Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Personally I think they all (including Halas) should be recognized as players in addition to their coaching accomplishments.
Landry and Shula too, for that matter.

I view it as a sliding scale that is different for each individual.
Landry and Shula may be 5% player and 95% coach.
Halas or Lambeau may be 20% player 60% Coach and 20% Founder.
Whatever the percentage it always adds up to a Hall of Famer.

Viewed this way it is interesting to consider what the voters (in the context of their time) were thinking.
Kiesling? LeBeau? Who knows...

According to the first page of their Hall of Fame page (and confirmed by my older print version) each of those gentlemen are listed as:
JIMMY CONZELMAN - QUARTERBACK; COACH-OWNER - http://www.profootballhof.com/players/jimmy-conzelman/
EARL “CURLY” LAMBEAU - FOUNDER, COACH - http://www.profootballhof.com/players/e ... y-lambeau/
GUY CHAMBERLIN - END; COACH - http://www.profootballhof.com/players/guy-chamberlin/
RAY FLAHERTY - COACH - http://www.profootballhof.com/players/ray-flaherty/
STEVE OWEN - COACH-TACKLE - http://www.profootballhof.com/players/steve-owen/

Again, I'd like to say I would consider the playing careers of all these members of the Hall of Fame when assessing their contributions to the game.
It may be, however, that the voters at the time of their enshrinement didn't feel the same.
(How could one not include Lambeau as a player?)

Thanks JuggernautJ. This discussion was really helpful for me - I think for what I want to do including the coaches in my count by decade is fine and will keep me out of any sticky situations where I have to decide who is a player and who isn't for my count.

I haven't looked at Lambeau's playing career that closely, but I do remember him often being among the unofficial passing leaders of the 20s including the first documented 1,000 yard season.

I still think it's interesting that I found the page on the HOF website that really did seem to be creating 3 groups: players, coaches, and player/coaches and the groups they created with Halas as a player/coach, Kiesling as a player, etc. didn't necessarily match their original bios. It would be an interesting question to ask someone who worked there. (When asking about the site, I'd have to bite my tongue the whole time not to mention I liked the website much better before they ruined I mean changed it though:))

(When asking about the site, I'd have to bite my tongue the whole time not to mention I liked the website much better before they ruined I mean changed it though:))

^^^ Don't get me started on this one.