Sports Reference Blog

9 Responses to “2013 NFL Hall of Fame Semifinalists Announced”

1. Tony Pavon Says: December 3rd, 2012 at 8:39 am

   You mean the Pro Football Hall of Fame. No such thing as the NFL Hall of Fame....

2. Packerfan4ver Says: December 3rd, 2012 at 8:24 pm

   Andre Reed gets in this year. I think the voters are now looking at Andre Reed as an "Art Monk" problem this year. Art Monk was on the final Ballot many times being before being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

   Larry Allen and Jonathon Ogden are on the Pro Football Hall of fame ballot for on their first time. Both of them did enough to get in their first time try to get into the Pro Football Hall of fame, but voters aren't know to put Offensive Linemen in the Hall of fame on their first time. If Allen and Odgen go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame of this year, there is not a real shot for Andre Reed to get.

   Jerome Bettis stats are too strong to ignore despite the fact he wasn't an all around back or his yards per carry is only 3.9 yards per carry. That means he will go to the Hall of fame this year. Jerome has the 6th most rushing yards ever by a running back. The fact is his rushing stats is not going to be passed up by Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, and Andrian Peterson. I think Bettis will go to the hall of fame as a result. There is some career Rushing yard stats that can stand though the test of time and that is something can't be said about Passing records or receiving records anymore such as Jerry Rice's Receiving yards in a season.

   Michael Strahan is going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first ballot. He has the most sacks of a defensive linemen that is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Strahan has things going for him in terms of going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. He won a super Bowl ring, and 3 other things. He was a great player in a big market and that means he can't get over looked. The third thing Strahan still has the most sack in a season despite the fact Brett Favre gave Michael the sack. Micheal also was best defensive End of the players that were drafted in the 1990's and the most sacks matter of fact of all NFL Players that were drafted in the 1990's. Strahan also was named Defensive player of the year once, first team all pro 4 times, and a part of the NFL all 2000 team.

3. Packerfan4ver Says: December 4th, 2012 at 12:00 am

   I am not saying every Receiving record is going to be broken. The fact is Jerry Rice's career records are still very hard to break and they very unlike to be broken even in today's game. What Jerry Rice did due to due two things with his records. The first thing is Jerry Rice played at very high level for an incredible amount of time. NFL players usually don't play at the level Jerry Rice did at Oakland at the age of 39 and 40. The 2nd thing Jerry Rice is the best Wide Receiver ever to play the game.

   Passing went up in the 1990's, but passing in today's game is in a even higher level.

   Running backs on the hand actually for production really hasn't increase. It is caused by the fact it is a passing league for the most part. The true is voters don't have change their standards on running backs unlike Tight Ends, Wide Receivers, and Quarterbacks.

4. seltaeb Says: December 4th, 2012 at 5:49 pm

   Is it me, or is this list an example of 'we have to induct somebody'. BTW, where is Jerry Kramer

5. Dan Says: December 4th, 2012 at 7:11 pm

   Can Terrell Davis PLEASE get in this year? He should've been first ballot

6. Packerfan4ever Says: December 4th, 2012 at 10:47 pm

   seltaeb,

   Jerry Kramer isn't on this list because only the Senior committee can select him for the voters to vote him.

   The Senior Committee this year picked Dave Robinson over his teammate Jerry Kramer. The Senior Committee also selected Curley Culp.

7. Packerfan4ever Says: December 4th, 2012 at 11:13 pm

   My take on Dave Robinson is he was not the best Lombardi era packer not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

   That goes to Jerry Kramer. In terms of linebackers the Senior Committee can pick, Dave Robinson is lower than Leroy Jordan, Chuck Howley, Tommy Nobis,Andy Russell, Maxie Baughan, Randy Gradishar, Robert Brazile, Isiah Robertson, and Brad Van Pelt in terms of Pro Bowls. Dave Robinson is a member of the NFL all 1960's team though.

   Dave was one the big reasons why the Packers won 3 straight championships. Dave Robinson is a very iffy pick and I don't think he has good odds going into the Hall of Fame. Dave was a great player, but low pro bowl totals, and all pro totals will hurt him despite being a member of the all 1960's all decade team.

   Curley Culp was a great selection by the senior committee. He was defensive player of the year in 1975, and had 6 pro bowls and was named all pro once.

8. Packerfan4ever Says: December 4th, 2012 at 11:21 pm

   Dan,

   The big problem with Terrell Davis is the fact he only had 4 full season as a running back. Terrell played in 3 other seasons, but he couldn't stay healthy.

   Terrell Davis in his first 4 seasons was indeed one of the finest backs of 1990's. The problem is the voters don't handle players with short career like they used to for Dwight Stephenson, and Gale Sayers as example. Terrell Davis is by the voters for having short career caused by injuries or medical issues like what happened to Billy Sims, and William Andrews, Sterling Sharpe, and Kenny Easley.

9. Chris Says: December 12th, 2012 at 12:02 pm

   I don't think it's a "problem" for the voters. They just don't see Terrell Davis as the kind of transcendent player Gale Sayers was, and I agree with that.

   Remember that of the 27 players on this list, the maximum number that can be inducted is five. The other two of the possible seven maximum are reserved for senior candidates. So, here's one take on what should happen here:

   1) Jerome Bettis - he, Marshall Faulk and Curtis Martin all retired the same year. Faulk got in his first year eligible, Martin got in last year. Bettis and Martin has pretty similar profiles, so I see Bettis taking a spot

   2) Larry Allen - one of the most decorated OL ever, he's the one first-year player I see as a lock

   3) Charles Haley - a multi-time finalist, Haley's 5 Super Bowl wins are the most of any player. Apparently, lots of Super Bowls only gets you a trip to Canton if you're a Steeler. Granted, Haley's attitude might be part of the problem, but the longer he's retired, the less people who actually dealt with him are voting, too.

   4) Steve Atwater - are we gonna induct a safety at all before the Dawkins/Sharper/Reed/Polamalu crew hit the ballot in a few years? With Kenny Easley's shortened career slowing him down, I can say that Atwater is the name to deal with, not John Lynch.

   tons of players could be good here - Strahan, Jacoby, Shields, Williams, but there is that acknowldged WR problem. How about this?

   5) Cris Carter - all he does is catch TDs, sure. Lots and lots of them. I get that offensive numbers are getting inflated like mad, but consider this. When he retired, the only players with more TDs scored were Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, and Marcus Allen. All were first-ballot Hall of Famers. The only eligible yet for the Hall who has passed him was Faulk, who was elected on the first ballot. As Carter himself might say - COME ON, MAN!

   I hope the committee completes moves away from the coach/contributor/commissioner group on the ballot. There's too many players worthy of consideration. Maybe the induction process can be modified soon to extend a spot to a person in that category, as deemed worthy, per year. I don't want to say that Coryell, DeBartolo, Modell, Parcells, Tagliabue, and Young are not worthy; in fact I believe the opposite. However, it's hard enough attempting to balance player vs. player, especially when looking at different areas, when judging who is the most worthy. Player vs. non-player is just about impossible to do.