1976 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1975.

For “1976,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1970. 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named 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.

32 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

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 Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of the 1976 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project next Saturday.

Thank you to all who contributed. If you want to be part of this project, please let us know!

1976 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you to all who participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are still determining what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the first 29 years thus far.

For “1976,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1960. 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named 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.

Please note that a significant change occurred “years ago,” allowing voters to submit less than the allotted spots. 

30 Votes took place.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates they have been removed from future ballots

This is for the “Senior Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

Please note that two voted for “None of the Above.”

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1976 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1975 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 we have asked the rhetorical question: What if the PFHOF began in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 in the Senior Pool. We then 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 and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the 30th official class; 

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

Remember that the group took a vote in “1969”, and we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1975:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1975.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1975.

About the 1975 Inductees:

Doug Atkins DE, CLE 1953-54, CHI 1955-66 & NOR 1967-69: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1974 on his 2^nd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

A legend at the University of Tennessee and eventual College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Doug Atkins was the 11^th Overall Pick in 1953, and joined Paul Brown and the powerful Cleveland Browns organization.

Atkins only stayed in Cleveland for two years, and while he was good and helped the Browns win the NFL Championship in 1954, his easy-going nature allegedly rubbed Brown the wrong way, and he was traded to Chicago to work for George Halas, who also wasn’t sure how to take Atkins.  The personality clash aside, Atkins was with the Bears for 12 years, and would lead a devastating defense and was the center of their pass rush.  Chicago won the 1963 NFL Championship, and Atkins went to eight Pro Bowls and was a First Team All-Pro in their Championship year.

At the end of the 1966 campaign, the Atkins/Halas relationship had reached its end, and he asked for a trade, and got one with the expansion New Orleans Saints as his landing spot.  Atkins retired after the 1969 Season, and had Sacks been calculated when he played, he would have had well over 100.

Willie Davis, DE-DT, CLE 1958-59 & GB 1960-69: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1975 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

Playing his college ball at Grambling, Davis was drafted in the 15^thRound by the Cleveland Browns, but due to military service, he did not suit up on the gridiron until 1958.  Davis was with the Browns for two years, but he was not a starter there, and he was traded to Green Bay in 1960, which was where he became part of a dynasty.

Davis started at Left Defensive End for the Packers throughout the entire 1960s, where he helped them win five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowls.  Individually, he was chosen for five Pro Bowls and five First Team All-Pro Selections. While Sacks were not official stats, he likely had over 100. 

Sam Huff, LB, NYG 1956-63 & WAS 1964-67 & 1969.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1975 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

An All-American at the University of West Virginia, Huff was a Third Round Pick in 1956, selected by the New York Giants, but he quickly grew frustrated by how he was used, or rather wasn’t.  Giants Assistant Coach, and defensive whiz, Vince Lombardi, recognized how to use Huff, and he became one of the game’s early Middle Linebackers as the cornerstone of the 4-3 Defense, a new scheme at the time.

The Giants went on to win the NFL Championship that year, and with Huff in tow, they appeared in four more Title Games.  Huff went to four Pro Bowls with two First Team All-Pros as a Giant, and in 1964, the year he joined the Washington Redskins, he was a Pro Bowler for the fifth time.  He continued to play until 1969, with a year off in 1968.

Huff was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.  He is also a member of the 1950s All-Decade Team, the Washington Football Team Ring of Fame, the New York Giants Ring of Honor, and his number 75 was retired by the Mountaineers.

Stan Jones, G-DT, CHI 1954-65 & WAS 1966.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1975 on his 4th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

A National Champion at Maryland, Stan Jones was one of the first football players to understand the value of weight training as a professional football player.

Jones was spectacular on both sides of the ball, excelling at Guard in is first half and Defensive Tackle in his second.  He helped the Chicago Bears win the 1963 NFL Championship, and individually was a three-time First Team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl.

John Henry Johnson, FB-HB, CHI 1954-65 & WAS 1966.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1975 on his 4th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

John Henry Johnson was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Second Round of the 1953 Draft, but he opted instead to play in Calgary for a year.  After dominating in Canada, he joined the NFL, but not with Pittsburgh, but with San Francisco.

Johnson was a Pro Bowl Selection as a rookie, joining the Niners’ “Million Dollar Backfield” that also included High McElhenny, Y.A. Tittle and Joe Perry.  He would gradually see less touches, and was traded to Detroit in 1957, where he was converted from Halfback to Fullback, and the move helped lead the Lions to an NFL Championship that year.  After three years, Johnson was traded to the team that took him, Pittsburgh, where he had two 1,000 Yard Rushing Seasons, and went to three straight Pro Bowls (1962-64).

