Tag Archives: players who should be in the HoF

NFL

Howley, Chuck (2)

pset90 howleyudldg97 howley

Cards: ProSet 1990 Super Bowl MVP,  Upper Deck Legends 1997
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent: 3/12    Received:  3/18     (6 days)
See Also:  Chuck Howley

Considered one of the greatest linebackers Tom Landry had ever seen, the bionic Chuck Howley split time between the Bears and the Cowboys. It would be with his Super Bowl V efforts, (the only one in which a player from the losing player won the MVP honors,) that Chuck really received his due.  The next season the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowl VI, and Chuck retired officially after the 1973 season.  The 6 time Pro Bowler, and 5 time All Pro, made every one of those years playing for the Cowboys and is a member of the 20/20 club – with more than 20 interceptions and sacks in their career (although sacks weren’t an official statistic until 1982).  A cornerstone of the “Doomsday Defense”, the Cowboys traded a 2nd and 9th round pick to the Chicago Bears to acquire Howley, who had suffered from a catastrophic knee injury that kept him out of the previous 1960 season.  He earned numerous accolades since retirement from his native West Virginia where he was born and also from the state of Texas. The Cowboys inducted Howley into their Ring of Honor in 1977.  Chuck Howley- What a name. Just has that iconic ring to it that screams physical, down in the dirt, classic, football player. Now this is definitely a Cowboy I’d vouch for that deserves to be in the HoF. He’s got the stats, the championship, and the MVP honor.

I had been kicking the can down the road on Chuck for a while, but I had these two great cards sitting around and had to give it a shot. The ProSet 1990 Super Bowl MVP cards, that were included in the set, covered SuperBowls I-XXIV. Merv Corning did some amazing illustration for these pieces and I’d love to get a few more of these signed. I’ve also become fond of the Upper Deck Legends 1997 set. There’s some excellent photography, design, and typography in this definitive set.

NFL, usfl

Hull, Kent (1961-2011)

Card: Bowman 1992
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Kent Hull flew under the NFL radar after he graduated from Mississippi State in 1983, but the New Jersey Generals of the USFL would be waiting to swoop him up. He’d block up front for Herschel Walker and Maurice Carthon, paving their way to 1,000+ yard seasons each in 1984, and then blocking for quarterback Doug Flutie in 1985. When the USFL ran into financial trouble the Generals and Houston Gamblers were merged. Jim Kelly was to be his quarterback with wide receiver Ricky Sanders, and coach Jack Pardee running the show in the prolific Run ‘N Shoot, but the league collapsed before it could take the field again.

Kelly and Hull were almost immediately reunited in Buffalo and both became instant starters helping to energize a once woeful Bills team. Buffalo quickly assembled talent and marched into the playoffs with their Hurry Up Offense. With the final piece assembled in 1989 in the form of future Hall of Fame runningback Thurman Thomas, the Bills reached the Superbowl an unprecedented 4 times during the 1990s. During that span Kent started 121 straight games at center, from 1986-1993, and retired after the 1996 season.

In addition to his 3 ProBowl appearances, Hull was named to the Bills’ 50th Anniversary All-Time team in 2009, and inducted into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame in 2002. Jim Kelly called him one of the finest players that he ever played with and his best friend. Considered a smart tactician, Hull called plays for the line and also was a team captain for 7 seasons.  Kent Hull passed away at home on October 18th, 2011 and is survived by his wife and two children.