Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

New here. Who should be the 2 Senior Nominees for the 2016 class? Here is a list of candidates I would choose from: Jerry Kramer, Chuck Howley, Cliff Harris, Johnny Robinson, Drew Pearson, Cliff Branch, LC Greenwood etc

Two best players: Easley and Howley.

Since that's not how it works, at all. Hopefully one of them plus one of the following: Johnny Robinson, Wistert, Dilweg and I'd have him behind the five mentioned but since he should have already been in by now, Kramer.

It's very hard to determine. Personally, I would chose one Senior from the early days of the NFL (Lavern Dilweg, Duke Slater) and another fom the 60s-80s, but I am convinced that the current voters, sadly, don't know or have info of the players who started their careers before 1960, plus their have their personal favorites. As for Jerry Kramer, although has been labeled as a HOFer for years (and should be), I wouldn't elect him, as he already has been a finalist as a Senior, and even before, and it's time that other former greats get review by the Commitee.

Trying to predict who the Senior nominees will be strikes me as a futile exercise, especially given the huge backlog and the level of head-scratch to a number of the past nominees.

Would love to see some attention paid to some "super seniors" such as Lavvie Dilweg, Duke Slater, Verne Lewellen, Al Wistert, Riley Matheson, and Ox Emerson (not to mention some 50s candidates like Jimmy Patton, Bobby Dillon, Gene Brito, etc.) but the focus seems to be on 60s and later players (and there are plenty of worthies there also).

I think Cliff Branch is one of the most glaring omissions from the HOF. His numbers are better than HOF contemporaries Swann and Stallworth, and he was a mainstay on three Super Bowl winners.

Shipley wrote:I think Cliff Branch is one of the most glaring omissions from the HOF. His numbers are better than HOF contemporaries Swann and Stallworth, and he was a mainstay on three Super Bowl winners.

Agreed on Branch, though his numbers are similar to Harold Jackson, Harold Carmichael, and Drew Pearson -- all of whom I'd have enshrined before Lynn Swann or John Stallworth. I'm fine electing all four.

It is no secret that I am a Dilweg and Wistert fan. Slater's case deserves to be heard. However, it is an uphill struggle. Dilweg and Slater played too long ago. The knock against Wistert is people feel that since he played during the war years that he played against inferior talent (they say the same against Hutson, but Hutson had a number of years pre-war under his belt). Of course, that is negated when you look at Wistert's success after the soldiers returned to the field.

I was always under the impression that Wistert was actually better toward the end of his career. i.e. post-war and during the Eagles success of the late 40s. But then again a better team around him could have made him seem better than he actually was during that time. Sometimes its hard to separate team success vs. individual success. They definitely mesh with one another though.

ChrisBabcock wrote:I was always under the impression that Wistert was actually better toward the end of his career. i.e. post-war and during the Eagles success of the late 40s. But then again a better team around him could have made him seem better than he actually was during that time. Sometimes its hard to separate team success vs. individual success. They definitely mesh with one another though.

I would agree with the bolded statement.

Joe Fortunato was overshadowed at the Bears by George Connor, Bill George and then Dick Butkus, but was a 5-time Pro Bowler and 3-time All-Pro. 16 career Ints and 22 FRs.