The headliner was none other than the Bus himself Jerome Bettis. Jerome was the face of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise throughout his tenure there. I would say that he has to be the most beloved Steeler since Mean Joe Greene. The Bus is the team's all-time leading rusher, as he has also surpassed Jim Brown on the All-Time Rushing List with 13,662. Bettis put the cherry on top of a great career by winning the Super Bowl in his final game.
Other players that I was happy to see finally get in were Charles Haley and Tim Brown. Charles won a record five Super Bowls (2 w/San Francisco, 3 w/Dallas). He was an important piece in those Super Bowl Winning Defenses. Haley recorded 100.5 Sacks during his Career along with five Pro Bowl Selections. The only thing that held him back for so many years was the political game from the Hall of Fame Voting Committee. Finally, Chuck has received his reward.
Tim Brown is the Raiders all-time leader in Receiving (1,094 Receptions, 14,394 Yards, 100 Touchdowns). During his 16 year tenure with Oakland, Brown has had 10 straight seasons of 75+ Receptions as he led the NFL in Receptions in 1997 with 104. Even Jerry Rice never had that many straight seasons of 75+ Catches. Tim was very quiet with his production during an Era that was stacked with Terrific HOF Level Wide Receivers (Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, Michael Irvin were the standouts). I think the knock against him was that he played in a time with such a deep pool of great receivers that people seemed to overlook him. Now, Brown has finally received his rightful place in Canton.
The only first Ballot Hall of Famer was Junior Seau. Junior was one of the most dominant defenders of his generation at a time with the likes of Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Derrick Thomas, and others. Seau was the foundation of the San Diego Chargers as he was the standout player during the team's only Super Bowl Appearance at Super Bowl XXIX. Seau to this day is still an institution in San Diego as he made 12 Pro Bowls, 8 First Team All-Pro Selections, won DPOY among other accolades. Junior finished his career with 1,849 Tackles and 56.5 Sacks. His life ended in tragic fashion. Seau's family accepted on his behalf.
Other names such as Bill Polian, Ron Wolf, Will Shields and Mick Tingelhoff rounded out the class of 2015.
Now, time to move on with the future. I would like to openly make my predictions on who will make next year's HOF Class. This year's class was great because these players were long overdue. However, next year's class will surpass it because of the quality of names. Plus, I don't think these players have to be on the sidelines as long as the 2015 Class did.
Certain names that come to mind will be a given while you will have your fair share that have to take some time to wait because of either off the field issues or politics.
Brett Favre:
This will be the automatic Headliner for the Class of 2016. How can he not be? Favre is the NFL All-Time Leader in Passing Yards and Second in Touchdowns. Brett was consistently great as he also won 3 Straight NFL MVP Awards along with 11 Pro Bowl Selections. He was also named the NFL Ironman with his record of Consecutive Games. Favre also led the Packers to 10 Postseasons in 12 years. Speaking of Playoffs, Favre led Green Bay to two Super Bowls as they won in SB XXXI, but lost in SB XXXII. With Number 4 at QB, Green Bay was always a threat. He also made three straight All-Pro Teams for both first and second team along with a place on the NFL 90's All-Decade Team. The only knock against Favre is that he is also the All-Time Interceptions Leader. Favre has also made headlines in very unpleasant ways. However, that won't be enough for him to be snubbed as he is a walking first-ballot selection and NFL Icon.
The Biggest Issues for the Class of 2016 will come at the Wide Receiver Position. The marquee names on the ballot are Terrell Owens and Marvin Harrison. This will be a head to head battle unlike any other HOF Class before.
Terrell Owens:
Terrell Owens was a brilliant star receiver during his time as he was one of the marquee names of his Era. In a Generation with Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison, and others, Terrell Owens carved a great career. At the time of his retirement, T.O. finished his career with 1,078 Receptions, 15,934 Yards, and 153 Touchdowns.
His receiving yards and touchdowns were good for second place behind none other than his Hall of Fame Predecessor Jerry Rice. He led the league in Touchdowns three times and made six Pro Bowls along with five First-team All-Pro Selections. He did not have the pure explosiveness of Randy Moss or the hands of Jerry Rice, but Owens was a presence that defenders felt throughout the game.
He was a physical specimen who could make spectacular plays. The biggest knock on Terrell Owens is his controversial attitude in the locker room. He burned bridges with the best teams that he played for (San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys). After his time with those teams ended in sour fashion, it was hard for any other contenders to take a chance on him. Owens finished his career quietly with teams like the Bills, Bengals and a brief stint with Seattle.
No one can deny that Terrell's numbers are worthy of First-Ballot Selection. His biggest obstacle was his attitude. The Hall of Fame Voting Committee takes that into very strong consideration. I doubt that he would have to eat his popcorn as a spectator for a long time.
Marvin Harrison:
Marvin Harrison had a stellar Career. Much like Tim Brown, Marvin was a silent weapon on the field. He was not boisterous like a Terrell Owens or others during that time, but he let his game do the talking for him. Harrison still holds the record for most receptions in a single season (143 in 2002). Without question, I still believe that he was Peyton Manning's best target. He led the NFL in Receptions and Receiving Yards twice (1999, 2002). He also led the league in Touchdown Receptions (12 in 2005).
Marvin was a very precise route runner and pass catcher as he had great timing to catch the football. What he lacked in size (6'0" 175), he made up for with his speed, ability, and IQ. Harrison made eight Pro Bowls, three First-Team All-Pro Selections, won a Super Bowl and made the NFL 200's All-Decade Team. For his career, Marvin compiled 1,102 Receptions, 14,580 Yards and 128 Touchdowns. He ranks third in Receptions, seventh in Receiving Yards, and fifth in Touchdowns.
