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Gary Clark cheers on Art Monk at the 2008 Pro Football Hall of
Fame induction ceremony as Ricky Sanders looks on.
Photo by Mike Frandsen.
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Former Redskins guard Russ Grimm’s induction Saturday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame was long overdue. Grimm anchored one of the best offensive lines in history, the “Hogs,” who played in four Super Bowls, winning three.
Grimm and the Hogs blocked superbly for the Redskins’ running game and passing game for a decade, ultimately helping running back John Riggins and wide receiver Art Monk become Hall of Famers.
But Grimm was inducted into the Hall in his 14th year of eligibility. And it took Monk eight years, despite immaculate credentials. Why did it take so long?
An anti-Redskins bias remains among Hall of Fame voters. The Redskins aren’t considered as glamorous as the Dallas Cowboys or the Pittsburgh Steelers, who each have 10 players in the Hall of Fame from their Super Bowl winning teams. Meanwhile, the Redskins only have four players in the Hall from teams that won the Super Bowl (Riggins, Monk, Grimm, and cornerback Darrell Green).
The 1991 Redskins were clearly one of the greatest teams of all time, going 17-2 and outscoring opponents by 17 points a game. But they are rarely mentioned among the best teams ever, and until 2008 when Monk and Green were inducted, that 1991 team didn’t have one player in the Hall of Fame. People talk about the 1985 Chicago Bears as the greatest team of all time, but they were a one-hit wonder. Or, if they weren’t, then you can’t have it both ways – the Redskins beat the Bears in the playoffs each of the next two seasons.
Another possible reason for the anti-Redskins bias is the fact that Joe Gibbs was considered to be such a great coach that he overshadowed his players. The perception was that the Skins didn’t have great players, but nothing could be further from the truth. Gibbs gets too much credit; the players didn’t get enough. In Gibbs’ second go-round with the Skins, he had a mediocre 30-34 record. So maybe the Redskins’ success cannot solely be attributed to Gibbs.
So which other Redskins should be in the Hall of Fame?
Left tackle Joe Jacoby may have been the best offensive lineman of the Hogs. He was at least the equal of Grimm. Jacoby and Grimm go together, like peanut butter and jelly, like ham and eggs. Jacoby changed the way the game was played because after he entered the league, it became a requirement for left tackles to have the size (6-6, 310) and athleticism of Jacoby.
Of all the Redskins not in the Hall of Fame, Jacoby may have the best chance. Writers seem open to correcting this oversight. Jake may just have to wait, however, for a year in which there are fewer skill position players going in. If Jacoby goes in, it will probably be in his 20th year of eligibility. Better late than never, but if he had played for the Steelers or Cowboys, he would already be in now.
The tables below compare receiver Gary Clark, linebacker Chris Hanburger, and defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon with peers who did make the Hall of Fame.
| Catches Per Year | Yards Per Year | Total TDs | Years | |
| Gary Clark | 64 | 962 | 65 | 11 |
| Michael Irvin | 63 | 992 | 65 | 12 |
Why Clark deserves to make it: He was just as good as Irvin and didn’t play with a Hall of Fame quarterback.
Why Clark won’t make it: He’s a Redskin, not a Cowboy. He hasn’t been on TV for the past ten years like Irvin has. Voters would say the Redskins already have a wide receiver who started opposite Clark in the Hall, and even though they made an exception for Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, that’s because they played for Pittsburgh.
| Pro Bowls | First-Team All-Pro | NFC Defensive Player of Year | INTs | TDs | |
| Chris Hanburger | 9 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 5 |
| Harry Carson | 9 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Why Hanburger deserves to make it: He stacks up well with other linebackers in the Hall such as Carson.
Why Hanburger won’t make it: He played for a team in Washington, not New York, and he played a long time ago. He also didn’t have Sirius NFL Radio broadcasters constantly lobbying for him to get in like they did for Carson.
| Interceptions | Pro Bowls | Super Bowls won as Defensive Coordinator | |
| Richie Petitbon | 48 | 4 | 3 (1982, '87, '91) |
| Dick LeBeau | 62 | 3 | 2 ('85, '88) |
Why Petitbon deserves to make it: He was a masterful defensive coordinator for a defensive unit that only had one Hall of Famer (Green) but won three Super Bowls. His numbers as a player are similar to Dick LeBeau’s and he has more Super Bowl wins.
Why Petitbon won’t make it: He coached the Redskins, not the Steelers, and his success came decades ago whereas LeBeau’s coaching successes happened fairly recently. Petitbon didn’t have Sirius NFL Radio broadcasters constantly lobbying for him to get in like they did for LeBeau.
