http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/2010/2/6/pro-football-hall-of-fame-class-of-2010-announced/ ...Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle, Jerry Rice, and Emmitt Smith. Rice and Smith, obviously. Also, John Randle was an absolute monster. Good call. LeBeau is a good pick, as he is (was) an underrated player with 62 INT's with Detroit from '59-'72, and is currently regarded as one of the top defensive coaches in the NFL (though I'm not sure if coaching factored into his election). Most of what I know about Grimm is from reputation and highlight films, but he seems to me a worthy inclusion. I really don't know anything about Floyd Little. Rickey Jackson, though? Really? He was good, but...really? If we're talking Saints Linebackers, why not Pat Swilling? I remember the three together being excellent (Jackson, Swilling, Sam Mills) but I don't think any of them were HOF'ers.
Jackson was a superb player and did receive All-Pro recognition in seven different seasons. Also, remember that he started for the 1994 49ers and was a key player for that Super Bowl winning defense.
Glad John Randle got in. I don't know shit about Rickey Jackson but 128 sacks from the LB spot is impressive.
Yeah, and he got screwed out of another 8 sacks being on his record because in 1981 sacks were not yet an official statistic. He was very good against the run, too. He played in 227 regular season NFL games and started 225. That Saints linebacking crew of Jackson, Mills, Johnson, and Swilling was phenomenal. Jackson was the best of the bunch and certainly the most dynamic. Starting for the 1994 49ers and winning a Super Bowl probably pushed Jackson over the top and into the Hall of Fame.
Good points. I suppose I was barely a teenager during his heyday, far from the mature, perceptive NFL observer I am today. Actually, most of my Rickey Jackson memories are probably him throwing people around in Super Tecmo Bowl. For some reason, though, I always associate the late 80's-early 90's Saints with the Eagles from the same period because I remember the defenses similarly. Both pretty badass. This is why I always equate Rickey Jackson with guys like Clyde Simmons and Seth Joyner. Really good players, but not HOF'ers.
That's a good comparison, but the Saints group was probably better, certainly the front seven was. Simmons received All-Pro recognition after only 3 seasons. 5 times for Joyner. For what it's worth, those Eagles defenses tended to be a little more gimmicky than those Saints defenses. Guys like Jackson and Swilling were so good that the Saints didn't have to go as crazy with the blitzing and what not. It's kind of like how the Jets were a good defense in 2009 and blitz-heavy, but with the addition of a classic pass rusher they could be a better defense in 2010 and not have to rely as much on exotic defensive schemes.
I'm just glad LeBeau finally got the recognition he deserved for his playing career. Now when it's said and done he belongs in the hall as a coaching innovator as well, but that won't happen.
I don't quite follow that. He's in the Hall now (well, technically will be in the summer). He's not getting in again as an innovator.
I've been to the Hall. All the busts are in one room together, both coaches and players. So when you're in, you're in, there's no separation between coaches and players. I mean, if that's what he was thinking?
John Randle was one of my favorite non Jets of all time, one of the best interior pass rushers i've ever seen
The Dome Patrol gets a member in the HOF. Jackson was definitely the best of the bunch. He posted double digit sacks 6 times, twice was a consensus 1st team All Pro led a top 5 defense 6 times (yds) 5 times (scoring) 5 times (vs. Pass).
I wonder how Canton will go about Labeau. He's getting in as a player, so should he be only known as the player in Canton, and then when he retires from coaching they can change whatever they need to for it to be both? Because having him be nominated again makes little sense.
There have never been a Hall of Fame worth player who went on to be a Hall of Fame coach. So there's no precedent set on how they would go about this. Also, there has never been an assistant coach go into the Hall of Fame.
You're right. wow, this definitely should raise some intelligent discussion after he retires on how to handle this. And if anyone is going to do it, it should be a guy like Labeau. He's truly a great man as well as a great football entity. I say entity because he's excelled in more than one way in the NFL. Dick Labeau - Football Entity.
I've heard the NFLN guys discuss how there should be a seperate area for "Football Contributors." Guys like Labeau, Tagliabue, Coryell, etc. I agree with that, but in Labeau's case, I don't know if the HOF committee would have him nominated again as a coach, or just add it to his induction after he retires to save an additional spot for someone else. That'll be discussed at length when the time comes.
An interesting comparison might be Mike Ditka. Ditka is one of 7 TEs in the HOF and none got inducted on the 1st ballot. Ditka made it in on his 12th year of eligibility. He is officially in as a player. Why did it take so long, though? It is interesting how he was inducted in 1988 after he had accumulated Super Bowl rings as an assistant coach (1977 Cowboys) and head coach (1985 Bears). Another comparison is John Madden. Why did it take so long for him to be inducted considering he is officially in as a head coach but he last coached in 1978? His broadcasting career, fair or not, probably pushed him over the top. LeBeau is in officially as a player, but I think his coaching career sealed the deal for him whether that is fair or not.
LeBeau won't be nominated again. His Hall bio will note all of his contributions to the NFL, but it is his playing career that technically got him inducted. There actually already are contributors in the HOF. In addition to the commissioners save Tagliabue and Goodell, there are some team owners and *administrators in the HOF. *Shorty Ray, supervisor of officials, 1938-52 Jim Finks, GM (built great Vikings teams of the late 60s/early 70s, laid groundwork for great Bears teams of the 1980s, and built the good Saints teams of the late 80s/early 90s But I do think the Hall should put in some of the great assistant coaches such as Clark Shaughnessy, Bill Arnsparger, and Buddy Ryan because some of them really brought innovative schemes and ideas to the sport.
Interesting examples. I agree that Labeau's coaching career put him in because he was eligible for a while now. Winning 2 SBs will do it for you as the top coordinator in the business.
