January 25, 1998: The Denver Broncos Finally Win a Super Bowl

Terrell Davis and "The Mile High Salute"

January 25, 1998, 25 years ago: Super Bowl XXXII is played, at what was then known as Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

The NFC Champions were the Green Bay Packers. They had won the Super Bowl the year before, taking their 12th World Championship, leading all NFL teams. With an offense led by future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brett Favre, and a defense led by future Hall-of-Famer Reggie White, they looked primed to repeat. Especially since the NFC had won 13 straight Super Bowls, going back to Super Bowl XVIII, won by the then-Los Angeles Raiders.

Another good sign for the Packers is that the AFC Champions were the Denver Broncos. This was their 5th trip to the Super Bowl, and they had lost the 1st 4. They had lost Super Bowl XII to the Dallas Cowboys, despite having a great defense known as the Orange Crush. They lost Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants, Super Bowl XXII to the Washington Redskins, and Super Bowl XXIV to the San Francisco 49ers, all with John Elway as their quarterback and Dan Reeves as their head coach.

They had always sold out Mile High Stadium since 1977, the season of "Broncomania" that ended with the Super Bowl XII defeat. They were, far and away, the most popular sports team in the Rocky Mountain region, even thought the recently arrived Colorado Avalanche had won the 1996 Stanley Cup, for the region's 1st title; and the Colorado Rockies had sold more tickets than any team in Major League Baseball since their 1993 expansion debut.

They had some dramatic victories over the years, including their defeats of the Oakland Raiders in the 1977 AFC Championship Game, and of the Cleveland Browns in back-to-back AFC title games for the 1986 and 1987 seasons. But they couldn't win the big one.

Starting in 1968, the Broncos had worn orange jerseys (hence the "Orange Crush" nickname), and bright blue helmets with an orange D, with a charging white horse inside it. It was a hard logo to draw, but the whole thing was among the most distinctive uniform designs in sports.

John Elway, 1987

For 1997, they scrapped that for a new design, with purple jerseys with a weird new number font, and purple helmets with a white horse's head. This, too, was distinctive. I didn't like the change in number font, but the helmet was much better.

Elway and head coach Mike Shanahan, 1997

But new uniforms wouldn't be enough. The Cincinnati Bengals found that out in 1981, when they switched to their striped helmets, and made the Super Bowl, only to lose it.

But head coach Mike Shanahan had revamped the team after the Reeves years. He built a new defense, with end Neil Smith, linebacker Bill Romanowski, former San Francisco cornerback Tim McKyer, and a holdover from the previous Bronco Super Bowls, safety Steve Atwater, possibly the hardest hitter in the game at the time.

But Shanahan was an offense-first coach. He got Elway something he'd never had before: A star running back, to take some of the pressure off him. He was a University of Georgia graduate named Terrell Davis, and he was exactly what Elway needed to remove his name from consideration, alongside Y.A. Tittle, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, for the title of "greatest quarterback to never win a World Championship."

The Broncos went 12-4 in 1997. All 4 losses were on the road: By 3 to the Oakland Raiders, 2 to the Kansas City Chiefs, 11 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and 17 to the San Francisco 49ers. However, they did have a 2-3 stretch toward the end of the season, followed by a win over the San Diego Chargers in the regular-season finale.

The season before, they had an ignominious Playoff defeat at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars. This time, they not only avenged that defeat with a 42-17 win over the Jags at Mile High, but they also went on the road and avenged 2 of their regular-season defeats: They beat the Chiefs 14-10 at Arrowhead Stadium, and then, in the AFC Championship Game, went to Three Rivers Stadium, and beat the Steelers, 24-21.

The Broncos had shown character. Elway was much more mature, much more patient, and much less reliant on his cannon of an arm that he had been in the 1980s. If any AFC team could dethrone the Packers as Champions, it was the '97 Broncos.

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The Packers got the ball first, and scored on their opening drive, a 22-yard touchdown pass from Favre to Antonio Freeman. The Broncos immediately struck back, helped by a defensive holding penalty that nullified an Elway incompletion on 3rd down. Davis, a San Diego native playing in the stadium where he'd grown up rooting for the Chargers and baseball's San Diego Padres, scored from a yard out. This remains the only Super Bowl where both teams scored on their opening drives.

The Packers' next drive ended when Tyrone Braxton intercepted Favre in Green Bay territory. Elway took advantage, and scored himself on a 1-yard run. The Broncos had led 10-9 at the half in Super Bowl XXI, and 10-0 early in the 2nd quarter of Super Bowl XXII. Both of those games fell apart, as the opposition outscored them 30-10 and 42-0 the rest of the way. But, having watched those games, I sensed something was different this time.

David later claimed that he played the game with a migraine headache, to the point where, until he took some medication, he was blind. But the Broncos made their own breaks: When Atwater sacked Favre and forced a fumble that Smith recovered, Jason Elam kicked a 51-yard field goal, then the 2nd-longest in Super Bowl history, and it was 17-7 Denver.

Late in the half, the Packers began a drive from their own 5, and Favre ended it with a 6-yard pass to Mark Chmura. The Pack went into the locker room trailing 17-14, and felt like they had the momentum. Would this be another Bronco Super Bowl collapse?

Maybe: Davis fumbled on the opening drive of the 2nd half, and the Packers converted that into a game-tying field goal. But the Packers stalled, and Elway went to work. His drive included a 36-yard pass to Ed McCaffrey. On 3rd & 6 from the Packer 12, Elway ran for 8 yards, and was hit by the Packers' LeRoy Butler and Mike Prior, spinning him in midair. The play became known as "The Helicopter," and it showed that Elway, previously thought of as a privileged pretty boy who couldn't get the big joe done, had some toughness. Two plays later, Davis scored on another 1-yard run. It was 24-17 Denver.

Early in the 4th quarter, Favre threw another touchdown pass to Freeman, tying the game. It was still tied with 3:27 left in regulation, when the Broncos forced the Packers to punt and got the ball back at the Packer 49. On the next play, Darius Holland made what might be the biggest mistake in Packer history, a facemask penalty on Davis that cost Green Bay 15 yards.

