Junior Seau, Greatest Show on Turf among 26 HoF semifinalists

[Blue and Gold]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/

Junior Seau, Greatest Show on Turf among 26 HoF semifinalists
Posted by Darin Gantt on November 18, 2014, 10:00 PM EST

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A strong first-year eligible class of players including Junior Seau and four members of the Greatest Show on Turf are among the 26 players announced as semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame tonight.

In addition to Seau, the first-year eligible players include Rams teammates Kurt Warner, Orlando Pace, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

Also on the list are the five players who were in the final 10 of last year’s voting but not among the five elected: Linebacker Kevin Greene, defensive end Charles Haley, running back Jerome Bettis, guard Will Shields and wide receiver Marvin Harrison.

The other 16 names to make the cut to 26 include running backs Roger Craig, Terrell Davis and Edgerrin James, wide receiver Tim Brown, offensive linemen Joe Jacoby, Mike Kenn and Kevin Mawae, linebacker Karl Mecklenburg, cornerback Ty Law, safeties Steve Awtwater, John Lynch and Darren Woodson, kicker Morten Andersen and coaches Don Coryell, Tony Dungy and Jimmy Johnson.

From that group of 26 names, the group will be whittled down again to 15 finalists, who will then be up for debate and election the day before the Super Bowl.

A maximum of five players from that group of 15 can be chosen.

The committee will also vote separately on seniors nominee Mick Tingelhoff, and two contributors, former General Managers Bill Polian and Ron Wolf.

Those three need 80 percent of a yes-no vote, and do not impact the five modern-era slots, meaning the maximum class this year would be eight.
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[-X-]

How do you trim this down to five?


Morten Andersen
Steve Atwater
Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Isaac Bruce
Don Coryell
Roger Craig
Terrell Davis
Tony Dungy
Kevin Greene
Charles Haley
Marvin Harrison
Torry Holt
Joe Jacoby
Edgerrin James
Jimmy Johnson
Mike Kenn
Ty Law
John Lynch
Kevin Mawae
Karl Mecklenburg
Orlando Pace
Junior Seau
Will Shields
Kurt Warner
Darren Woodson

 

[Mojo Ram]

How do you trim this down to five?


Morten Andersen
Steve Atwater
Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Isaac Bruce
Don Coryell
Roger Craig
Terrell Davis
Tony Dungy
Kevin Greene
Charles Haley
Marvin Harrison
Torry Holt
Joe Jacoby
Edgerrin James
Jimmy Johnson
Mike Kenn
Ty Law
John Lynch
Kevin Mawae
Karl Mecklenburg
Orlando Pace
Junior Seau
Will Shields
Kurt Warner
Darren Woodson

Helluva list.
I really wanted to put Bruce in there but Tim Brown deserves it first.

 

[-X-]

Helluva list.
I really wanted to put Bruce in there but Tim Brown deserves it first.

That's a tough one. They had almost identical careers, but Bruce had more Super Bowl appearances and was FAR more productive with his opportunities.

 

[Mojo Ram]

That's a tough one. They had almost identical careers, but Bruce had more Super Bowl appearances and was FAR more productive with his opportunities.

I also look at Brown's career as a punt returner. He was a duel threat for about six seasons, plus he's a bit older than Ike. They were both pretty durable, although Brown almost never missed a game. He missed one game between '90 and '04 and started every game for seven straight seasons in his prime. Thats insane.

Brown has been eligible five years now i believe.
I'd like to think that it's only a matter of time for Bruce to get in. Bruce is my favorite Ram of all time. I'd like to see Brown get in too.

Tim Brown

Receiving '93-'01
80 rec for 1180 7 TD's
89 rec 1309 9 TD's
89 rec 1342 10 TD's
90 rec 1104 9 TD's
104 rec 1408 5 TD's
81 rec 1012 9 TD's
90 rec 1344 6 TD's
73 rec 1128 11 TD's
91 rec 1165 9 TD's


Punt returns '90-'96
34 ret 295 8.7 avg
29 ret 330 11.4 avg (1 TD)
40 ret 465 11.6 avg (1 TD)
40 ret 487 12.2 avg
36 ret 364 10.1 avg
32 ret 272 8.5 avg

-9 time pro bowler
-1,094 career receptions(5th all time)
-14,934 career receiving yards(6th all time)
-19,683 career all purpose yards)5th all time)
-100 career receiving TD's(7th all time)
-105 career all-purpose TD's(17th all time)

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I understand the 5 player limit but keeping it to that seems unreasonable when there are so many great players on the list. They may have to expand to 6

 

[Boffo97]

Kurt should easily be 1st ballot. Getting back to the big dance with Arizona should clear him of the "too short a body of work at elite level" stigma (aka Terrell Davis Syndrome).

