Pro Football Hall-of-Famers By Team, 2021 Edition

Left to right: Charles Woodson, Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson

Congratulations to the newly-elected members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. New members are annually announced on the day before the Super Bowl, and that was done again yesterday. 

Here are the new electees, listed here in chronological order:

* Bill Nunn, front office, Pittsburgh Steelers 1970-2014, elected in the "Contributor" category.

* Drew Pearson, receiver, Dallas Cowboys 1973-83. He grew up in South River, Middlesex County, New Jersey, going 3-0 for South River High School against my alma mater, East Brunswick, from 1966 to 1968.

* Tom Flores, head coach, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders 1979-87, Seattle Seahawks 1992-94.

* John Lynch, safety, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1993-2003, Denver Broncos 2004-07. He is currently the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers.

* Alan Faneca, guard, Pittsburgh Steelers 1998-2007, New York Jets 2008-09, Arizona Cardinals 2010.

* Charles Woodson, cornerback, Oakland Raiders 1998-2005 and again 2013-15, Green Bay Packers 2006-12.

* Peyton Manning, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts 1998-2010, Denver Broncos 2012-15. (He missed the 2011 season due to injury. And...

* Calvin Johnson, receiver, Detroit Lions 2007-15.

Nunn died in 2014. The rest are still alive. It's interesting that there were no pre-1970 AFL-NFL merger inductees, with the oldest living inductee being Pearson, who just turned 70. (Were Nunn still alive, he would be 96.) Johnson is only 35, retiring at 30 due to injury concerns, but not before catching 731 passes for 11,619 yards (including 1,964 in 2012, a single-season record) and 83 touchdowns.

*

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, 31: 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, Ed Sprinkle, George Connor, George Blanda, Bill George, Doug Atkins, Stan Jones, Mike Ditka (player & coach), Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Alan Page, Jim Covert, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary, Brian Urlahcer, Jim Finks (executive).

They have 5 from their 1985-86 "Super Bowl Shuffle" team, as opposed to 4 from their 1963 NFL Champions, and 7 from their 1940s "Monsters of the Midway" team -- 8 if you count Nagurski's 1943 comeback.

Willie Galimore and Gary Fencik should be in. 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, 29: 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, Bobby Dillon, Jim Ringo, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer, Ray Nitschke, Henry Jordan, Willie Davis, Willie Wood, Herb Adderley, Dave Robinson, James Lofton, Jan Stenerud, Reggie White, Brett Favre, Charles Woodson, Vince Lombardi (coach & executive), Ron Wolf (executive), Ray Scott (broadcaster, later the main voice on CBS' NFL telecasts).

Nearly half of the Packer figures enshrined in Canton, 13, are from the Lombardi Era, including Lombardi himself. This doesn't count 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.

Now eligible from the Mike Holmgren era, and they would join White, Favre and Woodson, are Holmgren himself, LeRoy Butler, Adam Timmerman and Gilbert Brown. Eugene Robinson could be considered, but he was only a Packer for 2 seasons, although both ended in Super Bowls, but only 1 won.

Sean Jones played 3 seasons for the Packers, and would qualify as a Raider and an Oiler if he got in. Donald Driver is the only figure from the Mike McCarthy era yet eligible and worthy of consideration.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 29: 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, Donnie Shell, Rod Woodson, Dermontti Dawson, Jerome Bettis, Troy Polamalu, Alan Faneca, Art Rooney (founder-owner), Dan Rooney (owner), Bert Bell (coach, later NFL Commissioner), Chuck Noll (coach), Bill Cowher (coach), Bill Nunn (scout), 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 29, more than half, including 11 of the 22 players, were involved with the club during their 1972-79 "Steel Curtain" 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, 22: 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), George Young (executive).

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 1st 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 service as a head coach, and he only served as such for the Cowboys, and thus can't be counted here.

There are 6 from the 1956 NFL Champions, but only 3 from Parcells' Super Bowl-winning teams, 5 if you count Parcells himself and the newly-elected Young. Phil Simms has not yet been elected, 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 Football Team, 22: 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), Champ Bailey, George Preston Marshall (founder & owner), Ray Flaherty (elected as a Giants player, but coached Washington to 2 NFL titles, so I'm counting him as one of theirs), George Allen (coach), Joe Gibbs (coach), Bobby Beathard (executive).

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 Washington lineman, Len Hauss.

