One of our favorite franchise Halls of Fame belongs to the New England Patriots, who not only have had a better past 20 years than any other NFL franchise but also celebrates their history better than most teams regardless of the sport.  That institution has announced that former Offensive Lineman Leon Gray has been chosen for the New England Patriots Hall of Fame via their Senior Committee.

Drafted in the 3^rd Round in 1973 by Miami, the Dolphins did not see much in their selection from Jackson State and he would be cut.  The Patriots disagreed with that assessment and he was signed where he would become the team’s starting Left Guard.  Gray moved to Left Tackle the following season, which was a perfect fit for his skills.  He would be named to the Pro Bowl in 1976 and 1978 with the latter seeing him earn First Team All-Pro honors.  He would surprisingly be traded to the Houston Oilers the following season where he would go to three more Pro Bowls.

Gray will be inducted along with one more former player, which will be revealed next week.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Leon Gray for earning this prestigious honor.

One of our favorite franchise Halls of Fame has announced their latest inductee.

Former Offensive Tackle, Matt Light has been chosen via a fan vote to be the 27th member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.

Light was drafted in the Second Round in 2001 out of Purdue and he would quickly take over the starting Left Tackle role for the Pats. Light would play 155 Games for New England and started in 153 of them. Three times (2006, 2007 & 2010) Light was named to the Pro Bowl and he was chosen as a First Team All Pro in 2007.

He becomes the fourth player after Kevin Faulk, Troy Brown and Tedy Bruschi to enter the Patriots Hall of Fame with three Super Bowl Rings.

Light’s induction ceremony will be held on September 29th at the NRG Plaza.

We here would like to congratulate Matt Light on receiving this prestigious honor.

The New England Patriots have announced the three Finalists for their Hall of Fame and all three of them were members of the organization’s first three Super Bowls.

Matt Light is a first time nominee. The former Left Tackle played 153 Games in the NFL and started all of them in a career that was spent only in New England (2001-11). The former Purdue Boilermaker was a second round pick and was chosen for three Pro Bowls.

Richard Seymour is being nominated for the second time. Seymour played for New England from 2001 to 2008 and as a Patriot he was named to five straight Pro Bowls (2002-06) and three straight First Team All Pro squads (2003-05).

Mike Vrabel is a nominee for the third time. Vrabel played 125 (starting 110) for the Pats at Linebacker and was a Pro Bowl and First Team All Pro in 2007.

You can vote on who you think should be in the Hall at patriots.com/2018hof

Whoever is selected will be the 27th person selected for the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.

Vince Wilfork was one of the most popular players in New England Patriots history and by many accounts one of the nicest guys ever to play on the gridiron.  While all of that is fine and good, the most important facet that Pats fans really think of is that he was so fundamentally good at Nose Tackle, clogging lanes and taking up space that offensive rushers wanted nothing to do with.

Undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2004, Wes Welker would be signed by the San Diego Chargers who released him shortly after and he was able to carve out a niche as a backup Wide Receiver and Return Specialist with the Miami Dolphins.  That itself would be a decent career for an undrafted player but the New England Patriots (who are we kidding, Bill Belichick) traded for him and he would become an elite wide out in the National Football League.

With another day passing, we have another significant retirement to talk about.

In a fitting, yet sponsored post from Kingsford charcoal, the 300 plus pound Nose Tackle, Vince Wilfork announced his retirement from the National Football League. 

Mostly known for his lengthy run (11 seasons) with the New England Patriots, Wilfork went on a four year run from 2009 to 2012 where he was chosen for the Pro Bowl.  This is in addition to a selection in 2007 and four appearances on All-Pro squads.  He is also a two time Super Bowl Champion with New England, earning a ring in 2004 and 2012.  He would conclude his career with two seasons as a Houston Texan.

Vince was a favorite of ours and we suspect one of many of yours.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish him the best in his post playing career!

This is a first for us. 

As many of you know, we are (methodically) working on our top 50 of every team, which will eventually lead to how each franchise in MLB, NHL, NFL and NBA treat their former players in terms of retired numbers, rings of honor and franchise Halls of Fames. 

We can’t really say that we envisioned one team taking a potshot as to how another one handles that, but that is exactly what transpired today.

In a speech at Gillette Stadium during the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation Awards the son of Pats owner, Robert Kraft, Josh Kraft, told those in attendance to check out the Patriots Hall of Fame and stated that “It’s a lot better than the Jet’s Hall of Fame, which is non-existent”.

Ouch.

While the division rival does not have a physical Hall of Fame, the Jets do have a Ring of Honor with seventeen members and have retired the numbers of five former players.  What New York has done is more than typical for a National Football League organization.

Either way, it is a banter that we here at Notinhalloffame.com love!

As the result of a fan vote, Raymond Clayborn has been selected for the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.

The former Cornerback enters the Hall on his fourth year on the ballot.

Drafted 16th overall out of the University of Texas, Clayborn was used primarily as a Kick Returner in his rookie year and by his sophomore campaign was a starter, and would be for eleven more seasons in New England. 

Clayborn was not just a starter but was a three time Pro Bowl Selection, and a major part of the defensive corps that took the Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance in ’86.  Overall in his career in New England he recorded 36 Interceptions.

He beat out Richard Seymour and Mike Vrabel for the honor.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Raymond Clayborn for achieving this accolade.

As most regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware of, we are in the (very) slow process of working on the top 50 players for every major sports team (MLB, NHL, NFL & NBA).  After that, the intent is to look how each one of those organizations treat their former players and executives in term of retired numbers, franchise Halls of Fame etc. 

As such, it is significant news to us that the New England Patriots Hall of Fame has selected three former players as Finalists for the 2017 Hall of Fame Class.

