Tag Archives: players who should be in the NFL HoF

NFL

Johnson, Jimmy

Cards: Proset 1989, Proset 1990, Proset 1991, Proset 1991 AP, Proset 1992
Acquired: In Person 1991,1992,1993, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

Coach Johnson would be one of the first autographs that I’d get at training camp at St. Edwards in Austin, Tx. With his trademark hair, Jimmy has an alpha personality, loves the limelight, and signing autographs, sometimes by the dozens in his golf cart before and after practice.

Jimmy has been a winner at every level he has played at. First as a player for Arkansas 1964 National Championship team as an All American Defensive Lineman (where he was a teammate of future Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones), as a head coach at Oklahoma State, and then at the University of Miami where he guided the Hurricanes to its highest level of elite dominance from 1984-1989. The Miami Hurricanes were not without controversy. Dominating the college ranks, the Hurricanes were considered highly undisciplined off the field because Johnson encouraged the players to have a lot of swagger openly embracing the moniker of being the “Bad Boys of Football”. After his tenure with the Hurricanes ended with one national championship in 1987, Johnson would then move on to the professional ranks, hired by Jerry Jones to coach the Cowboys in 1989. (He’d finish his college coaching record at 81-34-3.)

This timing was tough for Jimmy as he was taking over for coaching legend Tom Landry.  He arrogantly proclaimed with Jones at their initial press conference that he’d have the franchise turned around in 3 seasons time- ostracizing many loyal fans who preferred the quiet, professional demeanor of Landry. After an initial extremely rough 1-15 start in 1989, Johnson would begin to right the fortunes of the Cowboys, and winning melts most resentment. By season 3 the Cowboys were back in the playoffs, and won consecutive Superbowls in 1992 and 1993. Johnson orchestrated the most lopsided trade of all time, trading runningback Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for a bevvy of draft choices and players. Jimmy had an eye for talent, and while not having the final say on all draft choices, played a large part in locating talent and underrated free agents, signing often Miami Hurricanes that he was familiar with as situational players.

After leaving the Cowboys over personal differences with once friend Jerry Jones, Jimmy briefly retired from coaching, turning to the broadcast booth. He was offered the head coaching  job for the Eagles in 1994, but declined, instead taking over for legendary Don Shula and the Dolphins in 1996, where he’d coach through the 1999 season. Although he’d guide the team to 3 playoff appearances, he’d not move beyond the divisional round and cited burn-out as his reason for retirement.

Since re-retiring Johnson has remained front and center on Fox’s NFL pregame show and the College Championship Series and owns a restaurant in Miami. An extensive coaching tree has formed from Jimmy, including Dave Wannstedt, Butch Davis, and Norv Turner. Jimmy Johnson is also the only coach to win a National Championship and the Superbowl. He’s also done a bit of bit acting, on “The Shield”, “Coach”, and “The Waterboy” and in commercials. In 2006, Johnson was linked briefly to the Houston Texans as a dark horse candidate for the open coaching job, but declined the reports as pure speculation.  Jimmy is a huge fan of the series “Survivor” and was cast in the 2010 season.

Oddly despite his accolades Jimmy has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his coaching accomplishments with the Cowboys.

W  80     L 64    T 0       Pct .555

NFL

Jones, Ed “Too Tall”

Cards: Action Packed 1990, Photo Memorabilia
Acquired: In Person, Lenscrafters appearance 1992.

Back in the heyday of my autograph collecting I’d scour the local Austin paper for football players making appearances. Too Tall and Drew Pearson made one such appearance at a grand opening of a Lenscrafters in Barton Creek Mall back in 1992. Josh and I went there and arrived about 30 minutes early. (It’s too bad that about a 2 hour line had figured this out in front of us.) Ed was cool enough to sign both a card and the photo that the store provided to us (and really it was a duck shoot because all we had to do was wait in line to get it).  The better story was the fact that we hadn’t really been to that mall often enough and got extremely lost for another 2 hours, finally giving up and walking around the perimeter of the indoor mall to leave.

Ed “Too Tall” Jones was the first overall pick of the 1974 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He’d form the foundation of the vaunted Cowboys’ “Doomsday Defense”. At 6″ 9′ Jones’ nickname “Too Tall” was apt even at his defensive end position. Too Tall receives little credit at a sacker, as sacks were not considered an official statistic until 1982.  Jones would be named All Pro from 1981-1983, playing in 3 Superbowls and 15 seasons. He’d retire briefly in 1979 to go into boxing for about a season, but would return in 1980 after posting a 6-1 record. (It was quite a spectacle based on “Too Tall’s” size.) Ed would play for the Cowboys up through 1989, where he’d eventually retire, after Jimmy Johnson‘s first season as coach playing in 223 games. Jones’ impact on the Cowboys was immense, and he is another defensive player who was shortchanged from being in the NFL HoF, probably based on the sheer number of Dallas’ players enshrined, the tracking of sacks as an official statistic, and the overall lack of defensive talent in the hall.

Ed since retiring from football remains active as a guest speaker and firmly embraces his role as a former Cowboys player. “Too Tall” was named into the Van Heusen’s inaugural Pro Football Fan’s Hall of Fame in 2010 and also was named #26 on the Dallas Cowboys all time list.  He plays golf regularly and also has made a few TV appearances, most notably on a Geico commercial spoofing on his own nickname.

Games  223       Tac  N/a         Sac 106        Fum 19
Int 3     Yds 14    Avg 4.3   Td 0

NFL

Mecklenburg, Karl ‘Albino Rhino’

Cards: Fleer 1990, Proset 1989
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o home
Sent: 2/15 Received: 3/15 ( 28 days)

Nobody paid much attention when with the 310th pick of the infamous 1983 draft, the Denver Broncos took a flyer on a little known linebacker named Karl Mecklenburg out of the University of Minnesota.  Mecklenburg would just go on to play for 12 seasons, leading them on defense during the Bronco’s Superbowl runs during the 1980s. Nickamed the ‘Albino Rhino’ by teammates, Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks and over 1100 tackles.  Since football, Mecklenburg has established the REACH foundation, written a book about his experiences as a player (“Heart of a StudentAthlete”) and been inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Honor. He also does extensive public speaking and resides in Littleton, Colorado with his wife and three children. I sent off for Karl’s autograph, and got a fairly quick response from him with a note about his book in a little under a month.

The verse included is from the bible. (Philippians 4:8) “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Games 180      Tac 1104     Sac 79.0    FF 16     Int 5      Yds 128     Avg 25.6    Td 0