At least one other Redskin should have received strong consideration for the Hall of Fame. Tight end Jerry Smith held the NFL record for touchdowns by a tight end (60) from 1977 when he retired to 2003. Smith caught 421 passes for an average of 13.1 yards per catch, very high numbers for a tight end of that era.
Listing a statistic or two next to players’ names does not do justice to their great careers, but here is a short list of some other Redskins who deserve a shot at the Hall.
- Coy Bacon, defensive end: 130 sacks
- Pat Fischer, cornerback: 56 interceptions
- Lemar Parrish, cornerback: 47 interceptions, 13 touchdowns, eight Pro Bowls
- Brian Mitchell, kick returner: 19,013 Combined Return Yards, 13 special teams touchdowns (NFL records)
Finally, there are many players from the Joe Gibbs era who may not be Hall of Famers, but were great players who should not be forgotten. Here’s a list:
- Jeff Bostic, center
- Charlie Brown, receiver
- Kelvin Bryant, running back
- Dave Butz, defensive tackle
- Earnest Byner, running back
- Monte Coleman, linebacker
- Pete Cronan, special teams
- Jim Lachey, tackle
- Dexter Manley, defensive end
- Charles Mann, defensive end
- Wilbur Marshall, linebacker
- Mark May, guard
- Mark Moseley, kicker
- Mike Nelms, special teams
- George Rogers, running back
- Ricky Sanders, receiver
- Joe Theismann, quarterback
- Don Warren, tight end
- Joe Washington, running back
- Greg Williams, special teams
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Comments
One of the better articles I've read in a while. Well done
Sad but true - hopefully more Skins will make it.
Sadly friend I'm afraid its political. A shame too.
I've been screaming to anyone that would listen for years that a bias against the Redskins runs rampant. I cant believe more fans werent screaming from the Mt. tops when the bias spilled over to the field/officials upon Gibbs' return. It was painfully obvious that the N.F.L. was not going to allow Joe to walk in off the street and win his fourth ring.
Anti Washington or Anti-the name?
No doubt there is a anti-Redskins bias which has only been enhanced by Snyder's poor relationship with the media. Paul Zimmerman single handily kept Monk out of the Hall for years based on the idiotic assertion that "catching 800, 8 yard hooks" didn't make Monk worthy of enshrinement. Such stupid thinking just shows writers who never played the game shouldn't be given so much say on who gets in.
While agree on the anti-skins bias, I disagree with your assertion that Jacoby was equal to Grimm. He was a terrific lineman but not in Grimm's class. Jake will never get in because he couldn't block LT. He's in good company on that score but in order to get in you have to at least come close to pulling a draw against the best players you face. Grimm is in primarily because he could handle Randy White. LT simply embarrased Jake every time they played. Jake's inability to block pure speed pass rushers is the single biggest reason the Skins went to two tight ends.
The name nor the city counts when picking hall of fame players.
Some fair arguments are made here, but I'm having difficultly buying the idea that there is some arbitrary bias against the Redskins. Perhaps the reason the franchise hasn't received as much attention from the Hall of Fame is because the team has never truly achieved "dynasty" status even though it has been very competitive for extended periods of time.
Winning three Super Bowls is an accomplishment to be proud of, but unlike the Steelers or the Cowboys, the Redskins didn't win any of them back-to-back, and they haven't put together runs of three-in-four years or four-in-six years. If the Redskins had done so, that would have earned their players significantly greater recognition.
Instead of pointing fingers, has it occurred to anyone to ASK a Hall of Fame voter exactly why he hasn't voted for certain Redskins?
Why resort to intellectual dishonesty to make your point regarding Gary Clark? You use "catches PER YEAR" and "yards PER YEAR" only because 2 of Irvin's 12 years were cut short by injury, right?
A case can definitely be made for GC to get into the HOF. But let's make that case on HIS MERITS, without resorting to this kind of BS. It's a disservice to Gary Clark, and it cheapens the argument, as if the only way to justify him getting in is to engage in some statistical acrobatics.
Hail
GDH, you say it's because the Skins never won a string of SBs. How does that explain the fact that the 70s Cowboys have 9 players or coaches in? 14 if you count the guys that played most of their careers somewhere else but played on Cowboy SB teams. The Cowboys won the SB in 1971 and 1977 which is a much bigger gap than the Skins.
The article left out the most glaring oversight: Jerry Smith.