Retiring after one final year in Houston, Johnson retired with 8,381 Yards From Scrimmage and 54 Touchdowns. 

Clark Shaughnessy, HC LAR 1948-49, DC 1951-62.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project on his sixth Coaches/Contributors Ballot.  Was never inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

One of the greatest minds in Football history, Clark Shaughnessy was the consummate tinkerer of schemes.  He reimagined the T-Formation, created the the three-receiver set, the 5-3-3 Defense, and consistently boasted one of the best defenses in college and pro football.   Shaughnessy’s selection marks the first (primarily) Assistant Coaches to enter the PFHOFRP.

1975 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1974.

For “1975,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1969. 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named 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.

31 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

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 Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of the 1975 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project next Saturday. 

Thank you to all who contributed. If you want to be part of this project, please let us know!

1975 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you to all who participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are still determining what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the first 29 years thus far.

For “1975,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1969. 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named 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.

Please note that a significant change occurred “years ago,” allowing voters to submit less than the allotted spots. 

30 Votes took place.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates they have been removed from future ballots

This is for the “Senior Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

Please note that one voted for “None of the Above.”

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1975 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1974 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 we have asked the rhetorical question: What if the PFHOF began in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 in the Senior Pool. We then 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 and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the 30th official class; 

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

Remember that the group took a vote in “1970”, and we have reverted to the top five candidates entering the Hall, PROVIDING THEY MAKE 50% of the vote.  This will be put to a vote again in “1976”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1974:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1974.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1974.

About the 1974 Inductees:

Lou Groza T-C-DT-K, CLE 1946-59 & 1961-67: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1974 on his 2^nd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

An original Cleveland Brown, Lou Groza was recruited by Paul Brown, primarily to act as the Browns’ Place Kicker.  Groza led the AAFC in Points in his rookie year, and after two seasons, Groza also helped out on Cleveland’s Offensive Line, and he would perform a dual-role for the next twelve seasons.

The Browns won the first four AAFC Championships, and Groza helped them win the 1950, 1954, and 1955 NFL Titles.  Groza evolved into an above-average Left Tackle, but his kicking talents were ahead of its time.  "The Toe" was one of the first Kickers who could regularly get it through the uprights in further distances.  Before Groza, Field Goals beyond 40 Yards were rarely attempted, but a new dynamic was added to the game with Groza as a weapon.  He would be named a First Team All-Pro four years in a row (1952-55) with nine Pro Bowl appearances.  Back issues compounded, and he retired after the 1959 Season, though he returned as a pure kicker from 1961 to 1967.

Bobby Mitchell, FL-HB-WR, CLE 1958-61 & WAS 1962-68: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1974 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

The Washington Redskins owner, George Preston Marshall, did not want to integrate his team, but the team was forced to do so by the National Football League.  In 1961, under pressure from the NFL and the Federal Government, Marshall drafted Ernie Davis, the first ever African American Heisman winner.

Fearful of what he might have had to pay Davis, Marshall traded him to Cleveland for Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Jackson, who would become the first two black players on the Redskins.  Mitchell had been playing at Halfback for four years with the Browns, was moved to Flanker, and he would lead the NFL in Receiving Yards in his first two seasons in Washington, with his third year seeing him top the leaderboard in Receiving Touchdowns.  Named a First Team All-Pro in 1962, Mitchell was also a Pro Bowler in 1962, 1963, and 1964. 

Mitchell had three more good years but declined in 1968 and retired shortly after.  With the Redskins, he would have 6,930 Yards From Scrimmage with 51 TDs.  

After his playing career ended, Mitchell became an executive with Washington for decades to come and was at one time the team’s Assistant General Manager. 

Mike McCormack, T-DG-DT, NYY 1951 & CLE 1954-62.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1974 on his 7th Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

Mike McCormack played for the New York Yanks as a rookie, but he would leave them to serve his country in the Korean War.  When he returned, the Yanks had folded, and the Baltimore Colts were created to replace them.  McCormack signed with the Colts, but Cleveland Browns Head Coach, Paul Brown, remembered the Lineman and traded for him before he played for the Colts.

McCormack started at Middle Guard and then Right Tackle, helping Cleveland win the NFL Championship in both 1954 and 1955.  The Browns were a very competitive team for McCormack's duration (until 1962), and he was named to five Pro Bowls and three Second Team All-Pros.  Brown had referred to McCormack as the best Lineman that he ever coached, and that is as high praise as you can get.  The Browns agreed and named him to their Ring of Honor in 2010.

1974 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1973.

For “1974,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1968. 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named 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.

31 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

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 Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of the 1974 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project next Saturday.

Thank you to all who contributed. If you want to be part of this project, please let us know!

1974 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you to all who participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are still determining what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the first 29 years thus far.