With 1:47 left, the Broncos were at 2nd & goal on the Packer 1. With 2 time-outs left, Packer coach Mike Holmgren told his players to let the Packers score, to give the offense enough time. Davis became the 1st player (and remains the only one) to rush for 3 touchdowns in a single Super Bowl. It was Broncos 31, Packers 24.

After each touchdown, Davis found the nearest teammate, and gave him a military-style salute. It became known as "The Mile High Salute."

There was 1:45 to go, with the Packers having 2 time-outs left. Freeman returned Elam's kickoff to the 30. Favre threw a screen pass to Dorsey Levens, who got to the Bronco 48 with 1:30 left. But the next play was also a screen pass to Levens. He caught it, but was stopped for no gain, and the Packers had to burn a time-out.

The Packers reached the Bronco 31, with 37 seconds to go. A field goal would do them no good. It was 3rd & 6. Favre threw to Brooks, who was covered by Randy Hilliard. Atwater also went for the ball, and his hit knocked out Brooks, Hilliard, and himself. NFL rules say that if players on both teams are injured and need medical attention on the field in the last 2 minutes of a game, both teams are charged with a time-out.

So it was 4th & 6 at the Bronco 31. There were 32 seconds left, and no time-outs. Favre looked for Chmura, but John Mobley broke it up, and the Broncos took over on down. Elway knelt on the ball for the last play of his greatest victory. After going 0-3 with Elway as quarterback, and 0-4 overall, the Denver Broncos were World Champions for the 1st time.

This broke a 13-year winning streak for the NFC. And a 37-year streak of failure for the Broncos to win the big one. It was John Elway's moment. But it wouldn't have happened without Terrell Davis, who, along with Atwater, tight end Shannon Sharpe, offensive tackle Gary Zimmerman, and team owner Pat Bowlen (but, thus far, not Shanahan), would join him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Nine months later, Qualcomm Stadium became the only stadium ever to host the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same calendar year, as the Yankees beat the San Diego Padres. With no more groundsharing between MLB and professional football teams, it will likely never happen again. In the pre-Super Bowl era, the only stadiums hosting the World Series and the NFL Championship Game in the same year were in New York: The Polo Grounds in 1936; and Yankee Stadium in 1956, 1958 and 1962.

The Broncos went 15-1 the next season, and beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. Elway then retired.

Colorado's 10 Greatest Athletes

This weekend, the Mets are playing the Colorado Rockies.

Colorado's 10 Greatest Athletes

Honorable Mention to Denver Broncos in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who did not otherwise make the Top 10: Willie Brown, Floyd Little and Gary Zimmerman.

Honorable Mention to Denver Nuggets in the Basketball Hall of Fame, who did not otherwise make the Top 10: Dan Issel, Alex English and Dikembe Mutombo.

Honorable Mention to Colorado Avalanche players in the Hockey Hall of Fame, who did not otherwise make the Top 10: Ray Bourque (no matter what he achieved, a year and a half is not enough to qualify) and Rob Blake.

Honorable Mention to the members of the Colorado Rapids Gallery of Honor: Marcelo Balboa, Paul Bravo, Chris Henderson, John Spencer, Pablo Mastroeni and Conor Casey.

10. David Thompson, forward, Denver Nuggets, 1975-82. Before there was Luke of Star Wars, Thompson was such an aerial basketball artist that he was called the Skywalker. He led the North Carolina State team that won the 1974 National Championship, and was National Player of the Year in 1975.

He then went to the Nuggets, leading them to the Finals in the ABA's last season, enough to get him named the league's last Rookie of the Year and to the ABA All-Time Team. They went into the NBA, where he was named a 4-time All-Star. On the last day of the 1978 regular season, he scored 73 points, at the time a record for any player other than Chamberlain.

Injuries and drugs would cut his career short. After getting clean, he got involved in youth programs. He became such a role model that no less than Michael Jordan asked him to give his induction speech at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Thompson was inducted himself in 1996. His Number 44 is the only one retired by N.C. State. Dan Issel was already wearing 44 on the Nuggets, so Thompson wore 33, and the Nuggets retired that number for him.

9. Larry Walker, right field, Colorado Rockies, 1995-2004. He also played for the Montreal Expos and the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite a .313 lifetime batting average, a 140 OPS+, 383 home runs (a lot hit in the thin air of Denver, though), 5 All-Star Games (4 with the Rockies), 7 Gold Gloves (5 with the Rockies), 3 batting titles (all with the Rockies), and the 1997 National League home run crown and Most Valuable Player award, he is not yet in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and he might never make it, except maybe through the Veterans Committee.

8. Peter Forsberg, center, Colorado Avalanche, 1995-2004, with returns in 2008 and 2011. In spite of injuries, including one that forced him to miss the 2001 Stanley Cup run, he made 3 All-Star Teams, won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 1995 (while the Avs were still the Quebec Nordiques), the Hart Memorial Trophy as Most Valuable Player and the Art Ross Trophy as leading scorer in 2003, and helped the Avs win the 1996 Stanley Cup.

The Avs retired his Number 21, and he was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was named to the NHL's 100th Anniversary 100 Greatest Players. He also led Sweden to Olympic Gold Medals in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway; and in 2006 in Turin, Italy.

7. Todd Helton, 1st base, Colorado Rockies, 1997-2013. The 1st player to have his number retired by the Rockies (17), he had a .316 lifetime batting average and a 133 OPS+, and collected 2,519 hits, including 369 home runs. He made 5 All-Star Games, won 3 Gold Gloves, and led the NL in batting average and RBIs in 2000. He led the Rockies to their only Pennant so far, in 2007. He becomes eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame next year.

6. Shannon Sharpe, tight end, Denver Broncos, 1990-99, with a return in 2002-03. Anyone who saw him on CBS' The NFL Today or with Skip Bayless on Fox Sports 1's Skip and Shannon: Undisputed won't be surprised to know that, even as a player, he was renowned for having a big mouth, trash-talking his way through a 14-season career that also included a Super Bowl win with the Baltimore Ravens. (Broncos and Ravens? Apparently, purple is Shannon's favorite color.)

He caught 815 passes for 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns. He made 8 Pro Bowl teams, 7 with the Broncos. He hauled in enough passes from John Elway to help the Broncos win Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII -- and, with the Ravens having won Super Bowl XXXV, he's the only man not either a Dallas Cowboy or a New England Patriot to win 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons.