Raymond Clayborn is a Finalist for the fourth year in a row.  Clayborn was drafted out of the University of Texas in the First Round in 1977 and would play for them until 1989.  He would named to three Pro Bowls (1983, 1985 & 1986) and recorded 36 Interceptions over 191 Games for New England.

Mike Vrabel makes his second straight appearance as a Finalist.  Vrabel was signed as a Free Agent in 2001, and after making minimal impact in four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, became a starting Linebacker with the Pats.  He would help New England win three Super Bowls and over 125 Games would record 11 Interceptions and 48 Sacks for the team.

Richard Seymour is a Finalist for the first time.  Seymour was drafted 6th Overall in 2001 and like Vrabel, also was part of a defensive unit that would win three Super Bowls.  A Patriot for the first eight of his twelve years in the NFL, the Defensive End played 111 Games and had 39 Sacks.  He would be named to the Pro Bowl every year from 2002 to 2006 and was also a three time First Team All Pro.

It is noteworthy that fans of the Patriots can go on line at www.patriots.com and cast their votes.  Whoever is chosen will be the 26th member of what we feel has become one of the most prestigious franchise Halls of Fame.  That inductee will be revealed in Mid-May.

You better believe we are excited to see who that will be!

Here we are in the National Football League playoffs but for us that it means it is time to discuss the potential class of the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The Finalists have been announced, and along with regular contributor, Spheniscus, we will go back and forth with each candidate and openly debate as to which player would be a worthy Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.

A seven-time Pro Bowler who spent the majority of his career with the New England Patriots, Logan Mankins fought his way from being an undersized Offensive Lineman to a First Round Draft Pick to a First Team All-Pro Selection.  The former Fresno State Bulldog did not win the Super Bowl with New England but helped to protect Tom Brady to get his team to two of the big dances.  An exemplaray run-blocker, Mankins suffers the same problem as Raiders Lineman, Steve Wisnieuski, in that he was not on a championship team and does not receive pushes from their fan bases as less talented player who do have a ring.

Notably, Mankins was also a Pro Bowl selection seven times, including his final season, which was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The New England Patriots have announced that former Running Back, Kevin Faulk will become the newest member of their franchise’s Hall of Fame.  Faulk won the fan vote over Cornerback, Raymond Clayborn and Linebacker, Mike Vrabel.

Drafted in the Second Round of the 1999 Class out of LSU, the back would spend his entire thirteen year NFL career with the New England Patriots.  While Faulk was never a Pro Bowler, he was a dependable backfield player who pounded his way to 3,607 Yards and 3,701 Yards from Receptions.  Overall, Faulk accumulated 33 Touchdowns.

Faulk also has three Super Bowl Rings and over 5,000 Return Yards.  He is still in the top 100 all-time in All-Purpose Yards.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Kevin Faulk for making the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.

Jerod Mayo, the 29 year old Linebacker with the New England Patriots announced via Instagram post that he would be retiring from the National Football League.

Drafted out of the University of Tennessee in the first round in 2008, Jarod Mayo made an immediate impact with the Patriots earning the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.  Mayo would enjoy his best year in 2010 when he made his first and only First Team All Pro roster and led the NFL in combined tackles.  He would make the Pro Bowl again in 2012 and in 2015 was a member of the Super Bowl Champion Patriots team.

Mayo retires with 353 Solo Tackles and 11 Quarterback Sacks over 103 Games Played.  Mayo will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, though he is unlikely to get inducted.  He is however likely to get inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in the future. 

We would like to thank Jerod Mayo for the great memories on the field and we wish him the best in his post-playing career.

As the first overall pick in 1984, many expected Irving Fryar to be great right away.  He wasn’t, but his career showcased a slow climb to being one of the elite receivers in football, and a lot of times hearing his number called by broadcasters on Sunday afternoons.

Making four consecutive Pro Bowls and a First Team All-Pro Selection, Asante Samuel was an integral part of a pair of Super Bowl Championships by the New England Patriots. Samuel would lead the National Football League in Interceptions twice, had 51 overall and would become one of the more recognized Defensive Backs in the NFL.

Shannon Sharpe may be considered the best tight end of the 1990s, but a consensus number two would likely be Ben Coates.  Coincidentally, the two would wrap up their careers at the start of the new millennium as teammates for the Baltimore Ravens in winning Super Bowl XXXV.

Splitting his career between the San Diego Chargers and the New England Patriots, Rodney Harrison has a lot of labels attached to him. Statistically, Harrison is the first man ever to have 30 Sacks and 30 Interceptions, an impressive defensive feat that quantified his versatility on the gridiron. He has two Pro Bowls and two Super Bowl Rings for the Pats; where he was one of their defensive leaders. However, Harrison also has been bestowed as one of the dirtiest players ever to play the game, and he is also remembered for being the player who David Tyree made the spectacular catch for the Giants that propelled them to the Super Bowl win over New England (which New York fans will always point out). Harrison criminally only made two bowls, but the master of the safety blitz, was one of the best at stopping the run among all defensive backs, and his cover work improved over time.  He is also gaining Hall of Fame momentum, having made it as a Finalist for the first time in 2024.

Should Rodney Harrison be in the Hall of Fame?

Definitely, put him in! Maybe, but others deserve it first. Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. No opinion. No way!

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Definitely, put him in! - 25%

Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 50%

Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 0%

No opinion. - 0%

No way! - 25%

Did we make a mistake not ranking Drew Bledsoe in his first year of eligibility? Statistically speaking we may have as his career statistics are more impressive than other Quarterbacks ranked higher than him. However other intangibles come into play which just makes it so hard for us to determine the perfect place for him on this list.