None of the men who have thus far quarterbacked the team formerly named the Washington 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. Dallas Cowboys, 21: Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, Bob Hayes, Rayfield Wright, Mike Ditka, Roger Staubach, Cliff Harris, Drew Pearson, Randy White, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, Tom Landry (coach), Jimmy Johnson (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 an NFL Championship 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. Charlie Waters and Herschel Walker also have their advocates.

Oakland Raiders, 21: 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, Charles Woodson, John Madden (coach), Tom Flores (coach), Al Davis (owner-coach), Ron Wolf (scout).

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.

Note that I'm making an exception to my one-city-only rule for the California-era 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 18, and the Los Angeles Raiders have 3 (Haynes, Long, Allen). 

7. Kansas City Chiefs, 18: Bobby Bell, Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Emmitt Thomas, Johnny Robinson, Curley Culp, Jan Stenerud, Derrick Thomas, Marcus Allen, Willie Roaf, Will Shields, Tony Gonzalez, Hank Stram (coach), Mary Levy (coach), Lamar Hunt (founder-owner), Bobby Beathard (executive), 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. 

8. Cleveland Browns, 17: Otto Graham, Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, Bill Willis, Mac Speedie, 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 the 2016 Cavaliers.)

9. San Francisco 49ers, 17: 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, Terrell Owens, 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, and they were known as the Million Dollar 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 count 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.

10. Detroit Lions, 16: 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), Alex Karras, Lem Barney, Dick LeBeau, Charlie Sanders, Barry Sanders (no relation to each other) and Calvin Johnson.

Although he played for their 1935 NFL Champions and coached them to the 1952 and '53 titles, Buddy Parker is not in the Hall. It took until this year, a little over 7 years after he died, for Karras to be 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? Even though he's in now, the question still hangs there.

It says something about this franchise that there has been only 2 players (Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson) who have 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.

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 he was elected as a player, not a coach, and so che an't be counted as a Rams' Hall-of-Famer. Counting their St. Louis years, the Rams franchise has 19. 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. Minnesota Vikings, 15: Fran Tarkenton, Carl Eller, Alan Page, Paul Krause, Ron Yary, Mick Tinglehoff, Chris Doleman, Gary Zimmerman, Randall McDaniel, Cris Carter, John Randle, Randy Moss, Steve Hutchinson, Bud Grant (coach), Jim Finks (executive). Warren Moon was only there for 3 seasons. 

13. Philadelphia Eagles, 14: Steve Van Buren, Alex Wojciechowicz, Pete Pihos, Chuck Bednarik, Sonny Jurgensen, Tommy McDonald, Norm Van Brocklin, Bob Brown, Jim Ringo, Harold Carmichael, Reggie White, Brian Dawkins, 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 before the Super Bowl era, 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. Former coach Dick Vermeil is not in, and should be.

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 and Donovan McNabb. Ron Jaworski, however, only stands to be elected as a media personality, not a player. That is how Irv Cross was elected: While he made 2 Pro Bowls as an Eagle cornerback, he is not in the Hall as a player.

14. Miami Dolphins, 12: Larry Csonka, Nick Buoniconti, Bob Griese, Jim Langer, Larry Little, Paul Warfield, Dan Marino, Dwight Stephenson, Jason Taylor, Don Shula (coach), Jimmy Johnson (coach), Bobby Beathard (executive).

Johnson didn't win as Dolphins' head coach, but he was there for 4 seasons, so he counts there. 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.

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, 11: George Blanda, Elvin Bethea, Curley Culp, Robert Brazile, 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 rises to 12.

16. Denver Broncos, 11: Willie Brown, Floyd Little, John Elway, Steve Atwater, Shannon Sharpe, Gary Zimmerman, Terrell Davis, Champ Bailey, John Lynch, Peyton Manning, Pat Bowlen (owner). 3-time AFC Champion coach Dan Reeves has not been elected, but should be. So should Randy Gradishar and Mark Schlereth, although, because of how many feathers he ruffled, I don't think you'll ever see Bill Romanowski get in. 

Chicago Cardinals, 10: Jimmy Conzelman, Paddy Driscoll, Guy Chamberlin, Duke Slater, 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.

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.

San Diego Chargers, 10: Ron Mix, Lance Alworth, Fred Dean, Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, Kellen Winslow, Junior Seau, LaDainian Tomlinson, Sid Gillman (coach), Bobby Beathard (executive).

