Can Steven Jackson Be a Hall of Famer?

[RaminExile]

Don't think so. He always had the ability and put up great stats year in year out as well - but played on losing unfashionable teams in a small market so no hall for him....Watching him run in his prime was like watching a force of nature though.

 

[Zombie Slayer]

Can he get in? Yes. Will he? Unlikely. Playing on a losing team his whole career will probably exclude him. He has the stats for it but I don't see him getting in. Which is a shame really. The Hall of Fame confuses me though. People say a guy shouldn't get in because he didn't play long enough, doesn't have the stats, didn't win a ring, etc. But then guys like Holt who have all of those and people still say he shouldn't get in. I don't get it. Clearly if Jackson is drafted onto a better team he is about a sure thing to go in at some point. Doesn't seem fair to him that he was on a crappy team that was managed horribly.

 

[Memento]

Yes. Absolutely yes. When you look at some of the other running backs who will be in the Hall (AP), how can you exclude S-Jax just because he played on some of the worst teams in the history of this franchise? If Jackson doesn't get into the Hall, then Adrian Peterson - amongst many other backs not named Tomlinson - should never have a shot to get in. Bettis shouldn't even be in the Hall when you compare his stats to Jackson's. He was a small piece in an amazing team who only got in because of their success. Nothing else.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Well, sure. that would move him to 5th most yards of all NFL backs ever. More than these guys:

No way Fred Jackson gets in...looks like a good cutoff point....Those stats are interesting, which leads me to.....\/

If Jackson doesn't get into the Hall, then Adrian Peterson - amongst many other backs not named Tomlinson - should never have a shot to get in. Bettis shouldn't even be in the Hall when you compare his stats to Jackson's. He was a small piece in an amazing team who only got in because of their success. Nothing else.

LOL, are you serious? What did the Bus ever do to you? AP...and SJ#39....let me even see if I can put them in the same conversation......barely...only cause AP sat out last year...that could do something....we shall see...Bettis is well deserving HOF'er...check ramzfans stats...he's #6...SJ#39 is 16th or something...SJ#39 seriously needs to get in the top 5 w/out any playoff wins...and top 10 with a playoff run, not even a SB..just a couple of trips...to be safe....

 

[Leuzer]

Not sure if this is my homerism or just my honest opinion, but I believe Jackson should be in the Hall.
8 consecutive seasons of 1000+ rushing yards on mediocre at best, Ram teams. Then to do that in this era of passing football? And for that 3 year stretch from 2007-2009, going 3-13, 2-14, and 1-15, he was our offense.

Too bad I'm not the committee and I doubt they'll see him the way some of us see him.

I would definitely put him in the Rams Ring of Honor, though.

 

[jrry32]

Nope. He won't. And IMO, he shouldn't make it in. Great player but he belongs in the Hall of Very Good. Could he have made it in if he played for a better team? Sure, it's possible. But we're not living in that alternative reality (unfortunately for Jackson).

 

[rams24/7]

He has HOF talent. But he had the incredible misfortune of never playing on a winning team. That is not an indictment of his abilities, but rather the putrid supporting casts he had around him.

Short Answer: No. National media (outside of STL) didn't watch SJ closely because he was rarely on relevant teams and thus played the majority of his career under the radar (of the national media). He never had a rushing title or a signature moment that everyone remembers him by. His numbers a good, but not great.

Long Answer: There's more than meets the eye with SJ. His 8-straight 1,000 yard seasons was only accomplished by 5 other backs: Emmit Smith, Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, Thurman Thomas, and LT; all HOF backs (LT soon to be). He also has an NFC rushing title in 2009 (playing the second half with a herniated disc that would IR most guys). Was the consummate pro and never complained about the losing. He is an all-around back who could run with power, speed, block, catch, and ensure ball security.

21st ALL Time in Yards From Scrimmage

6th best single-season yards from scrimmage

And 16th all time in career rushing yards

Some may say I'm just trying to throw the book at you and wow you with stats, but if you look at the company he is with on these 3 lists, it's hard to argue he doesn't have a shot. Hell Curtis Martin got in and he was never considered the best RB at any time when he played in the league.

My gut says outside of STL nobody knows or cares enough about SJ to consider him as a legitimate HOF player. Had he been surrounded by a better teams that didn't have over half their OL out of the NFL the following year, he may have had a chance.

But to any who say SJ was an unspectacular back who didn't make "wow" plays I'll post my YouTube video:

 

[ZigZagRam]

My first reaction was no.

The first question I ask myself with regard to players deserving the Hall of Fame is: Were they ever widely considered to be the best in the game?