Years: 13
Receptions: 421
Receptions per year: 32
Receiving yards: 5,496
Average: 13.1
Touchdowns: 60
By comparison Shannon Sharpe
Years: 14
Receptions: 820
Receptions per year: 59
Receiving yards: 10,060
Average: 12.3
Touchdowns: 62
It was Smith's TD record of 60 that Sharpe was chasing. So from 1977 until 2003 Jerry Smith held the record for TD receptions for a TE.
i am a big joe jocoby fan and i know he should be next because him was the bestt hog bar none.
BU – Thanks for the info on Jerry Smith. I added a paragraph about him.
DG – We could do ten pages on why Clark deserves to be in the HOF. I’m just showing one example of how his numbers are almost identical to Irvin’s. Clark played one fewer season so any way you cut it the numbers are similar. Again, Clark didn’t play with a HOF QB. Clark also played his first year in the USFL so his numbers would have been better if it weren’t for that.
Pat – I feel sorry for Zimmerman. He’s a bitter old man. He was relevant when he wrote in the 70s and 80s.
I agree Jacoby had a rough time with LT, but LT is considered the greatest defensive player ever. The Giants had the Redskins’ number all around. I wouldn’t say he couldn’t handle speed rushers in general.
Defensive end Dexter Manley belongs in the HOF if Howie Long belongs in the HOF. Both have 2 SB wins. Manely has more sacks, more seasons with double digit sacks,more touchdowns, and when Long made all pro in 84 and 85 Manley had more sacks than him and didn't make all pro or the Pro Bowl those years. Media bias against the Redskins? You bet. (Understand, Manley is not eligible for the HOF until he is reinstated.)
Mike: I think Jacoby deserves to be in, but my bet is that he doesn't make it and his performances against LT will be the excuse the voters use to keep him. I'm not surprised Grimm went in over Jake because I think he was the superior lineman.
Totally agree on Dr. Z and I agree on your assessment that Clark should get in.
Irvin was a lot better than Clark. Irvin was a clutch big play receiver more than a stat machine (I’d rather have Irvin than T.O. any day) but he did have 7 1,000+ yard seasons while Clark had 5. Irvin’s single season high was 1,603 yards, while Clark’s was 1,340. Clark only topped 1,300 once, while Irvin produced over 1,300 4 times. Irvin led the NFL in yards per game two years, while Clark never did. In his best 8 seasons (1991-1998) Irvin averaged 1286.5 yards and 82.8 catches a year, while Clark only averaged 1,092.8 yards and 68.6 catches his best 8 years (1985-1992, his tenure with Washington), only matching Irvin’s yardage average in one season and never reaching Irvin’s reception average.
And there’s a strong anti-Cowboy bias among HoF voters. Dallas is represented more poorly considering their accomplishments over the years than Washington is.
Cowboys - 10 HoFers; 5 SB wins - 2 HoFer per title
Redskins - 13 HoFers; 5 total championships (3 SB s and 2 NFL) - 2.6 HoFer per title
All Time Winning Percentage
Cowboys - 0.580 (best among active NFL franchises)
Redskins - 0.517
Conference Championships
Cowboys - 8 (best in NFL)
Redskins - 5
Playoff Seasons
Cowboys - 30 (best in NFL)
Redskins - 22
There are too many snubbed Cowboys who deserve to be in Canton to bother listing here, but they should at least have another 3 or 4 guys in already just to reach league averages per title for established teams, and frankly with their sustained success (winning pct., playoff appearances) they should be higher than the average.
Irvin was not a lot better than Clark. Irvin played with a HOF QB, and played in a decade – the 90s -- when receiving stats were a lot higher than they were in the ‘80s when Clark played most of his career. Consider that from 1980-1993 there were 3 individual 100-catch seasons in the NFL. From 1994 to 2007, there were 50. So, since Clark’s prime was in the mid to late 80s, and Irvin’s prime was in the mid-90s. Irvin’s stats are inflated compared with Clark's. Plus, Clark was more than a stat machine. He was a fiery leader on a team that had more blue-collar, quiet players. Clark would run around the field at RFK waving his arms to fire up the fans and was known as a clutch player.
When I speak of the anti-Skins bias, it’s mainly about the Super Bowl era. Overall the Skins do have a lot of Hall of Famers. But it took Monk until his 8th year of eligibility, it took Grimm until his 14th, if Jacoby gets in it’ll probably be in his 17th or so, and Petitbon has better credentials than LeBeau but isn’t in.
Deion Sanders will get in and at least one offensive lineman should get in too for the Cowboys of the '90s.