Orlando, I'd say slightly lesser chance of 1st ballot than Warner but he'll definitely be in some day.

Ike and Torry... I think they should be in, but with the Hall's issues with inducting deserving receivers, I don't know... given the level of competition, I think they at least get first ballot snub, with Bruce having a slightly higher chance of getting in eventually than Holt.

 

[Thordaddy]

How do you trim this down to five?


Morten Andersen
Steve Atwater
Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Isaac Bruce
Don Coryell
Roger Craig
Terrell Davis
Tony Dungy
Kevin Greene
Charles Haley
Marvin Harrison
Torry Holt
Joe Jacoby
Edgerrin James
Jimmy Johnson
Mike Kenn
Ty Law
John Lynch
Kevin Mawae
Karl Mecklenburg
Orlando Pace
Junior Seau
Will Shields
Kurt Warner
Darren Woodson

Without having your head explode?
Isn't a single guy on that list I can say doesn't belong, IMO Seau and Woodson are locks ,one tackle,Warner has a shot cuz he's the only QB,a RB,a wr. and a coach.
That'd get me to seven. but it's hard to leave M Anderson out too.
Strong damned class

 

[Thordaddy]

I understand the 5 player limit but keeping it to that seems unreasonable when there are so many great players on the list. They may have to expand to 6

Considering when the "hall" was established there were 14 teams and now there are 32 ,it's reasonable to go back to 7 like they did for a few years after 1963 when they started with 17.
I get the elite expectation but there are so many great players from so many positions that you have a tough time comparing that it's gotten to the point where too many truly deserving players are being snubbed because of large market bias , like Mike Kenn, or Roger Wehrli who FINALLY got in but should have been first ballot.

 

[Big Willie]

My five....
Seau. - best defensive player
Haley - 2nd best defensive player
Pace - best OL
Warner - only QB (sexy pick)
Brown/Bettis - both are due; toss up

 

[Noregar]

Nice to see a lot of former Rams on the list. Warner should get in on the first ballot and I hope Pace does too. Bruce and Holt deserve it but they will have to wait a while with the backlog of receivers. Back in 1999 Eric Dickerson entered the HOF and then Slater in 2001. Coincidentally those were the same years as the GSOT super bowls. Now in 2015 the Rams could have Warner and even Pace hmmm................

 

[LazyWinker]

Walter Jones was 1st ballot so Pace better be 1st ballot as well.

 

[DaveFan'51]

eligible players include Rams teammates Kurt Warner, Orlando Pace, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

Also on the list are the five players who were in the final 10 of last year’s voting but not among the five elected: Linebacker Kevin Greene,

There's your '5 inductee's!! ( OK! I'm a Ram Fan, what do you want 'Egg in you Beer!?)

Helluva list.
I really wanted to put Bruce in there but Tim Brown deserves it first.

Sorry, I just don't think Brown was better than Bruce! And I've seen them both play a lot!! (Mainly because my late Twin brother was a Raider Fan and I a Ram Fan!)

I understand the 5 player limit but keeping it to that seems unreasonable when there are so many great players on the list. They may have to expand to 6

Can they Elect 6 or more? Has this ever happened?

 

[LetsGoRams]

Warner, Seau, Pace, Brown, Haley

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Can they Elect 6 or more? Has this ever happened?

Here is your answer from above.

Considering when the "hall" was established there were 14 teams and now there are 32 ,it's reasonable to go back to 7 like they did for a few years after 1963 when they started with 17.
I get the elite expectation but there are so many great players from so many positions that you have a tough time comparing that it's gotten to the point where too many truly deserving players are being snubbed because of large market bias , like Mike Kenn, or Roger Wehrli who FINALLY got in but should have been first ballot.