He was named to the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team, the Broncos' Ring of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His brother Sterling Sharpe, despite playing only 7 seasons, all with the Green Bay Packers right before they won another Super Bowl, made 5 Pro Bowls, and caught 595 passes for 8,134 yards and 65 touchdowns.

5. Terrell Davis, running back, Denver Broncos, 1995-2001. Injuries limited him to just 7 seasons in the NFL, all with the Broncos. But he rushed for 7,607 yards, including 60 touchdowns. He made 3 Pro Bowls, and was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXII and the NFL's regular season, both in calendar year 1998. He was the difference between John Elway being a Super Bowl winner and not; the difference between the Broncos having won a Super Bowl prior to February 2016, and not.

In spite of the relative brevity of his career, he was named to the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team, the Broncos' Ring of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

4. Peyton Manning, quarterback, Denver Broncos, 2012-15. He was only a Bronco for 4 seasons, and we'll remember him more as an Indianapolis Colt. But he made 3 Pro Bowls as Bronco signal-caller, and in 2013 was named NFL MVP and the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

No quarterback has won more games, or thrown for more yards in a season or in a career, or has thrown more touchdown passes in a season or in a career. (Those records can be broken, but, for the moment, he holds them.) He went to 4 Super Bowls, and is 1 of only 2 quarterbacks to lead 2 different teams to an NFL Championship: The 2006 Indianapolis Colts (and he was named the Super Bowl XLI MVP) and the 2015 Denver Broncos. (The other is Norm Van Brocklin of the 1951 Los Angeles Rams and the 1960 Philadelphia Eagles.)

He was only in his 2nd season when The Sporting News named their 100 Greatest Football Players in 1999, but was named to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team. Barring an epic calamity, he will be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021. He was ranked 8th on the NFL Network's 100 Greatest Players in 2010.

3. Patrick Roy, goaltender, Colorado Avalanche, 1995-2003. His career is draped in irony. A native of Quebec City, he grew up rooting for the Quebec Nordiques, yet starred for their arch-rivals, the Montreal Canadiens. Controversy cast him out of Montreal, leading to his being traded to the team the Nordiques had just become, the Avalanche, where he kept going for 8 seasons. Had he spent his entire career in Denver, he might be Number 1 on this list.

Any list of the greatest goalies in hockey history has got to include Roy near, and maybe at, the top. He broke Terry Sawhcuk's record of 447 career wins, before being surpassed himself by Martin Brodeur. He was the 1st NHL goalie to play in 1,000 regular season games, and has since been surpassed only by Brodeur. No goalie has more Playoff appearances, and none has more Playoff wins.

He won 4 Stanley Cups, 2 with Montreal (1986 and 1993) and 2 with Colorado (1996 and 2001), and is the only man with 3 Conn Smythe Trophies as Playoff MVP (including 2001 with the Avs, outplaying Brodeur and beating the Devils).

He made 11 All-Star Games (5 with the Avs), and won 3 Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goalie (all with the Habs). In 1998, while still playing, The Hockey News ranked him 22nd on their list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. Naturally, he was included in the NHL's 100th Anniversary 100 Greatest Players in 2017. That same year, THN ranked him 5th among all players in the post-1967 Expansion Era, ahead of all goalies. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and both the Canadiens and the Avalanche have retired Number 33 for him.

2. Joe Sakic, center, Colorado Avalanche, 1995-2009, plus 1988-95 before that with the franchise as the Quebec Nordiques. The Avalanche played 14 years -- well, 13 seasons, since 2004-05 was canceled -- before they played a single game without Sakic as Captain.

He made 13 All-Star Games (8 with Colorado), and scored 626 goals (392 in Colorado). He led the Avs to the 1996 Stanley Cup, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP. In 2001, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy as regular season MVP, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as "most gentlemanly player," and another Cup.

The Avs retired his Number 19, and he was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame and, in 2017, to the NHL's 100th Anniversary 100 Greatest Players. He also won an Olympic Gold Medal with Canada in 2002, switching to Number 91 and refusing the captaincy in deference to Steve Yzerman.

1. John Elway, quarterback, Denver Broncos, 1983-98. Along with Alex Rodriguez and LeBron James, no athlete better illustrates the difference in perception between being a great athlete who's never won the big one and becoming one who has.

From 1983 to 1996, he helped the Denver Broncos reach the Playoffs 8 times, win 6 AFC Western Division titles, and win the AFC Championship for the 1986, 1987 and 1989 seasons. Along the way, he won more regular-season NFL games than any quarterback before him, was named NFL MVP in 1987, and NFL Man of the Year in 1992.

But the defeats were glaring. They lost Super Bowls XXI, XXII and XXIV -- in each case, to a great team. Any one of those defeats, by itself, would have been understandable, if the Broncos had simply won 1 of the other 2.

But the defeats got progressively worse. They blew a 10-9 halftime lead over the Giants, and lost 39-20. They blew a 10-0 2nd quarter lead over the Washington Redskins, and lost 42-10. And they got slaughtered by the San Francisco 49ers 55-10. That is still the 2nd-largest margin in the history of NFL Championship Games (2nd only to the Chicago Bears' 73-0 win over the Redskins in 1940), and the largest since they began calling it the Super Bowl. They lost the 1991 AFC Championship Game to the Buffalo Bills. And in 1996, they lost a Playoff game at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a 2nd-year expansion team.

Maybe it was the uniforms: Under the old ones, with the blue helmets with the orange D's, the Broncos were 0-4 in Super Bowls; with the new ones, purple with the horse's head, they're 3-1. With Davis behind him, Elway led the Broncos to back-to-back titles, winning Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, and closing his career in 1999 as a Super Bowl MVP and a 9-time Pro Bowler.

Stanford University and the Broncos both retired his Number 7. He was named to the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team, the Broncos Ring of Fame, The Sporting News' 1999 list of the 100 Greatest Football Players (16th), and the NFL Network's 2010 list of the 100 Greatest Players (23rd).

He is now the Broncos' general manager, building the team that lost Super Bowl XLVIII and won Super Bowl 50. He is the only man ever to win the Super Bowl as both a player and a general manager.

Living Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as of February 4, 2017

All 8 of the new electees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame are still alive: Kenny Easley, Morten Andersen, Terrell Davis, Tony Boselli, Jason Taylor, Kurt Warner, LaDainian Tomlinson and Jerry Jones.