17. New England Patriots, 10: Nick Buoniconti, John Hannah, Mike Haynes, Andre Tippett, Curtis Martin, Ty Law, Junior Seau, Randy Moss, 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.

18. New York Jets, 9: Don Maynard, Winston Hill, Joe Namath, John Riggins, Curtis Martin, Kevin Mawae, Weeb Ewbank (coach), Bill Parcells (coach-executive), Ron Wolf (executive).

Of the 9, 4 are from the Super Bowl III team. 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.) No, you can't count Alan Faneca, as he was only a Jet for 2 seasons.

19. Indianapolis Colts, 7: Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James, Tony Dungy (coach), Bill Polian (executive). Reggie Wayne is now eligible. 

20. Seattle Seahawks, 6: Steve Largent, Kenny Easley, Cortez Kennedy, Walter Jones, Kevin Mawae, Steve Hutchinson. 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. Tom Flores coached 3 seasons with the 'Hawks, so is not eligible here.

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

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 6: Lee Roy Selmon, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Tony Dungy (coach), Ron Wolf (executive). Warrick Dunn is now eligible, and should be in, and would also qualify as a Falcon.

St. Louis Rams, 5: Orlando Pace, Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Aeneas Williams. Dick Vermeil and Torry Holt are eligible. Note that the St. Louis edition of the Rams is now italicized as a former team. Unlike the Raiders with their Oakland and Los Angeles eras, it doesn't really make sense to fold the St. Louis era in with Los Angeles.

22. Baltimore Ravens, 5: Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, Ed Reed, 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. Jamal Lewis is eligible, but isn't yet in.

23. Atlanta Falcons, 5: Deion Sanders, Claude Humphrey, Morten Andersen, Tony Gonzalez, Bobby Beathard (executive). I wonder if anyone will vote for Michael Vick when he becomes eligible in 2022. Andre Rison, another controversial figure, is already eligible, and, while he played for 7 different teams (plus 1 in the CFL), on this list, he would qualify only for the Falcons.)

24. 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 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.

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

25. 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 played in the Canadian Football League as recently as 2015, 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.

26. Tennessee Titans, 2: Bruce Matthews, Kevin Mawae. Matthews 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.

27. Arizona Cardinals, 2: Aeneas Williams, Kurt Warner. Emmitt Smith wasn't with them long enough. Nor was Edgerrin James.

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. 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.

29. Las Vegas Raiders, none. Sorry, Mark Davis, but you dropped your team (nearly) to the bottom of this list when you screwed Oakland over, like your daddy did before you.

30. Los Angeles Chargers, none. Sorry, Dean Spanos, but you dropped your team (nearly) to the bottom of this list when you screwed San Diego over.

31. Houston Texans, none. Not surprising, as they are the newest franchise -- if not, as you saw above, "the newest team." It's not yet clear who their 1st HOFer would be, although the recently-retired Andre Johnson made 7 Pro Bowls, and the still-active J.J. Watt has made 5. No, you can't count Ed Reed, who played only 7 games as a Texan.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars, none: Not surprising, as they've only been around since 1995, and, while they've made 3 AFC Championship Games, they have yet to reach a Super Bowl. While Tony Boselli is in the College Football Hall of Fame, he has not yet been elected to the Pro Football Hall. He is still the likeliest to become their 1st HOFer. Fred Taylor is also a possibility.

Rock Island Independents, 1: Duke Slater.

How Long It's Been: The Raiders Won a Super Bowl

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducts new members every year, on the day before the Super Bowl. This year, with the election of Tim Brown, the Oakland Raiders now have more living members than any other team.

Which is surprising, considering that the Raiders haven't won a title since Super Bowl XVIII.

Since then, they have reached the AFC Championship Game in the 1990-91 season, but got annihilated by the Buffalo Bills; and Super Bowl XXXVII in the 2002-03 season, but were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The season before that, they controversially lost an AFC Divisional Playoff to the New England Patriots thanks to the "Tuck Rule," starting the Patriot dynasty.

I wanted the Pats to win that game. But if we knew then that the Pats would become more odious than the Raiders ever were, I would've rooted for a different outcome.

Former Raider coach John Madden once said that the biggest difference in sports is between the team that wins the Super Bowl and the team that loses it. He said the team that loses it gets made fun of more than the teams that don't make it.

