Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

They have never really been called into question...but I just don't see it.

He does have that signature Super Bowl moment, and he was a very pretty runner with the football. This guy wasn't a Corey Dillon dumptruck, there was a natural fluidity and grace to everything he did on a football field.

But his peak era greatness was 1982-1985. That's it. And he only had 1 truly great year which was 1985. After that he got banged up some...but the yards per carry was never impressive even when healthy. He sort of faded back into being a 1B type back and decent receiver out of the backfield as his career took him to KC. He did score a lot of TD's but I just don't put as much stock as others into those 1/2 yard plunges. Those were mostly gimme's.

From 1986-1997 Marcus Allen was essentially Johnny Hector.

apparently the hof thinks diffrent than you but if were talking 86-92 then i would agree 93-97 i wouldnt comparing him to johnny hector is lunacy

Will McDonough agreed with you. There was a really great article in the late 1990's in the Sporting News, I think, where they surveyed all the Hall of Fame selectors about players in the league and their Hall of Fame chances. McDonough said to him Allen was "just a guy".

The narrative is certainly there: he was held down by Al Davis, would have had lights out numbers if he'd been allowed to play, his years in Kansas City showed what he was made of -- he got there at age 33, and put up those very respectable yardage numbers, not to mention the touchdowns. 800 yards at age 36? There's a reason nobody's done that before or since. It's unbelievable.

Jeremy Crowhurst wrote:Will McDonough agreed with you. There was a really great article in the late 1990's in the Sporting News, I think, where they surveyed all the Hall of Fame selectors about players in the league and their Hall of Fame chances. McDonough said to him Allen was "just a guy".

The narrative is certainly there: he was held down by Al Davis, would have had lights out numbers if he'd been allowed to play, his years in Kansas City showed what he was made of -- he got there at age 33, and put up those very respectable yardage numbers, not to mention the touchdowns. 800 yards at age 36? There's a reason nobody's done that before or since. It's unbelievable.

John Riggins gained 1239 yards rushing in 1984 at age 35. Riggins gained 677 yards in 1985, age 36. And he didn't play the last four games of the 1985 season.

I didn't understand the "lock for the HOF" sentiment at the end of Allen's career. He was a nice RB whose all-around abilities allowed him to have a long career at a position not known for longevity, but I thought he was a borderline HOF choice. Allen looked like the next great HOF RB as a rookie in 1982, regressed in 1983, barely topping 1000 yards while averaging less than 4.0 YPC and fumbling 14 times...but his big postseason that year overshadowed his mediocre regular season. A great season in 1984 followed by an MVP season in 1985...followed by 12 non-descript seasons.

Its hard to find an equivalent 'career arc' for Marcus Allen...maybe Ken Griffey Jr.? Perhaps my questioning of Allen's HOF credentials is due to my inability to quantify his career.

The fact that Allen spent a couple years on the bench in LA was a waste, and it was allegedly due to his being in Al Davis's doghouse. I've always felt the Raiders did not utilize him to his fullest extent after the 1985 season, that he was never going to last as long as a Roger Craig type WR/RB combo, that he had to go one way or the other or he would wear out. The fact he was used sparingly in 1989, 91 and 92 helped lengthen his career at the end. It's hard to argue with the career stats, over 12,000 yards rushing, almost 600 receptions, 145 career TD's, NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP. He did have a unique career path, but after 1985 he had pretty much passed the Bus test for the HOF in my opinion provided he played 4-5 mediocre seasons. He wound up playing 12 mediocre or better seasons. I would have voted for him for the HOF, probably first ballot.

sheajets wrote:They have never really been called into question...but I just don't see it.

He does have that signature Super Bowl moment, and he was a very pretty runner with the football. This guy wasn't a Corey Dillon dumptruck, there was a natural fluidity and grace to everything he did on a football field.

But his peak era greatness was 1982-1985. That's it. And he only had 1 truly great year which was 1985. After that he got banged up some...but the yards per carry was never impressive even when healthy. He sort of faded back into being a 1B type back and decent receiver out of the backfield as his career took him to KC. He did score a lot of TD's but I just don't put as much stock as others into those 1/2 yard plunges. Those were mostly gimme's.

From 1986-1997 Marcus Allen was essentially Johnny Hector.

Marcus Allen was a strong postseason player overall, and ranked much higher than Corey Dillion or Fred Taylor on the all time rushing lists. Even though Al Davis tried phasing him out in LA, this was a slam dunk HOF selection. Allen was both a fluid, and extremely tough runner at 210 pounds. He could make the nice reception out of the backfield, yet cut down a heavier linebacker. We can't underrate those short TDs or first downs, those helped the Raiders and Chiefs win a ton of games. His excellence in that area is why we can't place too much stock in yards per carry. Those crucial yards are anything but gimmes, frequently, the defense knew Allen was getting the ball.