Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

With the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducting 10 seniors next year as part of the 2020 class, there’s a great opportunity for older players to finally get their due on being named a Hall of Famer. As a Packers fan, it was great seeing Jerry Kramer finally make the Hall of Fame last year, as he’s long been the omission we’ve most grumbled about.

For these 10 seniors, if you could state your case for just one player, the one you feel has been most overlooked and deserving of recognition, who would you place in the Hall next year?

I think all 24 players from this post (http://www.profootballresearchers.com/f ... f=5&t=5475) should be in the HOF. If I only get one, then Lavvie Dilweg.

TanksAndSpartans wrote:I think all 24 players from this post (http://www.profootballresearchers.com/f ... f=5&t=5475) should be in the HOF. If I only get one, then Lavvie Dilweg.

Verne Lewellen is one player from the Curly Lambeau era who I’ve more than once read has been criminally overlooked for the Hall. Teammates of his who have gone in have said they shouldn’t have been inducted before Lewellen. Admittedly I don’t know much about him or Lavvie Dilweg though.

I think Lewellen would be a good choice, but I also think some other positions are more under-represented.

If I had to pick someone it would be Spec Sanders. But I know I'm not getting him. The injury-prone discrimination is strong with the HOF. Ableism!

In general, I think the WR position has a lot of deserving candidates who've been overlooked for too long. Some guys I'd be happy with, in no particular order:

Jim Benton
Billy Howton
Del Shofner
Charley Hennigan
Several fairly equivalent 70s guys

Forced to choose one, I'd probably go with Howton. Hennigan was the most dominant player, but again I can't do anything about anti-short career bias. Howton was every bit as good as every 50s receiver in the HOF, and his peak might be the best besides Hirsch's one season. He also had possibly the best rookie season by a WR in history, alongside Bill Groman, who if it were me and my emotions he'd be a HOFer too but I know he didn't do enough.

Also agree with the aforementioned Dilweg and Lewellen. Both highly deserving and victims of Packer derangement syndrome. Lavvie was possibly the best and most unique defensive player of the two-way era, and Verne was a touchdown machine, both better than several HOFers.

Finally, I'd pick Ken Anderson, but I'd feel better about that pick if I could kick out a worse QB for him, HOF has too many QBs.