The team with most favored by writers is the Steelers, as evidenced by LeBeau getting in, and both Swann and Stallworth getting in, which is a precedent for both Monk and Clark to get in.
Fair general point about stat inflation, though receiving stats didn't change THAT much from the 80s through the first half of the 90s (Irvin's peak years), Irvin did lead the league of his own time a couple of years in yards/game, he's famous for being exactly that kind of hard working fiery team leader you describe, and (as some other respondents said) it was misleading for you to make the skewed statistical comparison you did. Stats aside, just watching him play I think Irvin was one of the greatest receivers of all time.
I'm not sure about Clark, but I did think Monk deserved induction and maybe a couple of other Redskins. But at least ya'll don't have a problem getting players from non SB players in. Every Cowboy in the HoF has a ring. It's like a requirement if you played for Dallas, and most of them are first ballot shoo ins like Roger Staubach or Tony Dorsett who are locks bias or no bias. Dallas has had brutal trouble getting the slightly less obvious locks in.
That comparison I made with the Redskins applies to pretty much every established team in the league. Dallas is way under represented given its level of success. Mel Renfro had to wait until his last year of eligibility, despite going to 10 Pro Bowls, being one of the greatest shut down DBs of all time, being the team's all time best KO returner, being the franchise interception leader, having 2 SB rings, and being physical enough that he made All Pro at both safety and corner. Bob Hayes had to wait until long after he was dead, despite being the fastest player in NFL history (apart from experimental practice squad fodder), being the best punt returner in team history, and catching more TDs per game over his first five years than Randy Moss did.
Cliff Harris and Drew Pearson are the only starting members of the 70s All Decade team to not be in the HoF. Chuck Howley was first team All Pro five years, is the greatest LB in team history, was the first defensive SB MVP, and should have been a shoo in a long time ago. According to Frank Luksa some HoF panelists even voted against BOB LILLY!!!!
Lilly was the most decorated Cowboy in history, made the Sporting News' top 10 players NFL players of all time, and was the highest ranked defensive lineman on their list. If Bob Lilly can't get unanimous approval then something is seriously wrong.
Sure Allen and Sanders are locks, despite whatever residual bias remains, but other teams will be adding HoFers over the next few years too, and 2 wouldn't be enough to reverse the Cowboys' under representation in Canton anyway.
I'm not opposed to more Redskins getting in, but don't try to pull down the Cowboys to make your point. The Landry era teams won a NFL record 20 consecutive winning season, were in the playoffs 18 of those years, were in the SB for literally half the 70s, lost the ones they lost by 4 points or less, won the ones they won in crushing fashion, fielded some of the greatest teams of all time, and deserve to have at least a few more players in. If you want to make comparisons focus on the Steelers, Vikings, Raiders, and other such teams. The Cowboys have their own long running voter antipathy to deal with.
Everyone loves to whine that their teams are disrespsected. Do some players get in that maybe shouldn't? Sure, but this constant "He didn't get in because he played for the 'skins and the other guy played for the Steelers/Cowboys/Giants" comes off as just that - whining. Indeed, with so many great players from those franchises already in, other deserving players from that era, and later years run up against a "there's already to many of those" bias, moreso than some imaginary "no Redskins" bias.
The Redskins were great in the Gibbs period, but their Super Bowls were spread out over a long period of time. That means you have, for the most part, a lot of different players who each contributed to one or two Super Bowls. The Steelers won four rings over six years. That means there are a ton of players who have three or four rings. The Redskins won their three over a ten year span. So there are fewer Redskins players with two rings than those on the Steelers or the Cowboys. Starters from their first AND last SB winning teams? Monk, Jacoby and Don Warren.
Interesting that you make the claim that you "can't have it both ways" - did the Redskins have great Hall of Fame players, and it wasn't Gibbs so much, or was it a solid squad with great coaching. You are arguing that they had great players, but then you argue that Pettibon "won Superbowls with only 1 HOFer". Can't have it both ways, my friend.
