2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class

Does anyone know when Chuck Bednarik how much played on both sides of the ball? Pro-Football Reference lists him as a center in 1949 and then a linebacker for eight years and then moving to center for five years before, in 1963 moving to linebacker for a year. But he is never listed as starting on both sides of the ball after 1950.

But he is never listed as starting on both sides of the ball after 1950. By 1951 Pro Football Reference indicates the Eagles were using a full platoon system. Pro-Football Reference indicates that Vic Lindskog was the center and made All-League. And in 1953 Ken Farragut made the Pro Bowl as the center. I would find it hard to believe such honors would have been handed out to someone who did not play the position virtually all the time.

But in 1960 Bednarik is the All-League center and he also knocked Frank Gifford out while playing linebacker. But Bednarik is not listed a starting linebacker. How did it all work?

 

I was watching the Sunday night game and saw the patches the Cardinals are wearing for Larry Wilson. I decided Larry Wilson is the greatest Cardinal of all time, barely beating out Larry Fitzgerald.

Wilson made All NFL five times and was really the dominant safety of the late 60's. In the book Instant Replay Jerry Kramer said he thought that Wilson was the best player in the NFL. Fitzgerald has been one of the dominant receivers for a very long time but was voted just All-NFL once.

But did I forget anyone else who should be considered?

 

I don't think I would make it, but possibly you could make an argument for Dan Dierdorf - 5 first-team All-Pro picks and one second-team, named to 1970s All-Decade team.

 

Those are the big two.

Aeneas Williams and Night Train Lane didn’t play their full careers with the Cards, and Dierdorf and Jackie Smith were great but not that great.

 

Lancey Howard: Bednarik played both ways in college at Penn as did most everyone in those days. With the Eagles he was the center some of the time and a linebacker for other times as the need arose - - until 1960. In an early season game against the NY Giants that year, the Giants blitzed the pants off of Norm Van Brocklin in the first half while Bednarik was the middle linebacker on defense. In the second half, Bednarik took over at center and remained as the middle linebacker. The story was that Bednarik told Giants' middle linebacker Sam Huff as the Eagles came to the line for their first play of the second half that "the varsity" was taking over for the rest of the game. Fact or lore???

From that point forward in the 1960 season, Bednarik played both ways - including being the long-snapper on the punt team and playing on the punt return team. He also covered kickoffs. He only came off the field when the Eagles were receiving a kickoff. That season - 1960 - was the year the Eagles beat the Packers for the NFL Championship; it was the only playoff game that Vince Lombardi lost as a head coach.

 

Lombardi lost because Bednarik stopped Jim Taylor 8 yards short of the end zone for what would have been the winning touchdown and sat on him as the final seconds ran out so the Packers couldn’t get another play off.

I’ve read Bednarik was on the field for every play of that game.

 

Hall of Famer Charley Trippi has a case.

 

Cardinals greatest player debates could include John David Crow, Ollie Matson and Dan Dierdorf too.

 

I thought about Dierdorf. But I am trying to think of better free safeties/right safeties than Wilson. Tunnell was a left safety which was basically the strong safety. Paul Krause has the interception record but he played very deep and was never the hitter Wilson was. Who would have been better? Dierdorf was very good but I don't think anyone believe he was the greatest tackle of all time.

I think Crow had a career somewhat like Gale Sayers. Crow had a brilliant third season in the NFL gaining almost 1100 yards in 12 games and averaging almost six yard a carry. But the next season he got hurt and never had again had anywhere near the statistical brilliance he had shown early in his career. Matson, on the other hand, made All=League his first five years with the Cardinals so he should be considered.

 

Semifinalists have been announced. Some interesting ones made it through:

• Eric Allen, CB – 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2021)
• Jared Allen, DE – 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2021)
• Willie Anderson, T – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2021)
• Ronde Barber, CB/S – 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2018-2021)
• Cornelius Bennett, LB – 1987-1995 Buffalo Bills, 1996-98 Atlanta Falcons, 1999-2000 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2021)
• Tony Boselli, T – 1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2002 Houston Texans (injured reserve) | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2016-2021)
• LeRoy Butler, S – 1990-2001 Green Bay Packers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2018-2021)
• Alan Faneca, G – 1998-2007 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2008-09 New York Jets, 2010 Arizona Cardinals | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2016-2021)
• Rodney Harrison, S – 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2021)
• Torry Holt, WR – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2015-2021)
• Calvin Johnson, WR – 2007-2015 Detroit Lions | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2021)
• John Lynch, FS – 1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos | (Times as a Semifinalist: 9 – 2013-2021)
• Peyton Manning, QB – 1998-2011 Indianapolis Colts (injured reserved 2011), 2012-15 Denver Broncos | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2021)
• Clay Matthews, LB – 1978-1993 Cleveland Browns, 1994-96 Atlanta Falcons | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2012, 2017, 2019-2021)
• Sam Mills, LB – 1986-1994 New Orleans Saints, 1995-97 Carolina Panthers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2016, 2019-2021)
• Richard Seymour, DE/DT – 2001-08 New England Patriots, 2009-2012 Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2018-2021)
• Steve Tasker, ST/WR – 1985-86 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills | (Times as a Semifinalist: 8 – 2004, 2008-2010, 2012-13, 2020-21)
• Fred Taylor, RB – 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2020-21)
• Zach Thomas, LB – 1996-2007 Miami Dolphins, 2008 Dallas Cowboys | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2019-2021)
• Hines Ward, WR – 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2017-2021)
• Reggie Wayne, WR – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2020-21)
• Patrick Willis, LB – 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2020-21)
• Charles Woodson, CB/S – 1998-2005, 2013-15 Oakland Raiders, 2006-2012 Green Bay Packers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2021)
• Darren Woodson, S – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2015, 2017, 2019-2021)
• Bryant Young, DT – 1994-2007 San Francisco 49ers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2020-21)

 

Add in QB Jim Hart.

Granted, with the Cardinals the pool is pretty shallow.

 

My guess at the 15 finalists:

J. Allen
Boselli
Butler
Faneca
Holt
Johnson
Lynch
Manning
Mills
Seymour
Thomas
Wayne
C. Woodson
Willis
Young