Here are the living HOFers, by team. Inductees are listed here with a team if they played, or coached, or were an executive, with them for at least 4 seasons. I have divided moved teams accordingly.
Tenure as a player, or a coach, or an executive is only counted if they were elected as such. 

Ties in the rankings are broken by more players, as opposed to other categories; and then by time in the league. So a team with 4 players is ahead of one with 3 players and 1 coach, and a team with 3 players in 50 years is ahead of one with 3 players in 80 years.

Figures are listed here as follows: Players in chronological order of their Hall of Fame service with the team (even if they had other functions with that team), then coaches, then executives, then broadcasters.

1. Oakland Raiders, 15: Jim Otto, Fred Biletnikoff, Willie Brown, Art Shell, Dave Casper, Ray Guy, Ted Hendricks, Mike Haynes, Howie Long, Marcus Allen, Jerry Rice, Warren Sapp, Tim Brown, John Madden (coach), Ron Wolf (scout).

2. Dallas Cowboys, 15: Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, Rayfield Wright, Mike Ditka, Roger Staubach, Randy White, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, Bill Parcells (coach), Jerry Jones (owner).

3. Washington Redskins, 13: Bobby Mitchell, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor, Sam Huff, Paul Krause, Chris Hanburger, Ken Houston, John Riggins, Art Monk, Russ Grimm, Darrell Green, Bruce Smith (last 4 years of his career as a Redskin), Joe Gibbs (coach).

4. Minnesota Vikings, 12: Fran Tarkenton, Carl Eller, Alan Page, Paul Krause, Ron Yary, Mick Tinglehoff, Chris Doleman, Gary Zimmerman, Randall McDaniel, Cris Carter, John Randle, Bud Grant (coach).

5. Pittsburgh Steelers, 12: Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mel Blount, Rod Woodson, Dermontti Dawson, Jerome Bettis, Dan Rooney (owner).

6. Green Bay Packers, 12: Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Willie Davis, Willie Wood, Herb Adderley, Dave Robinson, James Lofton, Jan Stenerud, Brett Favre, Ron Wolf (executive).

7. San Francisco 49ers, 11: Y.A. Tittle, Hugh McElhenny, Dave Wilcox, Jimmy Johnson, Joe Montana, Fred Dean, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Charles Haley, Eddie DeBartolo (owner).

8. Miami Dolphins, 10: Larry Csonka, Nick Buoniconti, Bob Griese, Jim Langer, Larry Little, Paul Warfield, Dan Marino, Dwight Stephenson, Jason Taylor and Don Shula (coach).

9. Kansas City Chiefs, 10: Bobby Bell, Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Emmitt Thomas, Curley Culp, Jan Stenerud, Marcus Allen, Willie Roaf, Will Shields, Mary Levy (coach).

10. Buffalo Bills, 10: Billy Shaw, O.J. Simpson, Joe DeLamiellure, James Lofton, Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Marv Levy (coach), Bill Polian (executive).

Houston Oilers, 9: Curley Culp, Elvin Bethea, Earl Campbell, Dave Casper, Ken Houston, Charlie Joiner, Warren Moon, Mike Munchak, Bruce Matthews.

11. Chicago Bears, 7: Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Alan Page, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary.

San Diego Chargers, 7: Ron Mix, Lance Alworth, Fred Dean, Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, Kellen Winslow, La Dainian Tomlinson.

12. New York Giants, 7: Sam Huff, Y.A. Tittle, Fran Tarkenton, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, Michael Strahan, Bill Parcells (coach).

13. New England Patriots, 7: Nick Buoniconti, John Hannah, Mike Haynes, Andre Tippett, Curtis Martin, Bill Parcells (coach) and Don Criqui (broadcaster).

14. Denver Broncos, 6: Willie Brown, Floyd Little, John Elway, Shannon Sharpe, Gary Zimmerman, Terrell Davis.

15. Cleveland Browns, 6: Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly, Paul Warfield, Joe DeLamiellure and Ozzie Newsome.

16. Los Angeles Rams, 6: Tom Mack, Jackie Slater, Jack Youngblood, Eric Dickerson, Kevin Greene, Dick Enberg (broadcaster).

17. New York Jets, 6: Don Maynard, Joe Namath, John Riggins, Curtis Martin, Bill Parcells (coach-executive), Ron Wolf (executive).

Baltimore Colts, 5: Raymond Berry, Gino Marchetti, Lenny Moore, Ted Hendricks, Don Shula (coach).

18. Indianapolis Colts, 5: Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Marvin Harrison, Tony Dungy (coach), Bill Polian (executive).

19. Seattle Seahawks, 4: Steve Largent, Kenny Easley, Cortez Kennedy, Walter Jones.

20. Detroit Lions, 4: Joe Schmidt, Lem Barney, Dick LeBeau, Barry Sanders.

St. Louis Rams, 4: Orlando Pace, Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Aeneas Williams. 

St. Louis Cardinals, 4: Larry Wilson, Dan Dierdorf, Jackie Smith, Roger Wehrli.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4: Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Tony Dungy (coach), Ron Wolf (executive).

22. Cincinnati Bengals, 3: Charlie Joiner, Anthony Munoz.

23. New Orleans Saints, 3: Rickey Jackson, Morten Andersen, Willie Roaf.

24. Atlanta Falcons, 3: Deion Sanders, Claude Humphrey, Morten Andersen.

25. Philadelphia Eagles, 3: Sonny Jurgensen, Tommy McDonald, Bob Brown.

26. Baltimore Ravens, 3: Rod Woodson, Jonathan Ogden, Ozzie Newsome (executive).

27. Arizona Cardinals, 2: Aeneas Williams, Kurt Warner.

28. Tennessee Titans, 1: Bruce Matthews.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1: Tony Boselli.

30. Carolina Panthers, 1: Bill Polian (executive). 

Chicago Cardinals, 1: Charley Trippi.

31. Houston Texans, none. 

32. Los Angeles Chargers, none.

Pro Football Hall-of-Famers By Team, 2017 Edition

Congratulations to the newly-elected members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, whose new members are annually announced on the day before the Super Bowl:

* Kenny Easley, safety, Seattle Seahawks 1981-87.