Now, that's not quite fair. The team that loses the Super Bowl is still a Conference Champion. It's still a very good team. And unless you get smeared in it, or just plain don't show up, as Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos didn't last year, there's no shame in being the team that lost the Super Bowl.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won 6, but have also lost 2; the San Francisco 49ers have won 5, but have also lost 1; the Dallas Cowboys have won 5, but have also lost 3; the New York Giants have won 4, but have also lost 1; the New England Patriots come into today's game having won 3, but have also lost 4, and I don't think even with a 5th lost Super Bowl, tying the Broncos for the most (and they have also won 2), that people will think of them as a pathetic joke of a franchise.

But the Raiders lost their most recent Super Bowl to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A team that lost its 1st 26 regular-season games. A team that has had 11 seasons of at least 12 losses -- 11 times in 39 seasons. We think of the Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals as a loser of a franchise, but do you know how many times they've lost 12 or more games in their 95 seasons? 6. The Detroit Lions, in 81 seasons? 8.

And yet, the Bucs not only reached a Super Bowl, they beat "Da Raiduhs."

Think about that: The Oakland Raiders, once known as the baddest dudes in NFL history, led by the baddest dude in NFL history, Al Davis, lost a Super Bowl. To the Tampa Freakin' Bay Buccaneers.

Do you remember the ABC sitcom What's Happening!! (??) In an episode that aired on November 10, 1977 -- a month before the Bucs got their first win, and with the Raiders the defending NFL Champions -- Dwayne (Haywood Nelson), having shown a knack for picking football winners, gives Roger (Ernest Thomas) and Rerun (Fred Berry) a "sure thing": "Tampa Bay 10, Oakland 7."

Rerun takes this "sure thing" to his brother-in-law, a compulsive gambler, and tells him to bet big. He does: He calls his bookie, and lays $500 on it -- the equivalent, with inflation, of almost $2,000 today. These characters lived in Watts -- South Central Los Angeles. They didn't have 500 smackers to throw around. Rerun says, "I said bet big, not crazy!"

Naturally, the Raiders slaughter the Bucs. So Raj and Rerun ask Dwayne how he came up with his predictions. He goes through a bunch of things, and says, "And that's how I get the score." So how does he decide who wins? "Helmets." Whoever has the better helmets. The final score? Oakland 62, Tampa Bay 0. (In real life, that week, the Raiders beat the Houston Oilers, 34-29; and the Bucs lost to the Giants, 10-0. They wouldn't get the 1st win in franchise history until December 11, after going 0-26.)

But with that distinction, the Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys should all have missed the Playoffs, the Cleveland Browns should have gone 0-14 (that was the last season before the 16-game schedule), and the Bucs should have beaten their fellow expansioneers, the Seattle Seahawks, in the Super Bowl! (Instead, Super Bowl XII would be the Cowboys over the Denver Broncos.)

Ah, but, you see, from the late Sixties, all through the Seventies, and most of the Eighties, the Raiders were considered winners. They followed Al Davis' command, "Just Win, Baby," and his motto, "Commitment to Excellence." They fell apart in 1987, but by 1990 were back in the AFC Championship Game. They struggled in the Nineties, but in 2001 were again a threat to make the Super Bowl. They got beat by the Patriots in the "Tuck Rule Game" -- just desserts for the Raiders having cheated to beat the Pats in a 1976 Playoff game -- and then got to the Super Bowl the next season, where they got beat by the Bucs.

But the Raiders -- representing either Oakland or Los Angeles -- haven't won a Super Bowl since Super Bowl XVIII, beating the Washington Redskins, 38-9 at Tampa Stadium. The game was over right before the half, as Joe Theismann threw the dumbest pass in Super Bowl history -- until the one Russell Wilson just threw -- right to Raider linebacker Jack Squirek, who took it into the end zone for an easy touchdown, to make it 21-3. (Thus producing that Sports Illustrated cover above.) Marcus Allen had already scored what remains the longest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history.

That game was played on January 22, 1984. That's 31 years. "Commitment to Excellence," my ass. How long has that been?

*

Tom Flores was the had coach, Jim Plunkett was the quarterback, and they featured 3 future Hall-of-Famers: Allen, defensive end Howie Long (yes, the guy with the flat hair on Fox NFL Sunday), and cornerback Mike Haynes. They had abandoned the Oakland Coliseum 2 years earlier, and were now playing in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and frequently filled the 93,000 or so seats it then had.

