Contributor Lloyd Wells
Yes, non-players are deserving of Hall of Fame recognition too.
Wells was the first Black scout in professional football and played a huge role in the integration of the NFL. 13 players on the Super Bowl-winning 1969 Chiefs team came from HBCUs, most of whom were scouted and recruited by Wells. Three of the players that he personally recruited, Buck Buchanan (pictured above), Willie Lanier and Emmitt Thomas, are all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Otis Taylor, who we wrote about on the first page, was signed by Wells. The team was in a bidding war for his services with the Dallas Cowboys.
In the history of the Hall of Fame, not a single Black contributor has been voted in. Many are deserving, but few have had an impact on the game as Wells did.