayers had the wow factor because he was the he could make one move and be gone.

Oh I don't think he had one move...

It may have had as much to do with the explosion of pro-football on TV and seeing the first true "Holy Crap" runner in your lifetime. That may be why he just flew into the hall after such a short career. There have been runners since like early Walter Payton, Barry Sanders to name a few... but Sayers was the first to make your eyes bug out that I can remember.

Even Jim Brown who was also of that generation and great in his own right didn't have those moves.

Davis doesn't get the attention because he was more of a power back but his MVP season to me is what will make it hard to keep him out forever. I think all but 2 players that have been eligible for the HOF that won the MVP have made it in. In that season he had the 3rd most rushing touchdowns in a single season ever. Throw in being in the 2,000 yard rushing club which is pretty unique.

The other part of the equation with him is people forgetting about his playoff success. He has the record for most rushing touchdowns in a single playoff run with 8. He is also 4th all time in rushing touchdowns in the playoffs even with pretty much only playing 4 years. Again with only 4 years he is 6th in playoff rushing yards. He is 2nd and 3rd in playoff yards in a single playoff run. So again people seem to focus on his regular season and how short it was but it is the playoffs where he really turned his game up a notch and will go down as one of the best playoff running backs of all-time.

And Sayers played on the Chicago Bears who SUCKED on offense except for Sayers. I feel sorry for Sayers AND Dick Butkis who both played on those sorry teams (although the Chicago D was better than that offense) Playoffs? You're talking about playoffs??

While TD may be getting the shaft here, both those guys suffered an entire career on those teams. If I was a Denver fan I would feel the same as you do and I likely don't appreciate his career as much as a fan does.

If he does get in, I will only be happy for TD and his fans.

 

[cdumler7]

I definitely understand why TD is not getting in. And obviously I am the homer here as I got to watch the guy play and honestly he was my favorite Bronco player of all-time so that probably doesn't help my cause in this argument. TD definitely benefited from being on a great team but I will say he is the reason Elway is not considered Marino right now. TD was what got that team over the top to be able to win the Super Bowl 2 years in a row.


Again I understand why he is on the outside looking in. He most likely will have his best chance as the lifetime award kind of guy especially if he continues with his broadcasting career like he is. Just hate that injury does play such a factor in these guys getting in or not. I do think if he was playing in today's NFL where medical technology is so advanced he would have done just fine coming back and continuing in his career. He was just 10-years ahead of his time to have that crazy career that we talk about for years.

 

[Clayton]

If you add Bruce then you have to add Tim Brown. Their numbers & careers are eerily similar. The biggest difference is that Bruce has a SB ring. Brown may have had that save for the tuck rule. I am not a Raiders nor a Brown fan, but if one gets in so should the other.

Brown was actually the next one on my list.

Warner and TD are in a similar boat, imo. Both were replaced with some dude who put up similarish numbers but the difference is that Warner got back to the Super Bowl with another team. I wouldn't be offended if both got in.

 

[{+}Mother-Marge{+}]

seau, haley [about time..?!],ty law, morten Anderson, tim brown, jimmy Johnson, roger craig will all be ~enshrined~ at the H.O.F..

 

[{+}Mother-Marge{+}]

That Raider team wouldn't have beaten the Rams, only the cheating Pats could.

!...''waahh''...!

 

[Clayton]

lol at the sensitive Pats fans.

This Rams fan actually thinks the Pats only won because they held the receivers off the line....something that doesn't happen anymore thanks to Peyton Manning.

The videotaping thing was cheating but probably not a big reason.

Ty Law should also get a lot of credit.

 

[PatsFan2003]

lol at the sensitive Pats fans.

This Rams fan actually thinks the Pats only won because they held the receivers off the line....something that doesn't happen anymore thanks to Peyton Manning.

The videotaping thing was cheating but probably not a big reason.

Ty Law should also get a lot of credit.

And roughed up the Rams receivers to no end. Definitely. You can't do that anymore either although I think Seattle and their legion of Boom definitely took a few pages from that tried and true formula last year.