The 49ers’ success helps general manager John Lynch’s case for the Hall of Fame.
In the final minutes of San Francisco’s 27-10 divisional round playoff victory against Minnesota, 49ers’ general manager John Lynch had his smile plastered all over the NBC broadcast.
Consider that the strongest advertisement Lynch has ever had for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Stronger than Lynch’s 26 career interceptions, reputation as one of the hardest hitters in history, nine Pro Bowls and spots in the Rings of Honor in Tampa Bay and Denver?
Maybe so. That was all groundwork. This might have been icing on the cake. Why? Because San Francisco’s success has made Lynch a media darling – once again. That’s a position Lynch held as a player.
The former strong safety was known as one of the league’s best interviews during his time in Tampa Bay and Denver. I covered him for The Tampa Tribune from 1993 until 1999. Through most of those days we had two rules in our postgame coverage – go to Warren Sapp for controversy and go to Lynch for wisdom and insight.
At long last, it could be that wisdom that pushes Lynch into the Hall of Fame. His success as a third-year executive in San Francisco just might be enough to put him over the top. Lynch has been on the threshold plenty of times in the past, but his seventh year as a finalist could be the charm that finally gets him to where he belongs.
The vote will come the day before the Super Bowl and Lynch is sitting in a better spot than ever before. The face time in front of the cameras might be the best thing to ever happen to Lynch’s candidacy. It’s a reminder to Hall of Fame voters that he’s been hanging out there for too long. He deserves a yellow jacket.
One playoff win as a general manager doesn’t put you in the Hall of Fame. But it’s a wakeup call to the panelists. Lynch did what he needed to as a player. He also was a great broadcaster. And, now, he’s a great executive.
The man who was the first overall draft pick of the Florida Marlins baseball franchise, originally a quarterback at Stanford and once knocked out his brother-in-law (Chicago Bears tight end John Allred) has padded his resume a little more.
It was kind of ironic that Lynch’s former coach, Tony Dungy, was broadcasting during the postgame show. In much the same way that Dungy finally made the Buccaneers respectable, Lynch has done the same thing with the 49ers. Just like Dungy, Lynch follows a formula of running the ball on offense and stopping the run on defense.
That was evident as the defense Lynch built held Dalvin Cook to 18 rushing yards Saturday. At the same time, San Francisco’s Tevin Coleman rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns. But Lynch might have learned from Dungy’s one failure in Tampa Bay. Lynch has the formula to win a Super Bowl. In Jimmy Garoppolo, Lynch has a quarterback far better than Trent Dilfer.
But the vote will come before the Super Bowl. Maybe all Lynch has to do is get to the big game. His renewed celebrity might remind the voters that he should be a Hall of Famer. It’s not easy for a safety to get into Canton, Ohio. There are only 11 pure safeties from the modern era in the Hall of Fame.
That number should jump to 13 this year. Former Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu will get in on his first ballot. But Lynch should get in on his seventh. He just needs this final push in front of the voters.
I reached out to my former co-worker Ira Kaufman, who holds the Tampa Bay Hall of Fame vote. He’ll be the man to present Lynch’s case in the voting room. What does Lynch’s success as a general manager mean to his presentation?
“While I certainly don’t plan to dwell on John’s success as an NFL executive, I think that’s another example of his football intelligence shining through, the smarts that helped him become a nine-time Pro Bowler and a Ring of Honor member for two franchises,’’ Kaufman said. “That should be enough.’’
Agreed. Lynch checked the boxes as a player. What he’s done as an executive should help put him over the top.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