* Morten Andersen, kicker, New Orleans Saints 1982-94, Atlanta Falcons 1995-2000 and 2006-07, New York Giants 2001, Kansas City Chiefs 2002-03 and Minnesota Vikings 2004.

* Terrell Davis, running back, Denver Broncos 1995-2001.

* Tony Boselli, offensive tackle, Jacksonville Jaguars 1995-2001 and Houston Texans 2002.

* Jason Taylor, defensive end, Miami Dolphins 1997-2007, 2009 and 2011; Washington Redskins 2008, New York Jets 2010.

* Kurt Warner, quarterback, St. Louis Rams 1998-2003, New York Giants 2004, and Arizona Cardinals 2005-09.

* LaDainian Tomlinson, running back, San Diego Chargers 2001-09 and New York Jets 2010-11.

* And Jerry Jones, owner, Dallas Cowboys, 1989-present.

All are still alive.

The finalists who did not make it this time were the great but mercurial receiver Terrell Owens; 2000s Philadelphia Eagles safety Brian Dawkins; New England Patriots dynasty cornerback Ty Law; former Rams "Greatest Show On Turf" receiver Isaac Bruce; John Lynch, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos cornerback who was just named general manager of the San Francisco 49ers; 1990s Bronco star Steve Atwater; offensive line greats Joe Jacoby of the 1980s Washington Redskins, Kevin Mawae of the 2000s Jets, and Alan Faneca of the 2000s Pittsburgh Steelers; 1989-2006 NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue; and Don Coryell, who got the Cardinals as close as they ever got to the Super Bowl in St. Louis, and the Chargers as close as they ever got to the Super Bowl until the 1994 season. Of these, all but Coryell are still alive.

*

Inductees are listed here with a team if they played, or coached, or were an executive, with them for at least 4 seasons.

I have divided moved teams accordingly (i.e., Johnny Unitas never took a snap for the Indianapolis Colts). "Sure future Hall-of-Famers" are not included, because, as we have seen in baseball, there is no such thing anymore. 

Tenure as a player, or a coach, or an executive is only counted if they were elected as such. In other words, Raymond Berry coached the Patriots into a Super Bowl, and Forrest Gregg did so with the Bengals, but they were elected as a Colts player and a Packers player, respectively, so those are the teams with which they're included.

Ties in the rankings are broken by more players, as opposed to other categories; and then by time in the league. So a team with 4 players is ahead of one with 3 players and 1 coach, and a team with 3 players in 50 years is ahead of one with 3 players in 80 years.

Figures are listed here as follows: Players in chronological order of their Hall of Fame service with the team (even if they had other functions with that team), then coaches, then executives, then broadcasters.

1. Chicago Bears, 28: George Halas (founder, owner, general manager, head coach, player), John "Paddy" Driscoll, George Trafton, Ed Healey, William "Link" Lyman, Red Grange, Bill Hewitt, Bronko Nagurski, George Musso, Dan Fortmann, Joe Stydahar, Sid Luckman, George McAfee, Clyde "Bulldog" Turner, George Connor, George Blanda, Bill George, Doug Atkins, Stan Jones, Mike Ditka (player & coach), Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Alan Page, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary, Jim Finks (executive).

Willie Galimore and Gary Fencik should be in. Brian Urlacher will be eligible next year. Thomas Jones is now eligible, and while he didn't spend 4 seasons with any team, his 3 years with the Bears were his most productive period, so I'd list him with them if he got in, and with over 10,000 career rushing yards, he should be in.

2. Green Bay Packers, 26: Earl "Curly" Lambeau (founder, owner, executive, head coach, player), Cal Hubbard, John "Johnny Blood" McNally, Mike Michalske, Arnie Herber, Clarke Hinkle, Don Hutson, Tony Canadeo, Jim Ringo, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke, Henry Jordan, Willie Davis, Willie Wood, Herb Adderley, Dave Robinson, James Lofton, Jan Stenerud, Reggie White, Brett Favre, Vince Lombardi (coach & executive), Ron Wolf (executive), Ray Scott (broadcaster, later the main voice on CBS' NFL telecasts).

There are 11 figures from the Lombardi Era, including Lombardi himself, who are enshrined in Canton -- not counting Emlen Tunnell, who played the last 3 seasons of his career with the Packers and retired after the 1st title of the Lombardi Era, 1961. For whatever reason, Jerry Kramer is not in, and he's not getting any younger. Mike Holmgren will be eligible next year.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 24: Walt Kiesling (also coach), John "Johnny Blood" McNally, Bill Dudley, Ernie Stautner, Jack Butler, John Henry Johnson, Bobby Layne, Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Mike Webster, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mel Blount, Rod Woodson, Dermontti Dawson, Jerome Bettis, Art Rooney (founder-owner), Dan Rooney (owner), Bert Bell (coach, later NFL Commissioner), Chuck Noll (coach), Myron Cope (broadcaster). 

While the Steelers were rarely competitive for their 1st 40 seasons, they did have a few players who were Hall-worthy, but note that 15 of the 24 were involved with the club during their 1972-79 dynasty. Hines Ward is now eligible, and while that touchdown he scored on a kickoff return for the Gotham Rogues as the field collapsed behind him in The Dark Knight Rises does nothing to help his candidacy, if he does get in, you know that highlight will be played over and over again.

4. New York Giants, 21: Steve Owen (elected as a coach, also a pretty good player for Giants), Ray Flaherty, Benny Friedman, Red Badgro, Mel Hein, Ken Strong, Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans, Emlen Tunnell, Arnie Weinmeister, Frank Gifford, Roosevelt Brown, Sam Huff, Andy Robustelli, Y.A. Tittle, Fran Tarkenton, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, Michael Strahan, Tim Mara (founder & owner), Wellington Mara (owner), Bill Parcells (coach).

Gifford has also been elected as a broadcaster. So has Pat Summerall, but as a CBS & Fox broadcaster, not as a Giants player or broadcaster, so he can't be included here. Tom Landry was the first great defensive back to be only a defensive back, after the early 1950s shift to two-platoon football, and was the defensive coordinator on the Giants' 1956-63 contenders, but was elected to the Hall based on his coaching for the Cowboys, and thus can't be counted here. 