For me you could stick SJ39 in the top 5 for s number of seasons, but he was never the best.

I may have too high of standards though.

Hall of Very Good for sure.

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

If bettis can make it into the hof then any rb can because nothing about bettis playing said - look at me I'm a hofer.

And did someone dis adp? Haha, he will be a first ballet hofer. Everything about him says hof.

.

 

[jrry32]

He has HOF talent. But he had the incredible misfortune of never playing on a winning team. That is not an indictment of his abilities, but rather the putrid supporting casts he had around him.

Short Answer: No. National media (outside of STL) didn't watch SJ closely because he was rarely on relevant teams and thus played the majority of his career under the radar (of the national media). He never had a rushing title or a signature moment that everyone remembers him by. His numbers a good, but not great.

Long Answer: There's more than meets the eye with SJ. His 8-straight 1,000 yard seasons was only accomplished by 5 other backs: Emmit Smith, Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, Thurman Thomas, and LT; all HOF backs (LT soon to be). He also has an NFC rushing title in 2009 (playing the second half with a herniated disc that would IR most guys). Was the consummate pro and never complained about the losing. He is an all-around back who could run with power, speed, block, catch, and ensure ball security.

21st ALL Time in Yards From Scrimmage
View attachment 6340
6th best single-season yards from scrimmage
View attachment 6341
And 16th all time in career rushing yards
View attachment 6342

Some may say I'm just trying to throw the book at you and wow you with stats, but if you look at the company he is with on these 3 lists, it's hard to argue he doesn't have a shot. Hell Curtis Martin got in and he was never considered the best RB at any time when he played in the league.

My gut says outside of STL nobody knows or cares enough about SJ to consider him as a legitimate HOF player. Had he been surrounded by a better teams that didn't have over half their OL out of the NFL the following year, he may have had a chance.

But to any who say SJ was an unspectacular back who didn't make "wow" plays I'll post my YouTube video:

Realistically, which group does SJ appear to be more a part of:
Group 1
Jim Brown
Emmitt Smith
Marshall Faulk
Barry Sanders
Walter Payton
LaDainian Tomlinson
Adrian Peterson
Eric Dickerson
O.J. Simpson
Earl Campbell

Group 2
Curtis Martin
Jerome Bettis
Thurman Thomas
Franco Harris
John Riggins
Marcus Allen
Tony Dorsett

Group 3
Fred Taylor
Frank Gore
Tiki Barber
Eddie George
Corey Dillon
Clinton Portis
Jamal Lewis

It's not Group 1. No point in an explanation, I think it's obvious enough looking at it.

He belongs in Group 3 and that just isn't a HOF group. Now, people are going to argue that he belongs in Group 2 because of stats or talent. But that's beyond the point. You can make that sort of argument for any of the backs in Group 3. The thing that separates those two groups isn't talent or stats. It's notoriety and individual accolades.

Group 2 players were big named players that played in major markets and on winning teams. Curtis Martin is the only guy that might be an exception because the Jets and Patriots weren't quite dominant winners when he was there and he wasn't the biggest named guy. But at the same time, he did play in a Super Bowl and went to the playoffs five times in 11 years while playing in major media markets. Plus, he had an incredibly strong statistical argument (stronger than SJ's).

Regardless, did SJ have the talent to make the HOF? If he had spent his career on a winning team...yes. But so did a number of other HBs who also won't make the HOF. And unfortunately for Steven, that's the group he falls into.

 

[…..]

It must be noted that Jackson, over a long and storied career, was a great passer.

In his 11 year career he had a passer rating of 118.7 !!!

His total adjusted QBR was 99.7, well above any passer in the Hall of Fame!!

His career stat line is simply amazing. 1 completion on 1 attempt for 2 yards and a touchdown. It doesnt get any better than that folks. Put him in the hall.

 

[RAMpage28]

I think a case could be made. He won't get it since his terrible record will keep him from getting in. He's better than Bettis and Bettis got in. The only issue is that Bettis also got a ring and some post season success. Put Jackson on some decent teams, he gets some better numbers and post season success and he gets the hall. He was a HOF talent, just didn't have enough around him.

 

[RAMpage28]

I disagree. I consider George an elite back. I put Jackson as just a good back

Eddie George an elite back? Time has been favorable to that man because he is not an elite back.

 

[RaminExile]

Not sure if this is my homerism or just my honest opinion, but I believe Jackson should be in the Hall.
8 consecutive seasons of 1000+ rushing yards on mediocre at best, Ram teams. Then to do that in this era of passing football? And for that 3 year stretch from 2007-2009, going 3-13, 2-14, and 1-15, he was our offense.