The Buccaneers, New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, the San Diego Chargers, the Atlanta Falcons, the team then known as the Houston Oilers, the Seattle Seahawks, the New Orleans Saints had never reached an NFL Championship Game, under any name. The Denver Broncos had, but, along with the Pats, the Bucs, the Hawks, the Saints, had never won one. The Chicago Bears, the New York Giants, the franchise then known as the Cleveland Browns, and the team then known as the St. Louis Cardinals had, but not in the Super Bowl era. All of those facts have since gone from true to false.

Only 5 of the 28 teams playing in the 1983 season, capped by Super Bowl XVIII, are playing in the same stadiums they were in then: The Bills, the Chargers, the Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints. A few stadiums had domes, but none had a retractable roof. Tampa Stadium, site of Super Bowl XVIII, has been replaced and demolished. So has the Orange Bowl in Miami, which hosted 5 Super Bowls; and Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, which hosted 3. The Pontiac Silverdome, which hosted 1, has been abandoned, and its future is unclear.

There was an NFL team in Baltimore -- for 2 more months -- but it was the Colts, not the Ravens. There was an NFL team in St. Louis, but it was the Cardinals, not the Rams. There was an NFL team in Houston, but it was the Oilers, not the Texans. The NFL had 2 teams in the Los Angeles area: The Raiders at the Coliseum, and the Coliseum's former tenants, the Los Angeles Rams, sharing Anaheim Stadium with the team then known as the California Angels. The NFL did not yet have teams in Indianapolis or Carolina.

Nor did it have teams in Arizona, Jacksonville, Tennessee (Memphis or Nashville), or, at the time, Oakland. And has never had teams in San Antonio, Oklahoma (Oklahoma City or Tulsa) or Birmingham. But the United States Football League did have teams in those places.

And while the Giants played at the Meadowlands, and the Jets were in the process of moving there from Shea Stadium, they still called themselves "New York" -- always have, always will. The USFL already had Herschel Walker, playing for a team proudly calling itself the New Jersey Generals, and was about to feature future Pro Football Hall-of-Famers Reggie White, Steve Young, Jim Kelly and Gary Zimmerman.

Major League Baseball had a team in Montreal, while people in the Washington, D.C. area had to brave nasty traffic to go up to Baltimore. The NBA had teams in Seattle, San Diego and Kansas City. The NHL had teams in Quebec City and Hartford.

NFL pioneers Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Don Hutson, Johnny "Blood" McNally and Fritz Pollard were still alive. NFL founder George Halas had been dead for only a few weeks.

Bill Belichick was coaching linebackers and special teams for Bill Parcells on the Giants. Neither of them had yet been employed by a Super Bowl winner. Pete Carroll was the offensive coordinator at a Division I-AA school, the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Jack Del Rio, who was just hired as coach of the Raiders last month, was playing at the L.A. Coliseum, having just wrapped up his junior season at the University of Southern California. Pete Rozelle was still Commissioner. Current Commissioner Roger Goodell was -- are you ready? -- an intern for the Jets!

The Quarterback Class of '83 -- John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Ken O'Brien, Todd Blackledge and Tony Eason -- had just finished their rookie seasons. Terry Bradshaw, whom most of you only know from Fox NFL Sunday, had just retired as a player.

Peyton Manning was 7 years old, Tom Brady was 6, current active receiving yards leader Reggie Wayne was 5, Drew Brees had just turned 5, Michael Vick was 3, Eli Manning had just turned 3, Troy Polamalu was about to turn 3, Ben Roethlisberger and current active sacks leader Jared Allen were about to turn 2, current active rushing yards leader Steven Jackson was 6 months old, Aaron Rodgers was 7 weeks old, and Joe Flacco, Richard Sherman, Mark Sanchez, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice and current Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr weren't born yet.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin was the quarterbacks coach at Boston College, where he'd mentored Doug Flutie. Terry Collins of the Mets was managing the Albuquerque Dukes, the Los Angeles Dodgers' top farm team. Lionel Hollins of the Nets was playing for the Detroit Pistons. Alain Vigneault of the Rangers was playing in the minor leagues for the Montana Magic. Jets coach Todd Bowles, recently fired Jets coach Rex Ryan, and Yankee manager Joe Girardi were in college. Jack Capuano of the Islanders and Peter DeBoer of the Devils were in high school. And Derek Fisher of the Knicks was just 9 years old.