George Young, the architect of the Giants' 1986 & '90 NFL Champions, has not yet been elected. Nor has Phil Simms, and you can also make a case for Mark Bavaro (tight ends are in short supply in the Hall), George Martin and Leonard Marshall. I wonder if anyone will be willing to vote for Tiki Barber, who is now eligible.

5. Washington Redskins, 20: Cliff Battles, Turk Edwards (also coach), Wayne Millner, Sammy Baugh, Bobby Mitchell, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor, Sam Huff, Paul Krause, Chris Hanburger, Ken Houston, John Riggins, Art Monk, Russ Grimm, Darrell Green, Bruce Smith (last 4 years of his career as a Redskin), George Preston Marshall (founder & owner), Ray Flaherty (elected as a Giants player but coached 'Skins to 2 NFL titles so I'm counting him as one of theirs), George Allen (coach), Joe Gibbs (coach).

Jurgensen and Huff have also been broadcasters for the team. Grimm is the only one of the "Hogs" yet elected, but Jeff Bostic and Joe Jacoby should also be elected. A case can be made for an earlier Redskin lineman, Len Hauss.

None of the men who have thus far quarterbacked the Redskins into a Super Bowl is in: Not Billy Kilmer, not Joe Theismann, not Doug Williams, not Mark Rypien -- and good cases can be made for all but Rypien, who just didn't play long enough. If Jan Stenerud got elected as a kicker (who didn't also play another position, as did Lou Groza and George Blanda), then why not Mark Moseley?

6. Oakland Raiders, 19: Jim Otto, Fred Biletnikoff, George Blanda, Ken Stabler, Gene Upshaw, Willie Brown, Art Shell, Dave Casper, Ray Guy, Ted Hendricks, Mike Haynes, Howie Long, Marcus Allen, Jerry Rice, Warren Sapp, Tim Brown, John Madden (coach), Al Davis (owner-coach), Ron Wolf (scout).

Note that I'm making an exception to my one-city-only rule for the Raiders, treating them as a continuous Oakland franchise, since they did return, even though their Los Angeles edition became a cultural icon (and not for good reasons). Counted separately, the Oakland Raiders have 13, and the Los Angeles Raiders have 3 (Haynes, Long, Allen).

Madden has also been elected as a broadcaster. Rice and Sapp were both there for 4 seasons, so they count. Now that Guy is in, who's the most obvious Raider not in? I'd say Jack Tatum, if anybody's got the guts to elect a great cornerback who needlessly paralyzed a man in a preseason game. Also worthy of consideration are Ben Davidson and Lester Hayes.

7. Dallas Cowboys, 18: Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, Bob Hayes, Rayfield Wright, Mike Ditka, Roger Staubach, Randy White, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, Tom Landry (coach), Bill Parcells (coach), Tex Schramm (executive), Jerry Jones (owner).

Parcells did coach them for 4 seasons, so that counts. Ditka is so identified with the Bears (with whom he practically invented the position of tight end and won a title in 1963) that people forget he was a Cowboy, and won a Super Bowl each as a player and as one of Landry's assistant coaches -- as did Dan Reeves, although if he ever got elected it would be as a head coach, and therefore not as a Cowboy.

Don Meredith was elected as a broadcaster, but was never a broadcaster specifically for the Cowboys. A case can be made that he deserves election as a player. Drew Pearson, Cliff Harris, Charlie Waters and Herschel Walker also have their advocates.

8. Cleveland Browns, 16: Otto Graham, Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, Bill Willis, Frank Gatski, Len Ford, Mike McCormack, Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, Gene Hickerson, Leroy Kelly, Paul Warfield, Joe DeLamiellure and Ozzie Newsome, Paul Brown (coach-executive).

It says something about this franchise that there have been no players who have played so much as a down for them since 1990 that can be called a Browns' HOFer -- and only DeLamielleure and Newsome have played for them since 1977. Tom Cousineau hasn't made it, and neither has Clay Matthews Jr. (father of the current star Packer linebacker and brother of Oliers/Titans HOFer Bruce Matthews -- Clay Sr. played for the 49ers in the 1950s, but wasn't HOF quality).

And yet, look at just what they produced in the 1940s and '50s. And that doesn't include players they let get away, like Doug Atkins, Henry Jordan, Willie Davis, Len Dawson, and (while they did both play long enough for the Browns to be counted with them) Mitchell and Warfield.

Maybe that's the real reason Art Modell isn't in the Hall: It's not that he moved the original Browns, and screwed the people of Northern Ohio, it's that he was a bad owner. (Though, to be fair, his firing of Paul Brown and installation of Blanton Collier in 1962 did bring the 1964 NFL Championship, Cleveland's last title in any sport until last year's Cavaliers.)

9. San Francisco 49ers, 16: Bob St. Clair, Y.A. Tittle, Joe "the Jet" Perry, Leo Nomellini, Hugh McElhenny, John Henry Johnson, Dave Wilcox, Jimmy Johnson, Joe Montana, Fred Dean, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Charles Haley, Bill Walsh (coach), Eddie DeBartolo (owner).

Tittle, Perry, McElhenny and John Henry Johnson are the only entire backfield that all played together to all be elected to the Hall; although they were only all together for 1 season, 1954, and the Niners didn't make the Playoffs that season, they were known as the $100,000 Backfield. The Jimmy Johnson listed above was a black cornerback in the 1960s and '70s, and should not be confused with the white coach for the Cowboys -- although this Jimmy Johnson, unlike the coach, was actually born in Dallas.

Rickey Jackson only played 2 seasons for the Niners, but he did win his only ring with them. Deion Sanders played only 1 season for them, but got the same Super Bowl XXIX ring that Jackson did. So, due to insufficient longevity, I can't cont either of them as 49ers HOFers.

From their 1980s champions, Dwight Clark, Roger Craig, Randy Cross, Guy McIntyre, Harris Barton and Ken Norton Jr. have not been elected, but all are worth consideration, and Craig absolutely should be in. Terrell Owens is now eligible, and it will be interesting to see how long it takes him to get in; judged solely on performance, not personality, he definitely should be in.