Those numbers are fantastic, but the critics will say that he was enhanced by playing with Legendary Quarterback Peyton Manning. Voters have a habit of glossing over those stats as they like to zero in on the fact that Marvin's playoff numbers were not very spectacular. Peyton Manning can generally make anybody look great, but those balls were not catching themselves. Harrison deserves his share of the credit as well. Sometimes it seems unfair to categorize Marvin Harrison as simply a footnote of Peyton Manning's Career. Another thing that may work against Harrison could be his problems off the field involving a shooting incident.
Currently, Terrell Owens is his biggest competition. If Marvin does not make it during this time, it could be tougher for him in the future. Names like Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt along with Randy Moss will have their names coming up on the ballot later down the line.
Orlando Pace:
One of the top Offensive Linemen of the last 20 years, Orlando Pace was the glue that kept the "Greatest Show On Turf" together for the St. Louis Rams during their run of dominance. Pace was a 7-time Pro-Bowl Selection as he was on the same level as current Hall of Famers Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones. The NFL has an infatuation with inducting Linemen, I would say more so than receivers. With that said, I don't see an issue causing Pace to miss the HOF next year.
Kevin Greene:
Charles Haley is not the only player who has been a Hall of Fame Bridesmaid for a lengthy amount of time. Kevin Greene has been on the doorstep of Canton since 1999. So far that has been 16 YEARS!!! Time and time again, he has been passed over. Out of this class, Greene is the BIGGEST longshot just like Haley was this year. For his career, Greene has 160 sacks as it is the third highest total since Sacks became an official statistic in 1982. That is good for third on the all-time list, as he is one of only five players ever to record 140 Sacks or higher (Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Chris Doleman and Michael Strahan). Those other four players are in the Hall of Fame.
Greene has been the NFL Sack Leader three times. I would not be surprised if the Voting Committee finally voted him in after being a leftover on the ballot like Haley.
Now, time to look at the Non-Player side of the HOF.
Coach:
Like the WR Position, this is the toughest race for Hall of Fame Induction. This is a race between two coaches who made significant impacts in their own way. Their accomplishments and contributions are each HOF Worthy.
Tony Dungy:
There are those who may look at Tony Dungy and say that he inherited a Colts team that had one of the best Quarterbacks of this Generation, Peyton Manning. While that is true, Dungy did inherit a poor Tampa Bay team long before moving to Indianapolis. He transformed the Bucs from doormats to contenders. Even though the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl with Jon Gruden, that was still the team that Dungy built. He just never stuck around to enjoy the rewards of that season. Meanwhile, Tony was able to ride great success with the Colts where he led the Colts to Super Bowl XLII as they defeated the Chicago Bears. Although his resume is not filled with multiple Super Bowls, Dungy's greatest advantage for induction would be his Social Impact by opening doors for other Coaches that are Minorities along with things he has done in the Community. Dungy is also credited with implementing the Tampa 2 Defense. Dungy's Career Winning Percentage is .668 in the Regular Season and .474 in the Playoffs. His Overall Record is 148-79.
Jimmy Johnson:
Unlike Tony Dungy in Indy, Jimmy Johnson inherited an awful Dallas Cowboys team when former College Roommate Jerry Jones hired him as the Head Coach in 1989. That season, Dallas went 1-15. The only game the Cowboys won that season was against the Redskins while rookie Troy Aikman was injured. From that point on, the Cowboys would look up as only the best was yet to come. In the middle of the 1989 Season, Johnson orchestrated the trade that would send Herschel Walker to Minnesota for future draft picks. Johnson knew how to build a team from the ground up and he did that through the draft. Jimmy's greatest prize was a young Running Back from Florida named Emmitt Smith. Johnson would also draft great pieces for the Offensive Line as well as the Defense as he put the pieces in place for a Dynasty. In 4 years, Dallas went from 1-15 to Super Bowl Champions with a Franchise Best 13-3. Dallas would repeat the following year before Jimmy made his exit following a clash between him and Jerry Jones. The team that won the Super Bowl with Barry Switzer as Coach had Jimmy's name written all over it. Switzer's ring has Jimmy's name on it. Johnson never had long tenures Coaching, as he was with the Cowboys for only five years. Meanwhile, Jimmy was with the Dolphins for four years as he could not duplicate the same success that he had with the Triplets. Johnson's Career Winning Percentage is 55.6% in the Regular Season and 69.2% in the Playoffs with an overall record of 89-68.
Contributor:
Eddie DeBartolo, Jr.:
This man's resume has Hall of Fame written all over it. Eddie DeBartolo, Jr was at the Head of the Niners Office during San Francisco's run of Dominance through the 80's when they won four Super Bowls. He was also there for the Niners fifth Super Bowl in the 90's. DeBartolo was the man running the ship bringing in the greatest players that the game has ever seen. From Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, Steve Young. Eddie was the decision maker to bring them into shape them into the legends that they have since become. Pound for Pound, you could match his resume next to Art Rooney and Jerry Jones. I could even say that Eddie has a better resume than Jerry Jones overall because he spent more time as an Owner. San Francisco was always a first class organization under the watch of Mr. Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. Bill Walsh, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott and Charles Haley are all in the HOF. DeBartolo deserves to be in there as well for his Contributions. Even Haley called for him to make it into the HOF during his speech. How can an Owner with FIVE Super Bowl Trophies not be in yet?
Those are some of my Predictions for Next Year's Hall of Fame Class.
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