For “1974,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1967. 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named 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.

Please note that a significant change occurred “years ago,” allowing voters to submit less than the allotted spots. 

30 Votes took place.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates they have been removed from future ballots

This is for the “Senior Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

Please note that three voted for “None of the Above.”

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1974 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1973 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 we have asked the rhetorical question: What if the PFHOF began in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 in the Senior Pool. We then 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 and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the 28th official class; 

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

Remember that the group took a vote in “1970”, and we have reverted to the top five candidates entering the Hall, PROVIDING THEY MAKE 50% of the vote.  This will be put to a vote again in “1976”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1973:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1973.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1973.

About the 1973 Inductees:

Raymond Berry E, BAL 1955-67: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1973 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

Raymond Berry was all about the details with every aspect of his game.  An expert route runner, Berry rarely fumbled or dropped passes and was essential to the two consecutive Baltimore Colts Championships in the late 1950s.  Most notably, he caught 12 passes in the 1958 Championship Game for 178 Yards and a Touchdown.  

Berry would lead the NFL in receptions three times as well as receiving yards three times.  He would amass 9,275 Yards and 68 Touchdowns, an incredible number for his time period.

Lenny Moore, HB-FL, BAL 1956-67.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1973 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

A Baltimore Colt for all twelve seasons of his career, Halfback, Lenny Moore was a bona fide dual threat.  Moore was one of the rare players who was equally adept at rushing and receiving and scored more than 100 Touchdowns.  Moore would lead the National Football League in Yards/Attempt four times, Touchdowns twice, and Yards from Scrimmage once.  The offensive superstar would be a five-time First Team All-Pro and was named the MVP in 1964.  

Pretty good career, right?

It’s not over yet.  

Moore was a major force in the Colts consecutive NFL Championships in the late 1950s and he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

Jim Parker, T-G, BAL 1957-67: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1973 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

Jim Parker spent his entire eleven-year career as a Baltimore Colt. The prolific Lineman was a champion in College (with Ohio State) and helped the Colts win the NFL Title in 1958 and 1959.  Parker was named to both the 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams as well as eight Pro Bowls and eight First Team squads.

Jim Ringo, C, GNB 1953-63 & PHI 1964-67.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1973 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

Jim Ringo played most of his Hall of Fame career with the Green Bay Packers and it was there that he started 126 of 131 games.  Ringo was a seven-time Pro Bowl and six-time First Team All-Pro Selection with Green Bay, and he was a vital component of the team that won the 1960 and 1961 NFL Championship.

Allegedly, Ringo had asked for a raise after the 1963 season, and did so in a way that angered the Packers brass, who promptly traded him to Philadelphia.  Regardless of that is true, Ringo was still a good player, and went to earn three more Pro Bowls as an Eagle.

Jim Taylor, FB, GNB 1958-67.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1973 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.

An All-American at LSU, the Packers would select Taylor in the second round of the 1958 draft. He saw limited action as a rookie but when Vince Lombardi was hired, Taylor would become a feature back. Along with Paul Hornung, the Packers would have the best pair of backs in the game. A power runner, Taylor was especially effective in short yardage situations. In 1960, Taylor would have his first of five consecutive 1,000 Yard Rushing seasons. His most productive would occur in 1963 where he would have a career high and league leading 1,474 Yards with 19 Rushing Touchdowns and he was named the AP MVP.

Under Lombardi, Taylor would assist the Packers win the 1961, 1962, 1965 and 1966 NFL Championship and he was a member of the Super Bowl I Championship Team. Individually speaking he was a five-time Pro Bowler and a First Team All Pro in 1963. Finishing his career in New Orleans for one season in 1967, he would retire with 8,597 Rushing Yards with 83 Rushing Touchdowns.

Joe Kopcha, G, CHI 1929 & 1932-35.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1973 on his 12th Senior Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.

Kopcha finally makes it after being on the ballot from year one.  Tough as he was versatile, Kopcha was an old school cardio machine who was good in the 60th minute as he was in the first.  A hidden gem on Chicago’s 1932 and 1933 NFL Championship team, Kopcha’s career was brief, but impactful.  He is also known for redesigning shoulder pads, whose basic designs are still in use today.

Vince Lombardi, Head Coach, GNB 1959-67 & WAS 1969.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1973 on his 1st Coaches/Contributors Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

With all due respect to every coach in the National Football League history, there is, and will never will be another man revered more than Vince Lombardi in that capacity.

After revamping the New York Giants offense and helping to make them one of the most potent forces in football, the Green Bay Packers, who had only won a single game in 1958, signed him to coach their team.  Lombardi turned them around instantly, and the Packers won five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowls.  He finished his career with one year in Washington (1969), before ill health forced him to retire.

