2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class

From Peter King's column in the leadup to the vote Saturday

FMIA—3 A.M. Wakeup Call with Andy Reid: Talking Meatballs, Mahomes and Trying To Rip Out Hearts in Miami

• Keep in mind that I never predict HoF classes well—at all—but I like Troy Polamalu’s chances above all. He’s one of the most instinctive and punishing safeties who ever lived. “Outside of his incredible athleticism, his greatest skill was his unpredictability,” Tom Brady said. Absolutely right. If he’s in, that leaves four spots of the five max who can make it.

• I’d like to see one more safety (of the three remaining) and one offensive linemen (of the three remaining) make it. The cases for Steve Atwater, John Lynch and LeRoy Butler are all strong, as are the cases of Steve Hutchinson, Alan Faneca and Tony Boselli. Most if not all of those six are Hall-worthy. If we can chip away at those groups and put one of each in this year, that means on my logic, that three are in now. Two left.

• I love the candidacies of playmaking linebackers Sam Mills and Zach Thomas. I’d love to see at least one get in. Mills was not just an inspirational small player, he was a great player. Thomas is the same. One of those—admittedly a longshot—would leave one slot left.

• So many good skill players—Edgerrin James and Isaac Bruce especially; one deserves the nod, at least. James (two rushing titles, an offensive rookie of the year, all-decade player) is hard to leave out. Very hard.

 

I'm with him on Mills and Thomas. I've been telling people forever I think Mills should be in.

 

Polamalu needs to go in ahead of Lynch and Atwater. He was very much an eye test guy. You had to see him play to fully grasp the impact he had on the game.

 

He'll go in ahead of them for sure, but Atwater in particular should have been in a while ago.

 

Probably like Kevin Greene's, only better. They really did Greene a strong. He's not as handsome as this.

 

Sterling Sharpe is the most overlooked. But yeah, those AllPro tallies are insane. Pearson simply should have been in a long time ago.

 

Sharpe's issue is the lack of longevity. He only played seven seasons.

 

But he was dominant.

He played in 112 games, 44 more than Gale Sayers. Now I'm not saying he was Gale Sayers (obviously), but longevity shouldn't be keeping him out. He had one injury to his neck and that did it --before that he'd started 16 games in each of his 7 seasons. Never missed a game.

Look at these freaking stats and honors.
Sterling Sharpe Stats | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Three-time first team All-Pro and five time Pro Bowler. Three times led the league in receptions, twice in TD receptions, once in yards receiving. The fact he's never even been a finalist is an absolute travesty.

 

Longevity matters, especially in the NFL, where injuries are such a huge factor. It's not fair, but it is right.

 

The longevity issue is a difficult one to resolve - how great do you have to be to overcome a short career? Dwight Stephenson only started 87 games in the NFL (I think he was good enough that he deserves to be in and am just citing him as an example).

 

Terrell Davis only played 7 seasons, only played more than 14 games four times. He played 78 total games and he's in. Sharpe looks like Jim Marshall compared to that.