And LeBeau isn't in because of the number of Super Bowls won as a DC. That's a pretty weak criteria, in and of itself, which is why coaches generally get in as Head Coaches, not coordinators. He is the father of the Zone Blitz, which fundamentally changed the way the game is played. He was not only the coach on a couple of winning SB teams, but his units were dominant, both during those years and during many others, setting a standard of consistent excellence over a long period of time. As a Steeler defensive coordinator, his teams have AVERAGED a #5 rank in points against and #3 in yards against. How many years have they achieved a top five rank in either or both of those categories? 7 out of 8. Pettibon as the Redskins' DC? 3 out of 12. Average rank? 10 and 11. LeBeau has had #1 ranking defense in both points and yards twice. As players, they both had careers over the same years. I'm not sure how you claim that 48 INTs is "similar" to 62. 62 was ranked third or fourth when they retired. It's still 8th on the all-time list. 48 is good for 38th. Not similar. Did Pettibon and LeBeau have similar Pro Bowl/All-Pro numbers? Yes. LeBeau's teammate on the opposite corner was Night Train Lane. How much do you think that hurt LeBeau's chances of getting accolades or recognition? LeBeau also has the consecutive start record as a CB. There is really no comparison between the two.
Jacoby does deserve to get in, probably moreso than Grimm, I'd argue, but linemen don't get the recognition they deserve. Dermontti Dawson should have been in on first ballot. He was THE dominant lineman during his career and is the greatest center to have played the game, and did things other centers couldn't and can't do. But center isn't glamorous, so he'll have to wait.
Should Clark get in? Yes. Your comparison to Irvin is more of an illustration of how much Irvin was overrated, IMO, so that doesn't sway me, but I think he was good enough.
Swann probably doesn't merit HOF on production, even if you factor in the era and the running style of his teams for many of those years, but he was known for making spectacular plays and especially did so in Super Bowls, so he seems to get consideration based on that. Kind of like how Sayers' injury abridged numbers don't merit HOF, but his greatness can't really be denied.
You obviously have a bias as a fan. That's not bad, because fans are going to know and appreciate the contributions of their own players. However, that can also lead to selective arguments that won't sway objective observers, let along partisans of other teams.
gum
Hanburger will get in this year and many think Chuck Howley (Cowboy) is more deserving. Your article is biased. Considering how long it took DeLamielleure, Yary, Wright (Cowboy) to get in the HOF, it is no surprise to me that it took this long for Grimm. You want to talk about O linemen who really got ripped off? George Kunz (Atlanta, Baltimore), Jerry Kramer (Green Bay). Yes it did take a while for Monk to get in, but then look how long it took for Lynn Swann. Drew Pearson still isn't in (another Cowboy) and what about Harold Carmichael and Harold Jackson? Look how long it took Roger Wehrli to get in, ridiculous!!! Jake Scott and Dick Anderson aren't in, so a Dolphins fan out there should write that the HOF is biased against Miami players. BTW, the last anonymous writer is a prime example of why most fans are clueless and should refrain from writing. It is this simple. If you weren't alive to have seen them play, shut your mouth (or stop typing). Lynn Swann was a spectacular player and deserves to be in the HOF way more than Gary Clark. In fact, there's no comparison. Here's an example of this guy's stupidity...."even if you factor in the era and the running style of his teams for many of those years".
And what factor would that be? What about the fact that receivers could get bumped all over the field until the ball was in the air and offensive linemen couldn't use their hands to block? Did he forget that? Probably not. I bet he was in diapers or better yet, he probably wasn't ever alive, when the people he is so willing to write about were actually playing. Well I've factored it in. If Gary Clark played on the same Steeler team he would have caught less and done less than Swann. If Swann played on the Redskins of Clark's era, with the benefit of the NFL's now pass happy rules, he would have blown the doors off Clark's accomlishment. I actually read a blog where some young fan commented that Randy Moss is better than Jerry Rice. I am not writing about Night Train Lane or Sammy Baugh...I wasn't around to see them play and I don't have film of any games prior to 1968. As for Gary Clark, he was great, but there's at least a dozen receivers not in the HOF yet that belong there before Clark.
This is the very same reason why the HOF makes so many mistakes. If you look at the selection committee, there aren't enough older writers. Too many young writers that really don't understand how different the game was in the '70s. Half of them have no business voting for or against Hanburger, they simply weren't there to see him play and I am sure they didn't watch hours of film to critique his play and compare it say to Robert Brazile, Andy Russell or Chuck Howley. The best comment I read was about ex-Bengal Lemar Parrish, he deserves to be in. Then again so does Cliff Harris of the Cowboys. BTW I am not a Cowboys fan. While you are pushing for Jacoby to get in, you should campaign for John Niland too. His off the field antics will keep him out of the HOF, just like Kramer's book kept him out.
I can't believe I didn't list former Redskins running back Larry Brown, the 1972 NFL MVP, in this article that I wrote last year about Redskins who deserve consideration for the Hall. (Unfortunately, the article can't be edited, otherwise I'd fix the formatting errors as well).
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