Lombardi had a stellar record of 96-34-6, and he remains the coaching template in not just football but in life.

1973 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1972.

For “1973,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1967. 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named 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.

33 Votes took place, with the top fifteen advancing.

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 Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

We will post the Class of the 1973 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project next Saturday.

Thank you to all who contributed. If you want to be part of this project, please let us know!

1973 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you to all who participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are still determining what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the first 27 years thus far.

For “1973,” a Preliminary Vote with close to 100 players whose playing career ended by 1967. 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named 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.

Please note that a significant change occurred “years ago,” allowing voters to submit less than the allotted spots. 

30 Votes took place.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates they have been removed from future ballots

This is for the “Senior Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

Please note that one voted for “None of the Above.”

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Semi-Finals:

*Indicates that they will be removed from the ballot permanently.

We had three other separate voting parameter surveys:

The Modern Vote remains as is with 66.67 percent of the vote.  This means that the top candidates MUST receive 50% of the final vote.

The Senior Vote also remains as is with 53.33 percent of the vote.  This means that the top candidates MUST receive 50% of the final vote.

The Contributor vote also remains as is with 63.33 percent of the vote.  This means that the top candidates MUST receive 50% of the final vote.

Next week, we will announce the Semi-Finalists for the 1973 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

1972 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 we have asked the rhetorical question: What if the PFHOF began in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 in the Senior Pool. We then 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 and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the 27th official class; 

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

Remember that the group took a vote in “1970”, and we have reverted to the top five candidates entering the Hall, PROVIDING THEY MAKE 50% of the vote.  This will be put to a vote again in “1973”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1972:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1972.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1972.

About the 1972 Inductees:

Gino Marchetti DE-T-DT, DTX 1952, BAL 1953-64 & 1966: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1972 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

Easily the best defensive player in Colts history, Gino Marchetti might also have been the best pass rusher in the NFL for a decade.  Marchetti was also a great run defender and was regarded by many offensive players as the toughest player they ever faced.  The Pro Football Hall of Famer would be named a First Team All Pro seven times and many have stated that the Colts would never have won the 1958 and 1959 NFL Championship without him.

Bill George, LB-G-MG-DT, CHI 1952-65 & RAM 1966.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1972 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

There are many influential football players in the 1950s, especially as the game was evolving away from two-way players to specific roles.  Bill George played on both sides of the ball, but his calling as a Linebacker proved to be his calling card.

Playing all but his final year with the Chicago Bears, George would settle in as the team’s Middle Linebacker, essentially becoming the first player to truly master the position.  The former Demon Deacon started dropping back at the snap, and he controlled the middle of the field, and inadvertently created the 4-3 Defense. 

Recording 18 Interceptions over his career, George went to eight straight Pro Bowls (1954-61), was a seven-time First Team All-Pro, and won an NFL Championship late in his career with the Bears.

Ollie Matson, RB-FL, CRD 1952 & 1954-58, RAM 1959-62, DET 1963 & PHI 1064-66: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1972 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

Over the 14 seasons he played in the NFL, Ollie Matson, a 4x400 Olympic Gold Medalist in Helsinki, only was on two winning teams, but don’t put that on the speedster, who was especially in the first half of his career carried his team.

Matson played the first half of his career with the Chicago Cardinals, where he was a Pro Bowl in all six of his seasons, was a five-time First Team All-Pro, and was a two-time league-leader in All-Purpose Yards.  The Rams traded nine players for him, but after his first year there (1959), injuries mounted, but the strength of his first six years earned him his gold jacket.

Tim Mara, Owner, NYG 1925-58.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1972 on his 3rd Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

NFL President, Joe Carr believed that New York City should have a franchise for the betterment of the league.  He was right of course, but he could not convince his friend and boxing promoter, Bill Gibson to be the money man for a team in New York.  Gibson did however introduce Carr to his friend, Tim Mara.  Mara jumped at the opportunity.

Mara would become the first owner of the New York Giants, and his presence brought stability to a fluctuating league and he became an influential force in the NFL.  Mara brought stability, standing up to rival leagues (AFL in 1926, and the AAFC from 1946 to 1949), and keeping the Giants strong in trying times (The Great Depression and World War II) played a large part in the league’s growth. 

Mara passed away 1959, and under his leadership, the Giants won four NFL Championships (1927, 1934, 1938 & 1956). 

1972 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of your participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project. If you are unaware of what that is, we acted like the PFHOF had its first class in January 1946.

We have completed the years up to 1971.

For “1972,” a Preliminary Vote with nearly 100 players whose playing career ended by 1965. 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, and the top 25 vote-getters were named 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, with the top fifteen advancing.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals: