Henry Ellard: Maybe this is why my HOF candidacy has stalled

[Ellard80]

I would kill my neighbors cat, to have a young Ellard on the Rams now.

exactly...

 

[PARAM]

He was also overshadowed by Rice, Irvin, Carter, Largent, Lofton, Brown.

His candidacy was lost in the wash like other very good receivers like Otis Taylor, Billy Wilson, Stanley Morgan, Harold Jackson. It is what it is.

He was overshadowed because the Rams weren't huge winners.

For instance:

Once Ellard had a legit NFL QB to throw to him, from 1987-1990 the Rams made the postseason twice. But during those 4 years, the 49ers were in the postseason each year, going to 3 NFC Championship Games, winning 2 and winning 2 Superbowls.

Jerry Rice had the most receptions (311) Andre Reed was 2nd (287) and Ellard was third (283). During those same 4 years, Jerry Rice had the most receiving yards (5369) and Ellard was 2nd with 4889. Breaking that down, Rice averaged 77 receptions per year, Ellard 71. Rice averaged 1342 yards per year, Ellard 1222. Break that last one down a little more and Rice averaged 7 yards more per game than Henry over that 4 year span. The difference was Rice played on the 51-12 49ers with Joe Montana, Ellard played on the 32-32 Rams with Jim Everett.

"Fame" is relative, though it shouldn't be, to the record of the teams.

 

[Dxmissile]

Thats how I feel about Bruce he put up the 2nd best year for a receiver ever right behind Rice in that same year. Thats why I call Bruce the greatest of all time because if he had the Qb's that rice had his number would have been a lot better especially when you factor i he had Holt and Faulk taking away touches

 

[tempests]

He was overshadowed because the Rams weren't huge winners.

Ellard played in more playoff games than Rice in the 1980s.

 

[PARAM]

Ellard played in more playoff games than Rice in the 1980s.

That's true but does it really seem that way? In the 80's the Rams had a very good record, 91-60 in the regular season but just 4-7 in the postseason. The niners? 104-46-1, 13-4 in the postseason. And while Ellard did play in 10 postseason games (in the 80's) while Rice played in 9, Rice got much more exposure than Ellard. It didn't hurt he joined a team who was reigning Superbowl Champs and then won 2 more before the decade was over.

There's a fact I found interesting about Ellard. He had two seasons (with Washington) when he amassed 1,000 or more yards on less than 60 receptions. Perhaps it's interesting to me because though receptions are important, particularly in today's game, I always believed yards per catch average was equally if not more important than receptions. And not to downplay receptions, when it comes to reception leaders Jerry Rice is the all time leader with 1549. Ellard (814) is ranked 31st. Rice is the all time leader in reception yards with 22,895 but Ellard is ranked 13th. Henry (13,777) is ranked #58 in yards per reception average. Rice is 208th.

The game changed back in the late 70's. From 70-78, 18 receivers amassed 1,000 yards in a season. 8 of them averaged 20 or more yards per catch. Those were the guys I loved to watch. Paul Warfield, Lance Alworth, Harold Jackson, Gene Washington (of SF not Minnesota) and Cliff Branch to name a few. Then in 79 there were 12 with 1,000 with 3 averaging 20 or more yards per catch. The extra two games added with expansion in 1978 was one reason there were more amassing 1,000 yards. Then from 80-89 there were 119 who put up 1,000 yard seasons (despite just 1 in in the 82 strike season and 4 in the 87 strike season) but just 11 who averaged 20 yards or more while doing it. From 1990-1999, 180 players had 1,000 yards receiving with just 3 averaging 20 yards or more. The deep ball had been relegated to a threat instead of a weapon.

Back to the fact I found interesting about Ellard. Though he didn't average 20 yards per catch like his team mate Flipper Anderson did in 89 and 90, amassing 1,000 yards with less than 60 receptions had long become a thing of the past when Ellard did it. You have to average 16.9 or better to do that. And it's not like he was unique in accomplishing that feat. Many others have done it (Flipper did it twice) and from 1980-89 it was done 16 times overall, at least once in every season. But since Ellard first did it himself in 1995, it's been done just 8 times in 20 seasons including Elard again in 1996 when he came his closest to 20 ypc with a 19.5 (52-1014). But Henry did it when he was 35 years old. Jerry Rice was injured when he was 35 and he sustained a 14 ypc average just twice after that with 14.3 being the highest. In fact after age 30 his best was 15.3 at age 31.

To be sure Ellard is not Jerry Rice. Not nearly as many catches or yards but then nobody else is close either. Henry is a legit HOFer though, if we're being honest with ourselves. So is Ike and so is Torry. But Henry did everything good. Not only is his 13th in all time receiving yards, he's 15th in career punt return average (11.3 on 135 returns). Dude is a HOFer for sure. He just doesn't have the postseason resume some of them have (Art Monk, etc).

 

[DaveFan'51]

Rice is the all time leader in reception yards with 22,895 but Ellard is ranked 13th. Henry (13,777) is ranked #58 in yards per reception average. Rice is 208th.

This^ surprises me, But I really Like it!!

 

[LACHAMP46]

Ellard will get in the HOF....It's just gonna take a lil time...Patience...in all things...