10. Kansas City Chiefs, 15: Bobby Bell, Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Emmitt Thomas, Curley Culp, Jan Stenerud, Derrick Thomas, Marcus Allen, Willie Roaf, Will Shields, Hank Stram (coach), Mary Levy (coach), Lamar Hunt (founder-owner), Charlie Jones (broadcaster, did Dallas Texans/K.C. Chiefs games before becoming the main voice for NBC's AFL and then AFC broadcasts).

Dawson has also been elected as a broadcaster. Tony Gonzalez, who would also qualify as a Falcon,
will be eligible in 2020.

11. Los Angeles Rams, 15: Bob Waterfield, Tom Fears, Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, Norm Van Brocklin, Les Richter, Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Tom Mack, Jackie Slater, Jack Youngblood, Eric Dickerson, Kevin Greene, George Allen (coach), Dan Reeves (owner, not to be confused with the Denver/Atlanta coach), Dick Enberg (broadcaster).

Joe Stydahar coached the Rams to their only NFL Championship in Los Angeles, 1951, but was elected as a player, not a coach, and so can't be counted as a Rams' Hall-of-Famer. Counting their St. Louis years, the Rams franchise has 16. Now that Greene is in, Henry Ellard is the most deserving
former L.A. Ram not yet in the Hall, but he's a borderline case at best.

12. Detroit Lions, 14: Dutch Clark (also coach), Jack Christiansen, Bobby Layne, Doak Walker, Yale Lary, Alex Wojciechowicz, Lou Creekmur, Dick Stanfel, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Joe Schmidt (also coach), Lem Barney, Dick LeBeau, Charlie Sanders and Barry Sanders (no relation to each other).

Although he played for their 1935 NFL Champions and coached them to the 1952 and '53 titles, Buddy Parker is not in the Hall. Nor is Alex Karras, who died without having been elected; if Paul Hornung, a man whose morals were a lot looser than Karras', could be forgiven for his gambling charge that led to his suspension for the 1963 season and get elected, why not Karras, who was suspended at the same time for the same offense?

It says something about this franchise that there has been only 1 player (Barry Sanders) who has played so much as a down for them since 1977 that can be called a Lions' HOFer, although cases can be made for Herman Moore, Lomas Brown and Chris Spielman.

13. Minnesota Vikings, 13: Fran Tarkenton, Carl Eller, Alan Page, Paul Krause, Ron Yary, Mick Tinglehoff, Chris Doleman, Gary Zimmerman, Randall McDaniel, Cris Carter, John Randle, Bud Grant (coach), Jim Finks (executive). Warren Moon was only there for 3 seasons. Randy Moss, if anybody has the guts to put aside personality and vote for him, will be eligible next year.

14. Philadelphia Eagles, 12: Steve Van Buren, Alex Wojciechowicz, Pete Pihos, Chuck Bednarik, Sonny Jurgensen, Tommy McDonald, Norm Van Brocklin, Bob Brown, Jim Ringo, Reggie White, Greasy Neale (coach), Bert Bell (founder-owner-coach, later NFL Commissioner).

Van Brocklin only played 3 seasons for the Eagles, but he was the quarterback on their last NFL Championship team, 1960, and then he retired, despite being only 34 years old, so I'm bending the rule to count him. On the other hand, Claude Humphrey played 3 seasons for them, 1 being their 1st trip to the Super Bowl, but unlike Van Brocklin is not an Eagles icon, so I can only include him with the Falcons.

It says something about this franchise that there has been only one player (Reggie White) who has played so much as a down for them since 1968 that can be called an Eagles' HOFer -- although Art Monk, James Lofton and Richard Dent briefly played for the team, and cases could be made for Stan Walters, Jerry Sisemore, Bill Bergey, Randall Cunningham, Clyde Simmons, Seth Joyner, Donovan McNabb and Brian Dawkins. Ron Jaworski, however, only stands to be elected as a media personality, not a player.

Terrell Owens is now eligible, but would go in only as a 49er anyway. Irv Cross was elected as a media personality, but, while he made 2 Pro Bowls as an Eagle cornerback, he is not in the Hall as a player.

15. Buffalo Bills, 12: Billy Shaw, O.J. Simpson (had to list him), Joe DeLamiellure, James Lofton, Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Marv Levy (coach), Ralph Wilson (owner), Bill Polian (executive) and Van Miller (broadcaster).

Shaw played his entire career in the AFL, making him the only man in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who never played a down in the NFL. (Remember, it's not the National Football League Hall of Fame, it's the Pro Football Hall of Fame.) So much fuss was made over the special-teams skills of Steve Tasker that I'm surprised that he's not in.

Houston Oilers, 10: George Blanda, Curley Culp, Elvin Bethea, Earl Campbell, Dave Casper, Ken Houston, Charlie Joiner, Warren Moon, Mike Munchak, Bruce Matthews. Since Matthews counts as both an Oiler and a Titan, if we combine the Houston years and the Tennessee years, their total of 10 does not rise.

Baltimore Colts, 10: Art Donovan, Raymond Berry, Gino Marchetti, Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, Jim Parker, John Mackey, Ted Hendricks, Weeb Ewbank (coach), Don Shula (coach). Counting their Indianapolis years, the Colts have 14.

16. Miami Dolphins, 10: Larry Csonka, Nick Buoniconti, Bob Griese, Jim Langer, Larry Little, Paul Warfield, Dan Marino, Dwight Stephenson, Jason Taylor and Don Shula (coach).

In spite of everything that happened in his career, Ricky Williams rushed for over 10,000 yards. He is now eligible, but I doubt he'll ever get in. If he does, he would qualify only as a Dolphin, not as a Saint.

Chicago Cardinals, 9: Jimmy Conzelman, Paddy Driscoll, Guy Chamberlin, Ernie Nevers, Walt Kiesling, Charley Trippi, Ollie Matson, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Charles Bidwill (owner). Conzelman, Driscoll and Kiesling were also head coaches for the Cards. Counting all their cities, despite having been around for nearly a century, the Cards have only 14 Hall-of-Famers.

San Diego Chargers, 9: Ron Mix, Lance Alworth, Fred Dean, Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, Ron Kellen Winslow, Junior Seau, LaDainian Tomlinson, Sid Gillman (coach).

17. New England Patriots, 8: Nick Buoniconti, John Hannah, Mike Haynes, Andre Tippett, Curtis Martin, Junior Seau, Bill Parcells (coach) and Don Criqui (broadcaster). This counts players from their AFL days, when they were officially named the Boston Patriots.