The Raiders won by dethroning the defending Champions, the Redskins. The other defending champions were the Baltimore Orioles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the New York Islanders. The Heavyweight Champion of the World was Larry Holmes. Out of the Raiders, the O's, the Sixers and the Isles, none of those teams have won a title since.

In fact, the period from the Raiders' win on January 22 to the Boston Celtics' NBA title win on June 12, 1984, dethroning the 76ers, would be the last time the World Championships in the 4 major sports were all held by teams that have never won it again until October 28, 2011, when the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series, and the other titles were held by the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Mavericks and Boston Bruins.

Since 1984, the Orioles haven't even won another Pennant, while the Raiders, 76ers and Islanders have each been to their sport's finals only once since, losing badly each time.

The Olympic Games have since been held in America 3 times, Canada twice, Bosnia (then still part of Yugoslavia), Korea, France, Spain, Norway, Japan, Australia, Greece, Italy, China, Britain and Russia. The World Cup has since been held in America, Mexico, Italy, France, Japan, Korea, Germany, South Africa and Brazil.

There were 26 Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The idea that people of the same gender could marry each other was not seriously considered. Then again, neither was the idea that corporations were "people" and entitled to the same rights and privileges thereof. No Justice then on the Supreme Court is still on it now.

The President of the United States was Ronald Reagan, and he was doing a terrible job: Not only was the Cold War especially frigid at that point, in large (but not sole) part due to his escalating rhetoric, but unemployment was 8 percent, higher than the 7 percent he'd inherited from the unfairly maligned Jimmy Carter.

George Bush was his Vice President -- we generally didn't add the "H.W." initials until his son, George W., became President.  George W. was drinking like a fish and running an energy company into the ground. Bill Clinton was in his 2nd term as Governor of Arkansas. Barack Obama was at Harvard Law School. Former Presidents Carter, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon, and their wives, and the widows of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, were still alive.

The Governor of New York was Mario Cuomo. The current Governor, his son Andrew, was one of his policy advisors. The Mayor of New York, uh, was, uh, Ed Koch. The current Mayor, Bill de Blasio, was studying at New York University, and was still using his birth name, Warren Wilhelm Jr. The Governor of New Jersey was Tom Kean. The current Governor, Chris Christie, was a student at the University of Delaware.

The Governor of the Raiders' home State, California, was George Deukmejian. The current Governor, Jerry Brown, had served 2 terms as Governor already, but was in the political wilderness, and, as befitting his image as "Governor Moonbeam," went abroad to study philosophy and religion. The Mayor of Los Angeles was Tom Bradley, and the current Mayor, Eric Garcetti, was in junior high school.

There were still living veterans of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Campaign, the Boxer Rebellion, the Boer War, the Russo-Japanese War and the Potemkin Mutiny. Polish Cold War hero Lech Wałęsa was the holder of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Pope was John Paul II. The current Pope, Francis, was Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, teaching in San Miguel, Argentina.

Lech Walesa had recently been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Prime Minister of Canada was Pierre Trudeau, although he was about to retire. The monarch of Great Britain was Queen Elizabeth II -- that hasn't changed -- but the Prime Minister was Margaret Thatcher. Liverpool were the holders of the Football League title, Manchester United of the FA Cup. There have since been 5 Presidents of the United States, 5 Prime Ministers of Britain, and 3 Popes.

Tom Clancy was about to publish The Hunt for Red October, and Milan Kundera The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Stephen King had recently published Pet Sematary. George R.R. Martin published the murder mystery/fantasy The Armageddon Rag. J.K. Rowling was a freshman at the University of Exeter.

Angel, about an honor student by day and a hooker by night, was in theaters. Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose was about to premiere. Footloose would arrive the next month. George Lucas was still reaping the benefits of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Gene Roddenberry was overseeing the filming of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and Steven Spielberg that of Gremlins, while Lucas and Spielberg were working on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Roger Moore was still playing James Bond, Peter Davison was still playing The Doctor, Christopher Reeve was still playing Superman, and Adam West was still the last live-action Batman.

Night Court had recently premiered on NBC, and a pair of super-helicopter shows, trying and failing to copy NBC's Knight Rider, also did: ABC did Blue Thunder, based on the previous year's film; and, after showing the Super Bowl, CBS premiered Airwolf.

