1952 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project Class.

Here we are!  Again!!

If you have been following our Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, you know that we have asked the rhetorical question…what if the PFHOF began in January of 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists, and 5 in the Senior Pool. Following that, we asked the group to vote for their 15 Finalists in the Modern Era, and 3 in the Senior Category. The final stage was to vote for their five Modern Era inductee, one Senior inductee and one Coaches/Contributor inductee.

This is the result of the seventh official class;

Below, are the final results of this project based on 31 votes:

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1952:

This is for the “Senior Era”

This is the third year where a Senior Candidate had to get at least 50% of the vote and the first time that someone did.

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1952:

About the 1952 Inductees:

Ox Emerson G-C, PRT 1931-33, DET 1934-37, BKN 1938: Inducted in 1952 on his 7^th Ballot (technically his 9^th year of eligibility)..  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A member of the NFL All-Decade 1930's Team, Ox Emerson began his pro career in 1931 with the Portsmouth Spartans, and in his second season, he would be selected to his first of five straight First Team All-Pros.  The Spartans relocated to Detroit, and the team was renamed the Lions.  Emerson was an integral part of their Championship win in 1935.  His work in the trenches was a vital part of the team's rushing success throughout the years, and he is one of the best Linemen that Detroit ever had. 

Arnie Herber TB-HB-DB-QB-BB, GNB 1930-40, NYG 1944-45: Inducted in 1952 on his 2^nd Ballot. Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

As the passing game evolved in the 1930s, Arnie Herber emerged as one of the top Quarterbacks in the changing sport.  When the National Football League officially kept accurate passing statistics in 1932, it was Herber who won the first passing title, and he did so again in 1934 and 1936.  The pivot would lead Green Bay to four NFL Championships in the 1930s.

George Musso G-T, CHI 1933-44: Inducted in 1952 on his 3^rd Ballot.  Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

A four-sport star at tiny Millikin, George Halas gave George Musso an opportunity, but despite Musso’s size (6’ 2”, 265 LBS), Halas did not think he had the collegiate chops to make it in the NFL.  Halas had never been so happy to be proven wrong.  Musso played for Halas and the Bears for a dozen years, and he anchored Chicago to seven NFL Championship Games, winning four of them.  A Tackle for the first four years of his career, Musso moved to Guard afterward, and he was dominant at both positions, earning All-Pro honors in both slots.  He was also a natural leader, and served as Chicago’s captain for nine years.

Dutch Sternaman HB-QB-FB, CHI 1920-27: Inducted in 1952 on his 7^th Ballot (technically his 20^th year of eligibility). Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

A teammate of George Halas at the University of Illinois, Edward “Dutch” Sternaman was the first player signed by Halas when he took over the Decatur Staleys, which would eventually become the Chicago Bears.  Sternaman served as the team’s primary rusher early in his career, helped them win the 1921 NFL Championship, and later would be a partner of Halas in the team, though poor investments led him to sell his interest to Halas.

Joe Stydahar T, CHI 1936-42 & 1945-46: Inducted in 1952 on his 1^st Ballot.  Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

Joe Stydahar was part of Chicago’s first ever draft in 1936, and the product of West Virginia was not expected to become a superstar Tackle on the NFL level.  As was often the case, George Halas knew what others did not.  Stydahar became one of the game’s top two-way Tackles, and played his entire career with the Bears, winning three NFL Championships and earning four consecutive First Team All-Pros (1937-40). 

Blondy Wallace: Inducted in 1952 on the 7^th Senior Contributor Ballot. Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Wallace was the face of professional football from 1902 to 1907, having played for and dominated for teams like the Philadelphia Athletic Club, Philadelphia Athletics, Syracuse Athletic Club, Franklin Athletic Club, Canton Athleitic Club and Canton Bulldogs.

Jimmy Conzelman: Inducted in 1952 on the 3^nd Coaches/Contributor Ballot. Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964.

Conzelman enters the Hall for his coaching accomplishments, though he was pretty good player in his own rights, scoring 26 Touchdowns over his career.  Conzelman first played in the NFL in 1921, and was also a Coach.  Conzelman won the NFL Championship in 1928 with Providence, and he would later coach the Chicago Cardinals to a title in 1947.

1952 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1950” a Preliminary Vote with 132 players whose playing career ended by 1943. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1952 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!

1952 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1951” a Preliminary Vote with over 130 players whose playing career ended by 1945. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters will be asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next after, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1952 Finalists of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!

1951 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project Class.

Here we are!  Again!!

If you have been following our Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, you know that we have asked the rhetorical question…what if the PFHOF began in January of 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists, and 5 in the Senior Pool. Following that, we asked the group to vote for their 15 Finalists in the Modern Era, and 3 in the Senior Category. The final stage was to vote for their five Modern Era inductee, one Senior inductee and one Coaches/Contributor inductee.

