A couple of Dolphins on the list: The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced the names of 52 Seniors candidates who have advanced to the next round of consideration for the Class of 2026. The seniors screening committee pared down a list of 162 nominees to the current group, which is made up of players whose last game came before or during the 2000 NFL season. Another committee will cut that number down to 25 and nine before naming three finalists for election to Canton. Last year’s finalists were Sterling Sharpe, Maxie Baughn, and Jim Tyrer. Sharpe was the only one elected and the other two are part of the group of 52 candidates. The entire group appears below. Quarterbacks: Ken Anderson, Charlie Conerly, Roman Gabriel, Jack Kemp, Don Meredith. Running backs: Ottis Anderson, Larry Brown, Roger Craig, Chuck Foreman, Cecil Isbell, Paul “Tank” Younger. Wide receivers/tight ends: Mark Clayton, Isaac Curtis, Lavvie Dilweg, Henry Ellard, Harold Jackson, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Stanley Morgan, Art Powell, Otis Taylor. Offensive linemen: Jay Hilgenberg, Chris Hinton, Joe Jacoby, Mike Kenn, Bob Kuechenberg, Marvin Powell, Dick Schafrath, Jerry Sisemore, Walt Sweeney, Jim Tyrer, Al Wistert. Defensive linemen: L.C. Greenwood, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Jim Marshall, Harvey Martin. Linebackers: Carl Banks, Maxie Baughan, Mike Curtis, Larry Grantham, Lee Roy Jordan, Clay Matthews Jr., Matt Millen, Tommy Nobis. Defensive backs: Dick Anderson, Bobby Boyd, Pat Fischer, Lester Hayes, Albert Lewis, Eddie Meador, Lemar Parrish, Everson Walls. Special teams: Steve Tasker.
You gotta be sh!tting me!!!! Did you see some of the names on that list…and they’re NOT in the Hall of Fame??? Jack Kemp, Don Meredith, Roger Craig, Mark Clayton, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Joe Jacoby, Bob Kuechenberg, L.C. Greenwood, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Dick Anderson, Steve Tasker???????? These were LEGENDS of the game and for them NOT to have been enshrined is a travesty!!!
I met Clayton as a teenager at a youth event at my church. Duper was there too. They were paid by our church to sign autographs for an hour, but they ended up spending the entire day with us eating and having fun, cracking jokes with the dads, etc. At one point, we played touch football for awhile and both of the Mark brothers joined in the game. Clayton picked off a pass I would have caught for a TD (with Duper as my QB!) but on the next drive, he saw the pass coming to me and pretended to stumble, letting me catch it. Both were great guys and I never forgot that afternoon. They were obviously fantastic receivers as well though.