No one had yet heard of Celie Harris, Forrest Gump, Jack Ryan, Goku, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Terminator, the Ghostbusters, or Freddy Kreuger. All would be introduced in 1984.

Nor had anyone yet heard of the Thundercats, Marty McFly, Bart Simpson, Robocop, Codename V, John McClane, Zack Morris, Hayden Fox, the Seinfeld Four, Deadpool, Buffy Summers, Fox Mulder, Ross Geller & Rachel Greene, Bridget Jones, Xena, Carrie Bradshaw, Tony Soprano, Jed Bartlet, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Rick Grimes, Lisbeth Salander, Bella Swan, Don Draper, Katniss Everdeen, Walter White or Richard Castle.

The Number 1 song in America was "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes. It dethroned "Say Say Say," a duet between former Beatle Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. Jackson, riding the crest of Thriller, was the biggest musical star on the planet. But 5 days after the Super Bowl, while filming a commercial for Pepsi with his brothers, in preparation for their upcoming Victory Tour, a spark from an explosion set his hair on fire, and he was badly burned. While he was back performing within weeks, there are people who think his troubles began with the pain medication he took for his injury.

Yoko Ono released Milk and Honey, the album she and John Lennon were working on when he was killed. Bruce Springsteen was finishing up Born in the U.S.A. Billy Joel was enjoying the success of An Innocent Man and his relationship with Christie Brinkley (although it would be another year before they got married). Bon Jovi released their self-titled debut album the day before the Super Bowl. Madonna had debuted, but wasn't yet a superstar. Prince had released 1999, but was still working on Purple Rain.

Andre Romelle Young had just begun deejaying under the name Dr. J, named for his favorite athlete, Julius Erving; he would soon change this to Dr. Dre. Kurt Cobain was in high school. Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Snoop Dogg and Eminem were in junior high. (Though the idea of Snoop only being a junior "high" is funny.) Kanye West was 6. Kourtney Kardashian and Alecia Moore, the future Pink, were 4. Kim Kardashian, Beyonce Knowles and Christina Aguilera were 3. Justin Timberlake was about to turn 3. Britney Spears was 2. Forget Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus: Even Khloe Kardashian, Katy Perry, Drake, Adele and Rihanna weren't born yet.

Inflation was such that what $1.00 bought then, $2.30 would buy now. A U.S. postage stamp cost 20 cents, and a New York Subway ride 90 cents. The average price of a gallon of gas was $1.20, a cup of coffee $1.18, a McDonald's meal (Big Mac, fries, shake) $2.85, a movie ticket $3.46, a new car $11,374, and a new house $94,700. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the previous Friday at 1,259.11.

The tallest building in the world was the Sears Tower. Birth control pills had been long established, but there was, as yet, no Viagra. The 1st analog cellular system widely deployed in North America was introduced in 3 months earlier: The Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS). There were personal computers, but almost nobody had yet heard of the Internet. Even VCRs weren't in every home yet. Home video games were a battle between the Atari 5200 SuperSytem and ColecoVision -- Nintendo's systems were yet to come. Chrysler had recently introduced the 1st minivan, the Dodge Caravan.

During the Super Bowl, Apple aired, for the one and only time, its renowned "1984" ad, directed by Ridley Scott, and 2 days later put the 1st Macintosh computers on sale. The hammer-thrower, dressed in what looks retroactively like a Hooters waitress' outfit, was 17-year-old British discus thrower Anya Major. She later played the title character in Elton John's video for "Nikita." Contrary to a rumor, she did not die of cancer a few years ago; rather, she is alive and well, living in England with a husband and 3 children.

In early 1984, the court-ordered breakup of AT&T's "Bell System" took effect. The British protectorate of Brunei gained independence. Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov died, taking with him the Soviet Union's best chance to survive to the present day. Medicare, Australia's universal-health care system, went into effect. And American astronauts from the space shuttle Challenger made the 1st untethered spacewalk. 

Ray Kroc, and Jackie Wilson, and Johnny Weissmuller died. Olivia Wilde, and Jon Lester, and Arjen Robben were born.

January 22, 1984. The Raiders, then in Los Angeles, won Super Bowl XVIII. In Los Angeles and Oakland, they have never won another.

Al Davis is gone. His son, Mark Davis, has shown the same ruthlessness when it comes to firing coaches. But does he have the same "Commitment to Excellence" that will result in a team making a serious run at the title? It hasn't happened so far. Stay tuned.