Tag: Hall of Fame

Notre Dame Football: The Rocket Takes Off for Hall

I don’t know the rules of getting into the hall like I said, all I know is that Ismail is a guy you let in on the first day he’s eligible. 

I’ll start by saying getting into the College Football Hall of Fame is weird.

Need proof?

Raghib Ismail, “The Rocket”, perhaps the most exciting player to wear Notre Dame’s blue and gold since WWII was not officially a member until Tuesday night.

There are rules dependent on what you accomplish in college, what you retire from professional football and whatever else. The fact of the matter is you don’t have a College Football Hall of Fame if “The Rocket” isn’t in his first day of eligibility.

A member of the 1988 national championship team, a 1990 All American and the runner-up to Ty Detmer in the Heisman Trophy voting, Ismail went in with 14 other new members Tuesday night.

For the life of me I still don’t understand how a system quarterback in Ty Detmer beat out a legend but so-be-it. I guess that’s just like how Jason White beat out Larry Fitzgerald 13 years later.

I don’t know the rules of getting into the hall like I said, all I know is that Ismail is a guy you let in on the first day he’s eligible. If not your voters or rules, or both, stink.

Whatever the case – I’m glad he’s finally in a place he deserves.

Now enjoy some of his insane highlights from his three years at Notre Dame:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nwIe-trahs&w=560&h=315]

Former Steeler Troy Polamalu selected to College Football Hall of Fame

It looks like Troy Polamalu will make two halls of fame in the next year.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu has been named to the College Football Hall of Fame. Polamalu was a three-year star at USC before becoming the first-round pick of the Steelers in 2003.

During Polamalu’s time at USC he accumulated 278 tackles, 29 tackles for a loss, 6 interceptions, 4 blocked punts, and 3 touchdowns. Much like his time in the NFL, Polamalu was one of the most explosive and dynamic players in college football.

This will be a nice warmup for Polamalu as he is also a semi-finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s no reach to think Polamalu will make it in on the first ballot.

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Popovich then will explain why Rudy …

Popovich then will explain why Rudy Tomjanovich deserves induction. “I wonder every year why he is not in the Hall of Fame,” Popovich said recently. “This is a guy with basketball in his blood. As a player, he was relentless and tough. Any coach would want to have him on his team or her team. Then he was successful (as a coach) and built a great program in Houston. He won championships. He won back-to-back championships. And he’s an Olympic gold medalist. Plus, he’s a great guy. “I see other people going into the Hall of Fame and wonder when his name is going to come up. I thought it should have come up way back when. Hopefully, it will happen sooner rather than later.”

“Don’t get me started on the Hall of …

“Don’t get me started on the Hall of Fame,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said before Friday’s game against the Spurs at AT&T Center. “Why is it that college coaches — and nothing against the college coaches — but they’re coaching and they’re Hall of Fame coaches? Why isn’t Pop in the Hall? Well, he has his own reasons. But Rudy T isn’t in the Hall? That’s a joke, just a complete joke. In college, if you win two national titles, you can lose every game for the rest of your career and you still get to go to the Hall of Fame.”

3 former Seahawks among 25 Hall of Fame semifinalists

Former Seattle Seahawks Steve Hutchinson, Ricky Watters and Edgerrin James are among the 25 modern-era semifinalists for the Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame reduced the list of 122 modern-era nominees to 25 on Tuesday, and three of the eight former Seattle Seahawks remain: guard Steve Hutchinson and running backs Ricky Watters and Edgerrin James.

The original class of 2020 ballot also included quarterback Dave Krieg; running backs Shaun Alexander and Chris Warren; center Ray Donovan; and punter Jeff Feagles.

Hutchinson is the likeliest of the trio to gain Hall of Fame status this winter, having finished as a finalist in each of the past two years. The guard was a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro in his 12-year career.

James only appeared in seven games for the Seahawks in the 2009 season, rushing 46 times for just 125 yards. He is 13th all-time in rushing yards, however, and has a decent chance of hearing his name called this year.

Watters’ success came primarily as a member of the 49ers, but he did post four quality seasons with Seattle from 1998-2001, rushing 994 times for 4,009 yards and four touchdowns.

A Pro Bowler in each of his first five NFL seasons, Watters is 24th all-time in rushing yards and 22nd in rushing touchdowns.

The ballot will be pared down again, this time from 25 to 15, and they will be announced in January. The final ballot with five inductees will be announced the Saturday before the Super Bowl. As part of the Hall’s special 20-member class of 2020, they will be joined by 10 “senior” players (who have been retired for more than 25 seasons), three “contributors” (neither a player nor coach) and two coaches.

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Ex-Broncos safeties Steve Atwater and John Lynch named Hall of Fame semifinalists

Former Broncos safeties John Lynch and Steve Atwater have been named semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2020.

