Best NFL Players Not in the Hall of Fame
Not so long ago, the NFL Hall of Fame was replenished with eight more names of the best football players of all time.
There are currently 362 former players in the Hall of Fame, as well as coaches and distinguished staff. It is a great honor for almost every football player to have his career memorialized in Canton, Ohio.
That being said, there is a huge list of deserving players who still haven’t received a call from Canton. There are several criteria by which players are selected:
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The player must play at least half of his career for the team.
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The player must be eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Already in February, the long-awaited final of football matches will take place, and now you can already check out the Super Bowl odds 2023, trying to guess the winner. Today we’ll talk about a few teams that still have Hall of Fame-worthy ex-players in their inventory.
Arizona Cardinals – Ottis Anderson, RB
Ottis Anderson has had a respectable football career. He was a successful performer for all eight seasons he played with the Arizona Cardinals. No less successful for Anderson was the transition to the Giants. Now the athlete has enough achievements to get into the Hall of Fame.
In 1979, he received the title of the best rookie in offense on the field. The same year, he earned the All-Pro award, aiming for a record 1605 yards. Anderson was on the team when the Arizona Cardinals won three consecutive seasons from 1982 to 1984. During this period, he hit 45 touchdowns at once.
Ottis Anderson also broke records with the Giants. He ran for 1,000 yards as a starter and helped the team to a 12-4 record. The following season was also successful for the footballer. He became the fastest footballer during all regular games.
A touchdown at Super Bowl XXV and the subsequent victory over the Buffalo Bills was no less high-profile achievement. During the game, the football player turned 34 years old, and now he owns the status of the oldest player in the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons – Tommy Nobis, LB
The footballer has played only two winning seasons in his 11 years with the Atlanta Falcons. Even though his team was not the most successful during this time on the field, Tommy Nobis received recognition among professional football players. During that time, he earned five Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro.
In 1966, Tommy Nobis was voted the season’s best rookie after completing 294 tackles. At the moment, this number is still the best in the history of the Atlanta Falcons. This achievement is even dedicated to the team’s official website section.
Baltimore Ravens – Jamal Lewis, RB
The career of Jamal Lewis can be called a little strange. During his entire time on the football field, he managed to pick up all the Pro / Pro Bowl awards only once. At the same time, the football player has several significant achievements:
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the year 2000. Baltimore Ravens get their first Super Bowl, and Lewis rushes for 1,364 yards;
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Super Bowl XXXV. The football player runs for 102 yards and throws a touchdown that brings the Baltimore Ravens over the Giants with a score of 34-7;
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the player receives the “Best Forward of the Year” award three years later.
After leaving the Baltimore Ravens, the player spent three more seasons with the Browns, where he helped them to a 10-6 record in 2007. According to the results of all his games, the football player ran 10,607 yards and took 25th place in the history of the NFL.
Buffalo Bills – Steve Tasker, WR
Steve Tasker is one of the greatest players in the history of the National Football League. He was nominated seven times for the Pro Bowl from 1987 to 1995. Thanks to this player, the Buffalo Bills team appeared four times in a row in the Super Bowl.
The brightest performance was in the first minutes of Super Bowl XXVII. A well-placed defensive line made it possible to beat the players from the opposing team and perform a successful touchdown.
There are two other players on the Buffalo Bills who may well qualify for the Hall of Fame. We are talking about Darryl Talley and Cornelius Bennett.
Carolina Panthers – Steve Smith Sr., WR
Steve SmithSr. had a successful 13-year career with the Carolina Panthers. During that time, he completed over 1,000 successful tackles and ran around 14,700 yards on the field. The player was characterized as universal. He successfully took away and passed the balls.
Such a game Steve Smith Sr. helped the Carolina Panthers to their 2003 Super Bowl berth.
Chicago Bears – Steve McMichael, DT
Steve McMichael is one of the Bears’ best defensive players. He took his first of three consecutive Pro Bowl honors in 1985. At the same time, he helped the Chicago Bears win the only Lombardi trophy in the team’s history. With Dan Hampton (inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002), he created one of the most famous defensive duos on the football field.