Despite not winning a Super Bowl in over four decades, the Raiders are still among the most decorated teams in terms of members enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
And being that the Raiders are among the most accomplished NFL teams in the Super Bowl era, it shouldn’t be surprising that more former Raiders are worthy of enshrinement. For instance, Wide receiver Art Powell was a Senior finalist this year. Powell didn’t make the final cut, even though every Senior finalist since 2010 had been enshrined into the Hall of Fame.
Another former Raider who deserves consideration is tight end Todd Christensen. Back in the mid 80s Christensen had one of the greatest four-year run of any tight end in NFL history.
Christensen, who passed away far too soon at the age of 57, earned two first-team and two second-team All-Pro nods during that time, earning votes for the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year in 1986. He was also a key player on the Raiders’ 1983 Super Bowl-winning team.
Additionally, he appeared in the Pro Bowl five times and led the league in receptions twice. Christensen was just the second tight end to accomplish that feat, with each reception total setting an NFL record for his position.
For comparison, former Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow, who played in Christensen’s era and is widely considered one of the best tight ends of all time, had the same total number of All-Pro seasons as Christensen (though Winslow was first-team All-Pro three times), and five Pro Bowl seasons. Despite playing in a notoriously pass-happy offense, Winslow had just four more career touchdowns than Christensen. Their yards per catch were nearly identical.
So why isn’t Christensen in line for Hall of Fame induction? I reached out to several members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee to find out. All were granted anonymity.
“You will find that all of us on the Seniors committee are well aware of Todd’s achievements,” said one voter. “You should also find it logical that the committee should put players in based on some sort of chronological sequence.”
That’s probably why Powell appears ahead of Christensen in line. But considering that one of this year’s Senior inductees, defensive lineman Steve McMichael, played squarely within Christensen’s era, chronological concerns can’t be the entire story.
“There are a lot of Raiders in the Hall of Fame and that has created what we call Raider fatigue among voters,” a voter noted.
In recent years, quarterback Ken Stabler, coach Tom Flores, and wide receiver Cliff Branch all made it to the hall, giving some voters pause when considering other Raiders for enshrinement. That could also explain why Powell didn’t get in when he was a finalist.
Another issue is the length of Christensen’s career.
“Todd does have good statistics, but note he was a starter only seven seasons,” one voter added.
A star running back at BYU, he was drafted by the Cowboys to play that position. A broken foot ended his rookie year, and it wasn’t until his fifth NFL season that he had his breakout campaign as a tight end.
Christensen’s star burned bright enough that it should alleviate concerns about the length of his career. Take former Broncos running back Terrell Davis, for example. He played in just 78 career games but had an incredible statistical impact on a Super Bowl-caliber team and he is in the Hall.
It should also be noted that Winslow played just nine seasons and appeared in fewer overall career games than Christensen (137 to 109). At tight end, Christensen had just three fewer career starts than Winslow.
One voter simply stated a truth we all know: it’s really difficult to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“John Madden was eligible 27 years before getting in,” he said. “It is a daunting task. It is hard to get into the Hall of Fame. And it should be.”
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is right to set a high bar, but I believe that Christensen’s case is a strong one. His impact was immense, setting NFL records on a dominant Super Bowl-winning team. While his career wasn’t as long as some might like, he was in the NFL for 10 full seasons, the same as Powell and more than Winslow and Davis.
On a personal note, I didn’t get to watch Christensen play, but I always enjoyed his work as a color commentator for multiple NCAA and NFL broadcasters. His personality was a bright spot during his playing days as well. Called a “renaissance man” due to his love for poetry, he marched to his own beat and simultaneously dominated on the gridiron.
For Christensen to ultimately earn a bronze bust of his own, Raiders fans may have to make their voice be heard, much as they did with Stabler, Branch, and Flores.
Regardless, Christensen should certainly get more consideration on his own. You cannot write the history of the NFL without this man. And you can’t write the history of the Raiders — one of the NFL’s most accomplished franchises — without Christensen earning a chapter of his own.