Too bad I'm not the committee and I doubt they'll see him the way some of us see him.

I would definitely put him in the Rams Ring of Honor, though.

See I think this way. The fact he was so good on a bad team should surely improve his chances to get to the hall - not scupper them. The hall seems to be about winners though - they want guys who won stuff in it. That's stupid of course because its unfair to guys who were lumbered with bad teams. It also spreads this misinformation myth that one great player can carry a team to victory repeatedly which isn't true.

Edit - @RAMpage28 I agree wholeheartedly. He was better than both Bettish and George at their peaks. The hall of fame isn't about who was a better player though...

 

[TheDYVKX]

I would say no, but Jerome Bettis got in and I think Jackson was a better RB. The ring and all might be the bigger factor there though.

 

[Mister Sin]

He was better than Eddie George in every way. I don't much care for that comparison. Should he make it? I think if he didn't waste his last 2 years in Atlants doing jack squat, he would probably be making a better case, but he wasn't used properly there. Will he make it? Not for a very long time. It's going to take time for all the backs before him to get in that deserve it. And then he will have to wait for the continual devaluation of the position to happen so that no current or future back touches what he has done....Final Answer. Probably not.

 

[dieterbrock]

Lack of rushing TD keeps him out IMO. #32 all time
Bettis was 10th in rushing TD and I could have gone either way with him

 

[CodeMonkey]

He was better than Eddie George in every way. I don't much care for that comparison. Should he make it? I think if he didn't waste his last 2 years in Atlants doing jack squat, he would probably be making a better case, but he wasn't used properly there. Will he make it? Not for a very long time. It's going to take time for all the backs before him to get in that deserve it. And then he will have to wait for the continual devaluation of the position to happen so that no current or future back touches what he has done....Final Answer. Probably not.

The irony is that the main reasoning he went to Atlanta was to go to a better team which people believed at the time had a chance to win now. If they had in fact done that, or even make a reasonable run at it, this conversation would be different. Unfortunately for him of course that isn't how it worked out. He was individually more talented than some HOFers but team results matter and pretty much his entire career was spent on a losing squad.

 

[RamzFanz]

Ok then, Rams need to re-sign him for our SB run this season closing the HOF gap!

 

[rams24/7]

Realistically, which group does SJ appear to be more a part of:
Group 1
Jim Brown
Emmitt Smith
Marshall Faulk
Barry Sanders
Walter Payton
LaDainian Tomlinson
Adrian Peterson
Eric Dickerson
O.J. Simpson
Earl Campbell

Group 2
Curtis Martin
Jerome Bettis
Thurman Thomas
Franco Harris
John Riggins
Marcus Allen
Tony Dorsett

Group 3
Fred Taylor
Frank Gore
Tiki Barber
Eddie George
Corey Dillon
Clinton Portis
Jamal Lewis

It's not Group 1. No point in an explanation, I think it's obvious enough looking at it.

He belongs in Group 3 and that just isn't a HOF group. Now, people are going to argue that he belongs in Group 2 because of stats or talent. But that's beyond the point. You can make that sort of argument for any of the backs in Group 3. The thing that separates those two groups isn't talent or stats. It's notoriety and individual accolades.

Group 2 players were big named players that played in major markets and on winning teams. Curtis Martin is the only guy that might be an exception because the Jets and Patriots weren't quite dominant winners when he was there and he wasn't the biggest named guy. But at the same time, he did play in a Super Bowl and went to the playoffs five times in 11 years while playing in major media markets. Plus, he had an incredibly strong statistical argument (stronger than SJ's).

Regardless, did SJ have the talent to make the HOF? If he had spent his career on a winning team...yes. But so did a number of other HBs who also won't make the HOF. And unfortunately for Steven, that's the group he falls into.

That was my point. Strong cases can be made for or against him making the HOF. My first few points against him making the HOF was lack of national exposure and only playing in 2 playoff games (as a rookie backup).

Guys like Riggins and Harris in Group 2 had signature moments (Riggins' TD run in SB & the Immaculate Reception respectively) which imo had a large influence on them getting into the hall.

I'm just saying when it comes down to it SJ should have an outside shot at making the hall if you consider his numbers (as many from list 3 do). I also consider Bettis and Martin to be weaker RBs who found there way into the hall. As you said Martin has solid credentials, but SJ has very comparable stats to Bettis (even better in many areas) but never played on a perennial playoff team.

In the end I agree that SJ didn't do enough in the eyes of the HOF voters, but at least we agree that he had fringe HOF talent.