This is the result of the sixth official class;

Below, are the final results of this project based on 30 votes:

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1951:

This is for the “Senior Era”

As none of the Senior Candidates obtained 50 percent of the vote, no Senior Candidate was chosen.  This is the second year where this rule was instituted.  Please note that voters could also opt out of this vote, as per the request of members of the voting body.

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1951:

About the 1951 Inductees:

Don Hutson E-DB-DE, GNB 1935-45: Inducted in 1951 on his 1^st Ballot.  Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

An All-American and NCAA Champion at Alabama, Don Hutson became Football’s first “Super End”.  Hutson was arguably the game’s first real Receiver, originating passing routes and combining his unique skills and athleticism to become a legend.  Hutson led the league in Receptions and Receiving Touchdowns eight times, Receiving Yards seven times was a three-time NFL Champion with Green Bay, and was an eight-time First Team All-Pro.  He would also be named the league MVP twice.  When he retired, he was 200 higher than anyone else in Receptions.  As this was the 60-minute era, Hutson played on defense where he recorded 30 Interceptions, making one of the better Defensive Backs of his era.  How could he not enter on the first ballot?

Mel Hein C-LB, NYG 1931-45: Inducted in 1951 on his 1^st Ballot. Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Mel Hein was one of the first great players from Washington State, and it was the New York Giants who were able to sign him in 1931.  This was the team he stayed with for his entire career, which ended in 1945.  Hein led the New York Giants to two NFL Championships, and the two-way player (Center and Linebacker) never missed a game.  Hein was an All-Pro in eight consecutive years and was named the league MVP in 1938, and he joins Hutson as a first ballot inductee.

Bill Hewitt E-DE, CHI 1932-36, PHI 1937-49 & 1943: Inducted in 1951 on his 3^rd Ballot.  Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bill Hewitt might have been best known for his refusal to wear a helmet, a stance he held until it was league-mandated, but this tough-as-nails player was a dominant two-way end and one of the top football players of the 1930s.

Hewitt played for the Chicago Bears from 1932 to 1936, propelling them to two NFL Championships.  A very good player on offense (he led the NFL in Touchdown Receptions in 1935), he was positively devastating on defense.  Known as the “Offside Kid” for his penchant for jumping the snap, Hewitt has blistering speed for his day and was often the best defensive player on the field. 

He finished his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, playing until 1939, save for a brief comeback when the team was shorthanded in 1943 due to World War II.

Walt Kiesling G-T, DUL 1926-37, POT 1928, CRD 1929-33, 1934 CHI, GNB 1935-36. PIT 1937-38: Inducted in 1951 on his 6^th Ballot (technically his 8^th year of eligibility). Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

A large man for his time, Walt Kiesling was one of the top linemen of the 1920s, doing the grunt work that opened holes on offense and closed them on defense.  Kiesling played for multiple teams, most notably for the Chicago Bears in 1934, who were undefeated, and the 1936 NFL Championship Green Bay Packers.

Ray Flaherty E, NYY 1937-38, NYG 1927-35: Inducted in 1951 on his 6^th Ballot (technically his 11^th year of eligibility). Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976 as a Coach.

A seven-year veteran player at End for New York (both the Yankees and Giants), Flaherty signed on with the Boston Redskins as their Head Coach in 1936.  The team relocated to Washington the following year, and the Redskins won the NFL Championship, and did so again in 1942.  An innovator of offense, Flaherty is credited with inventing the screen pass among other schemes.  Despite that coaching prowess, he enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project as a player, where he was a three-time First Team All-Pro, won a Receiving Title and an NFL Championship.

Joe Carr: Inducted in 1951 on the 2^nd Coaches/Contributor Ballot. Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Joe Carr is responsible for much of the structure that exists in the National Football League, and he did it simply by learning and executing what worked in Major League Baseball.  A newspaper man from Columbus, Carr revived the Columbus Panhandles Football Team in 1907.  The Panhandles would be a charter member of the NFL, and Carr, due to his vision, became the league’s first President; a position he held until his death in 1939.  Carr brought structure to the NFL, organizing how college players could migrate to the NFL, and his no-nonsense approach might have been a hardline one, but without it, the existence of the league could have been in doubt.

1951 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1951” a Preliminary Vote with 130 players whose playing career ended by 1945. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters will be asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next after, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1951 Semi-Finalists of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!

1950 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1950” a Preliminary Vote with 128 players whose playing career ended by 1943. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1949 Finalists of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!

1950 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1950” a Preliminary Vote with 130 players whose playing career ended by 1943. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters will be asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next after, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1949 Finalists of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!

1949 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1949” a Preliminary Vote with 130 players whose playing career ended by 1943. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Last week, each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

This week, the voters were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

29 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1949 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the two years thus far, and here we are with a third year.

For “1948” a Preliminary Vote with 127 players whose playing career ended by 1940. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter is asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters will be asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and a week after, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

29 people participated in the 1948 Preliminary Vote which yielded the following result:

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the Semi-Final Vote of the 1948 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!