Induction into the NFL Hall of Fame is the highest personal honor that any football player can achieve. The Hall is filled with the all-time greats of the game, but unfortunately, not every Hall of Famer is equal. Some are better than others, and some just don’t belong. Unfortunately, there is a lot of mediocrity enshrined in Canton, Ohio.
Let’s take a look at 5 of the most overrated and 5 of the most underrated NFL Hall of Famers.
Overrated – Bob Griese
Bob Griese spent 14 seasons under center for the Miami Dolphins leading them to Super Bowl titles in 1973 and 1974. But the Dolphins didn’t win those titles because of Griese. In fact, his numbers in those two Super Bowl wins were quite underwhelming. Combined, he completed 14 of 18 passes for 161 yards. Griese’s numbers weren’t just poor in the Super Bowl. His regular season numbers aren’t much better, as he never surpassed 2,500 yards passing in a season. The Dolphins of the 1970s ran a ball control offense, relying on a power rushing attack, so Griese wasn’t asked to do much. Bob Griese shouldn’t receive the highest personal honor available to an NFL player because of the team’s success.
Underrated – Marvin Harrison
For the better part of 13 years, Marvin Harrison ran past defenses as a star wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. In 190 games, he had 1,102 receptions for 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns. He finished his career ranked 9th all-time in career receiving yards and 5th all-time in career touchdowns. Harrison also has the honor of being selected to 8 straight Pro Bowls. Marvin Harrison belongs in the conversation for Top 10 receiver of all time and definitely deserves greater recognition among the Hall’s elite.
Overrated – Lynn Swann
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There is a benefit to playing on a team that becomes a dynasty, and Lynn Swann is the perfect example of that. The Steelers of the ‘70s were loaded with great Hall of Fame players on offense: Bradshaw, Harris, and Stallworth; but Swann wasn’t one of them. He was a nice, secondary wide receiver on those great teams. In his 9 seasons, he caught 336 passes for 5,462 yards and 51 touchdowns. “Swanny” never finished in the top five in receptions or yards receiving and his numbers pale next to teammate John Stallworth. If you looked up “overrated Hall of Famer” in the dictionary, you just might see a picture of Lynn Swann.
Underrated – Rickey Jackson
Fifteen years is a long time to spend terrorizing offenses in the NFL. During that time, Rickey Jackson amassed 1,173 tackles with 136 sacks, had 29 fumble recoveries, and played in 6 Pro Bowls. It wasn’t just about the production on the defensive side of the ball; he was also a workhorse, playing in 227 out of a possible 240 games. Despite being one of the greatest linebackers to ever play, Jackson was routinely snubbed for the Pro Bowl and other awards because his prime was wasted playing with the Saints of the early ‘80s. He also had the unfortunate disadvantage of playing at the same time as Lawrence Taylor, the greatest linebacker ever. Make no mistake, the last thing an offensive player in the ‘80s-’90s wanted to see was Rickey Jackson bearing down on them.
Overrated – Russ Grimm
Over an 11-year career, Russ Grimm played on three Super Bowl-winning teams. After being drafted, he became a starter in Washington and made four Pro Bowls early in his career. But those stats are misleading. While Grimm was a solid offensive lineman, he wasn’t a full-time starter for a chunk of his career. He didn’t start in two of the three Super Bowls he played in and he only started 114 out of 140 total games. That is almost two full seasons of being a bench player. Russ Grimm is another in a long line of players that belong in the Hall of Very Good, but not the Hall of Fame.
Underrated – Steve Largent
If there was one word to describe Steve Largent, it would be consistency. He is one of the most consistent receivers ever. Over 200 games across 14 years, Largent caught a pass in 177 straight games; that covers 89% of his career! He finished with 819 receptions for 13,089 yards and 100 touchdowns. In 1999 The Sporting News list ranked him number 46 of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Unfortunately, Largent didn’t receive a lot of coverage playing in Seattle. It’s a shame that younger sports fans don’t know how good Steve Largent was, because for a time in the 1980’s he was a joy to watch.
Overrated – Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers was a solid running back, but certainly not worthy of being recognized with the all-time greats. He only played 7 seasons, including a total of 4 games in his last 2 years. Sayers scored 39 touchdowns and amassed 4,956 rushing yards, although almost half of that was gained in two seasons. It’s certainly a fair question to ask if his friendship with Brian Piccolo, as portrayed in the movie “Brian’s Song”, helped garner sympathetic support from the voters. The bottom line is that Gale Sayers just doesn’t have the longevity or stats for the Hall of Fame.
Underrated – Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas spent 13 years playing middle linebacker for the Dolphins and Cowboys. During that time, no one made the sideline to sideline plays like Thomas. Over 184 games, he finished with 1,734 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 17 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles, 4 defensive touchdowns, and earned 7 Pro Bowl nominations. Thomas was an absolute ballhawk but was forced to wait until his 10th year of eligibility for induction into the Hall of Fame. That is an absolute shame, as Thomas was one of the greatest middle linebackers of his generation. In fact, a deeper analysis of statistics shows that he had almost identical numbers to Brian Urlacher, who was enshrined in his first year of eligibility. For some reason, Zach Thomas was overlooked during his playing days and in his retirement, but there needs to be a thought correction because he was one of the best at his position.
Overrated – Joe Namath
Let’s start with the obvious, Joe Namath won one of the most important pro football games ever – Super Bowl III, and “Broadway Joe” was a marketing person’s dream due to his flamboyant nature. On the field was a different story. With a career completion percentage of just over 50 percent, he was not a prolific passer. In fact, Namath completed more than half of his passes only five times over a 13-year career. “Joe Willie” tossed 173 TDs but also threw 220 interceptions in only 140 games. He also wasn’t a difference maker with a career record of 62-63-4. Joe Namath played an important role in the early days of the NFL and should be remembered for it. But he’s more a product of Super Bowl III and his marketability than anything he ever accomplished on the field.
Underrated – Harry Carson
Harry Carson played 13 seasons as a middle linebacker for the New York Giants. During that time, Lawrence Taylor was the absolute star of the defense, but Carson was the clear heart and soul of that team. While LT got all of the attention, Carson did most of the grunt work and did it very well. He was a fierce run-stopper who amassed 9 Pro Bowl nominations, 14 fumble recoveries, 11 interceptions, and 856 tackles in 173 games. He was also a key member of the Giants 1986 Super Bowl title. While his career ended in 1988, he wasn’t elected to the Hall until 2006. That 18-year gap was unacceptable for a player of his caliber; but hopefully, over time, Harry Carson will get the recognition he deserves.