Cases could also be made for Jim Nance, Jim Hunt, Steve Nelson, Julius Adams, Irving Fryar, Drew Bledsoe and Tedy Bruschi, all eligible. Seau becomes the 1st player of the Bill Belichick Super Bowl teams to get in.

18. New York Jets, 7: Don Maynard, Joe Namath, John Riggins, Curtis Martin, Weeb Ewbank (coach), Bill Parcells (coach-executive), Ron Wolf (executive).

Although the Big Tuna only coached the Jets for 3 seasons, he was an executive with them for 4 seasons, and thus meets my qualification for a Jet HOFer. Wesley Walker, Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons should be considered, although nobody seems to be willing to vote for Mark Gastineau. Vinny Testaverde is eligible, but not yet in. (He would also qualify as a Buccaneer.)

Canton Bulldogs, 6: Jim Thorpe, Guy Chamberlin, Joe Guyon, Pete Henry, William "Link" Lyman, Earl "Greasy" Neale.

19. Denver Broncos, 6: Willie Brown, Floyd Little, John Elway, Shannon Sharpe, Gary Zimmerman, Terrell Davis. Longtime owner Pat Bowlen and 3-time AFC Champion coach Dan Reeves have never been elected, but should be. So should Randy Gradishar, Steve Atwater and Mark Schlereth, although, because of how many feathers he ruffled, I don't think you'll ever see Bill Romanowski get in. Peyton Manning becomes eligible in 2021.

20. Indianapolis Colts, 5: Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Marvin Harrison, Tony Dungy (coach), Bill Polian (executive). Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James are now eligible. Peyton Manning becomes eligible in 2021.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 5: Lee Roy Selmon, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Tony Dungy (coach), Ron Wolf (executive). John Lynch is now eligible, and should be in, and would also qualify as a Bronco. Warrick Dunn is now eligible, and should be in, and would also qualify as a Falcon.

St. Louis Cardinals, 4: Larry Wilson, Dan Dierdorf, Jackie Smith, Roger Wehrli. Dierdorf has also been elected as a broadcaster, although not specifically with the Cardinals. Ottis Anderson should be elected as a Cardinal, although he achieved his greatest moment as a Giant.

22. Seattle Seahawks, 4: Steve Largent, Kenny Easley, Cortez Kennedy, Walter Jones. Rickey Watters is eligible, and while he only played 3 seasons each with the 49ers and Eagles, he played 4 with the Hawks, so if he goes in, he would qualify only for them.

23. New Orleans Saints, 4: Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf, Morten Andersen, Jim Finks (executive). Mike Ditka was Saints coach for 3 seasons and Tom Fears for 4, but neither was elected as a coach, so they can't be included here anyway. Same for Hank Stram, who was elected as a coach, but only coached the Saints for 2 seasons.

St. Louis Rams, 4: Orlando Pace, Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Aeneas Williams. Dick Vermeil, Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt are eligible. Note that the St. Louis edition of the Rams is now italicized as a former team. Unlike the Raiders, it doesn't really make sense to fold the St. Louis era in with Los Angeles.

24. Atlanta Falcons, 3: Deion Sanders, Claude Humphrey, Morten Andersen. Tony Gonzalez will probably be a first-ballot inductee in 2020. Michael Vick just retired, and I wonder if anyone will vote for him when he becomes eligible in 2022.

25. Baltimore Ravens, 3: Rod Woodson, Jonathan Ogden, Ozzie Newsome (executive). Newsome was elected as a Cleveland Browns player, but has been a masterful executive for the franchise since the move, so I'm bending the rules to include him as a Brown and a Raven. Ray Lewis becomes eligible next year. Jamal Lewis is eligible, but isn't yet in.

Duluth Eskimos, 3: Walt Kiesling, John "Johnny Blood" McNally, Ernie Nevers.

26. Cincinnati Bengals, 3: Charlie Joiner, Anthony Munoz, Paul Brown (founder-owner-coach). Reggie Williams and Corey Dillon should be in, but Boomer Esiason is a borderline case. Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson hasn't played in an NFL game since 2011, but has played the last 2 seasons with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, so I don't know what the ruling is on when his eligibility begins. Whenever it does, he's both a borderline Hall of Fame case and a borderline mental case.

27. Arizona Cardinals, 2: Aeneas Williams, Kurt Warner. Emmitt Smith wasn't with them long enough.

Frankford Yellow Jackets, 2: Guy Chamberlin, William "Link" Lyman. The 1926 NFL Champions should also have Russell "Bull" Behman and Henry "Two-Bits" Homan -- the former a big guy by the standards of the time, and the latter a little guy who was the NFL's answer to Wee Willie Keeler -- in the Hall.  But both died in the early 1950s, so neither was able to speak on his own behalf since the 1962 founding of NFL Films. Although the Eagles replaced the Jackets as Philadelphia's NFL team, the two teams are not the same franchise.

Providence Steam Roller, 2: Jimmy Conzelman (player & coach), Frederick "Fritz" Pollard.

Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL 1930-1948), 2: Clarence “Ace” Parker, Frank "Bruiser" Kinard.

28. Tennessee Titans, 1: Bruce Matthews. He only played 3 years as a "Tennessee Titan," but counting 2 years as a "Tennessee Oiler," he qualifies for the Titans. Eddie George is eligible, and should be in.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1: Tony Boselli. I had previously thought that the former Jag most likely to be their first HOFer would be Fred Taylor.

30. Carolina Panthers, 1: Bill Polian (executive). Mike McCormack was an executive with them, but that's as close any other Panthers figure comes. Reggie White, who played for them in 2000 and died in 2004, is their only former player thus far inducted. Perhaps the late Sam Mills might end up being their 1st elected HOF player, or maybe Steve Smith. Kevin Greene only played 3 seasons for them, so he doesn't count. Cam Newton, of course, is still active.

31. Houston Texans, none. Not surprising, as they are the newest franchise. It's not yet clear who their 1st HOFer would be, although the newly-retired Andre Johnson made 7 Pro Bowls, and the still-active J.J. Watt has made 4.

32. Los Angeles Chargers, none. Sorry, Alex and Dean Spanos, but you dropped yourselves to the bottom of this list when you screwed San Diego over.