Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

http://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com/ ... s-joe.html

PIONEERS: Outside Linebackers Joe Fortunato & Matt Hazeltine
LOOKIBG BACK
By T.J. Troup


Coach T.J. does good job explaining a few things. I wonder if we at PFRA have done similar things as HOF committee, forget about these guys. We did vote in Forester, and a couple of others.

I will vote for Fortunato again and Haziltine, who I admit, have ignored . . .

Another stellar job, Coach TJ!

Enjoyed reading this.

Of the five OLBs mentioned or pictured in the article, definitely think Joe Fortunato (3/5/50s) and Bill Forester (4/4/none) have HoF cases. I'd rank them just behind Chuck Howley (5/6/none), Maxie Baughan (5/9/none), and Robert Brazile (5/7/70s) among deserving Senior eligible OLBs along with Larry Grantham (5/5/allAFL).

Larry Morris (0/0/60s) and Dan Currie (3/1/none) don't strike me as having a HoF case.

Matt Hazeltine wasn't anywhere near my radar, either. His profile of 0/2/none is pretty skimpy, though it's likely he may be one of those players with thin honors who looks really good in film study, such as Bob Skoronski (0/1/none, 7.8 at Ken's site). Hazeltine did have what amounts to four 2nd team all pro selections: Sporting News 1st team all pro in 1959 and 1961, 2nd team all pro by AP/NEA/UPI in 1962 and 1964 (the last two were his pro bowl years). Not sure what to do about him re the HoF.

bachslunch wrote:Enjoyed reading this.

Of the five OLBs mentioned or pictured in the article, definitely think Joe Fortunato (3/5/50s) and Bill Forester (4/4/none) have HoF cases. I'd rank them just behind Chuck Howley (5/6/none), Maxie Baughan (5/9/none), and Robert Brazile (5/7/70s) among deserving Senior eligible OLBs along with Larry Grantham (5/5/allAFL).

Larry Morris (0/0/60s) and Dan Currie (3/1/none) don't strike me as having a HoF case.

Matt Hazeltine wasn't anywhere near my radar, either. His profile of 0/2/none is pretty skimpy, though it's likely he may be one of those players with thin honors who looks really good in film study, such as Bob Skoronski (0/1/none, 7.8 at Ken's site). Hazeltine did have what amounts to four 2nd team all pro selections: Sporting News 1st team all pro in 1959 and 1961, 2nd team all pro by AP/NEA/UPI in 1962 and 1964 (the last two were his pro bowl years). Not sure what to do about him re the HoF.

Agree with most of this. I was speaking more of the HOVG for Fortunato and Hazeltine . . . PFRA has already voted in Forester. But, agree than Fortunato has a case for HOF, but Howley and others, IMO, have better cases.

Hazeltine was also part of an unfortunate and unlikely triumvirate of SF 49ers who contracted and died from ALS.

http://www.people.com/people/archive/ar ... 18,00.html

Thanks for linking to the article...Hazeltine had a very interesting career. I think OLB is a position that has evolved a lot over the years, especially considering that strongside/weakside, 3-4/4-3, etc. all have a big influence on how the position should be played. I think it was in NFL Films "The Defenders" where Chris Hanburger says that the main responsibility of the strongside OLB was to stop the sweep...oh how times have changed.