 

[HometownBoy]

Almost fucking impossible. If you could add a whole class I would.

Know one thing. Pace has to be a lock. One of the best LTs of our generation, arguably the best ever. Misuse of the system if he doesn't get in.

 

[Fatbot]

How do you trim this down to five?

My 15:
Morten Andersen
Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Isaac Bruce
Don Coryell
Marvin Harrison
Torry Holt
Ty Law
John Lynch
Kevin Mawae
Orlando Pace
Junior Seau
Will Shields
Kurt Warner
Darren Woodson

My 5:
Tim Brown
Isaac Bruce
Don Coryell
Orlando Pace
Kurt Warner

 

[RamBill]

Four members of Greatest Show Rams up for Hall
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13853/four-members-of-greatest-show-rams-up-for-hall

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- There's still a long way to go but for the four members of the Greatest Show on Turf Rams, the hope of going into the Hall of Fame together on the first ballot remains alive.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 26 semifinalists for the 2015 induction class on Tuesday night (26 instead of 25 because of a tie) and the four most prominent remaining members of the 1999, early 2000s St. Louis Rams offense all made that cut. That includes quarterback Kurt Warner, left tackle Orlando Pace and wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

Another pair of former Rams, pass-rusher Kevin Greene and running back Jerome Bettis, also made the cut. Greene did plenty of damage as a Ram but Bettis is still more known for his work as a Pittsburgh Steeler. Greene and Bettis both made the cut to 15 a year ago but missed out on induction.

Regardless, the names that most Rams fans will be rooting for this election cycle are Warner, Pace, Bruce and Holt. All four are on the ballot for the first time and all have mentioned how much they'd love to go in as a quartet. The always-optimistic Bruce even believes there's a chance it could happen.

"That would mean we’d have to spend less money on the caravan bus," Bruce said. "We could just pack them all up and just go up together. Honestly, I don’t think I would be shocked. I played with that core of guys for five-plus, six years. That’s rare. That normally doesn’t happen because guys leave for free agency or other issues but I wouldn’t be surprised. I saw these guys' body of work. I saw these guys put in work. I saw these guys excel at their jobs and perfect their crafts every day, on a daily basis.

"The things they did and things they accomplished, I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys go in as first ballot Hall of Famers because that’s the path they were on. Just to see it happen, which I believe I will see it happen, it would be great. It would be an awesome time not only for myself but for my teammates, the city of St. Louis. It would be big, it would be huge in more ways than one."

It's generally believed that Warner and Pace have the best chance among the four new Rams on the ballot. That's nothing against the accomplishments of Bruce and Holt but more of a nod to the competition they face at the wide receiver position where the likes of Tim Brown and Marvin Harrison are also on the slate. But this might be a good year to get at least one of them in before even more receivers such as Randy Moss and Terrell Owens enter the fray.

Earlier this year, I offered a closer look at the candidacy of each of the four new Rams on the ballot. Here's the case for Bruce, Holt, Pace and Warner.

 

[RaminExile]

My 15:
Morten Andersen
Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Isaac Bruce
Don Coryell
Marvin Harrison
Torry Holt
Ty Law
John Lynch
Kevin Mawae
Orlando Pace
Junior Seau
Will Shields
Kurt Warner
Darren Woodson

My 5:
Tim Brown
Isaac Bruce
Don Coryell
Orlando Pace
Kurt Warner

Good choices. Ty Law and John Lynch and Darren Woodsen should get in at some point - not sure Bettis did enough to be brutal.

 

[LesBaker]

Kurt should easily be 1st ballot. Getting back to the big dance with Arizona should clear him of the "too short a body of work at elite level" stigma (aka Terrell Davis Syndrome).

Orlando, I'd say slightly lesser chance of 1st ballot than Warner but he'll definitely be in some day.

Ike and Torry... I think they should be in, but with the Hall's issues with inducting deserving receivers, I don't know... given the level of competition, I think they at least get first ballot snub, with Bruce having a slightly higher chance of getting in eventually than Holt.

It's going to be difficult for Holt, more so than Bruce, though I think Bruce will get in someday. It might take a year when the pickings are slim. WR's as you mentioned don't seem to get much love lately from the voters.

I agree with @Mojo Ram .........Tim Brown should have been in a long time ago.