Former Denver Broncos safeties Steve Atwater and John Lynch have been named modern-era semifinalists for the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. There are 25 total semifinalists — that list will be trimmed down to 15 finalists in January.

This marks the ninth time Atwater has been named a semifinalist and the eighth time Lynch has been a semifinalist. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will announce a 20-person class of 2020 in February.

Atwater earned eight Pro Bowl nods during his time with the Broncos and helped the team win back-to-back Super Bowls in the late 1990s.

Lynch won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before going on to play the final four years of his career in Denver. Lynch made the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons with the Broncos.

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Former Jags RB Fred Taylor named to Hall of Fame semifinalists list with OT Tony Boselli

The Jags now have two players who could make the cut for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2020.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor has been vocal about his place in the NFL’s history and people are beginning to hear him. The Jags great was named to the Hall of Fame’s semifinalist’s list for the 2020 class on Tuesday, joining offensive tackle Tony Boselli in the process.

This year makes for the fifth consecutive year in which Boselli has been a semifinalist. He’s been named a finalist four times, including last year.

Boselli was the Jags’ first-ever draft selection in team history in 1995 and played for them until 2001. In 2002, Boselli was drafted by the Houston Texans in the expansion draft, but would later retire due to a labrum issue.

Boselli had 90 career starts during his time in Jacksonville under coach Tom Coughlin and went to five Pro Bowls. He was named an All-Pro three times and is a current member of the Jags’ Hall of Fame known as the “Pride of the Jaguars.”

Taylor played alongside Boselli during the early stages of his career with the Jags. His nomination as a semifinalist marks his first. He was drafted by the Jags in the 1998 NFL Draft (No. 9 overall) and spent 11 seasons with the Jags. Afterward, he spent two seasons with the New England Patriots before retiring.

Taylor finished his career with 11,695 total rushing yards and 66 touchdowns. He also accumulated 2,384 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as a pass-catcher.

While it took a while for him to get recognition from the league, we ranked Taylor No. 1 on our list of the top-25 Jaguars of all time earlier in the year. Boselli was also on the list at the No. 3 spot.

Former Viking Steve Hutchinson among 25 semifinalists for Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Throughout his career, Hutchinson made seven-straight Pro Bowls from 2003-2009 and was named an All-Pro in 2003, 2005 and 2007-09.

Former Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson is one of 25 former players to be named finalists for the Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Hutchinson spent five seasons with the Seahawks, six with with the Vikings and one with the Titans from 2001-12. Over that time, he made seven-straight Pro Bowls from 2003-2009 and was named an All-Pro in 2003, 2005 and 2007-09.

It feels like there’s a pretty good chance that Hutchinson will get in on his third year on the ballot.

Hutchinson was a huge part of the success of Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander and later Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

Former Badger Troy Vincent doesn’t make the cut for Hall of Fame

Former Wisconsin Badgers defensive back Troy Vincent did not make the Hall of Fame Modern-Era committee’s top 25 semifinalists this year.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Modern-Era ballot was cut from 122 initial candidates down to just 25 on Tuesday, and former Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Troy Vincent was among the 97 players who didn’t make the cut.

Here is a look at the 25 players who did make the cut, including safety Troy Polamalu, linebacker Patrick Willis and safety John Lynch.

Vincent played 14 seasons in the NFL from 1992-2006, after starring at Wisconsin for four years from 1988-1991.

Vincent was named to five straight Pro Bowls from 1999-2003, and was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2002. He was a ball-hawking cornerback who led the league in interceptions in 1999 and passes defended in 2001.

Vincent starred at Wisconsin before getting drafted seventh overall by the Dolphins in the 1992 NFL draft. He was named the BIG-10 defensive player of the year in 1991, and also excelled as a punt returner while with the Badgers.

However, he’ll have to wait until next year to see if he can make it to the next round of voting and, eventually, into the Hall of Fame.

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Ricky Watters named Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Ricky Watters is one of 25 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s modern era ballot was cut from 122 all the way down to 25, but former Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Ricky Watters made it through the second round of cuts, and is still eligible for induction as a member of the class of 2020.

The ballot will be pared down to 15 at some point in January, before the five inductees are announced on the Saturday before the Super Bowl.

Watters was named to five straight Pro Bowls from 1992-1996, and was a Super Bowl champion in 1994 with the San Francisco 49ers. His career was cut short by injuries, but he was arguably a top-two running back in the NFL in the early-1990’s, and still finished with 10,643 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both just outside the top-20 of all-time.

Watters starred at Notre Dame before getting drafted 45th overall by the 49ers in the 1991 NFL draft. He rushed for 1,814 yards and 21 touchdowns with the Irish, while also hauling in 610 receiving yards.

He also excelled as a punt returner, leading the NCAA in punt return touchdowns in 1988, with two.

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