The Hall of Fame is the pinnacle for many athletes and is where the best of the best reside. These players were the greatest at their positions and garnered the admiration of all. However, there are a number of players who have the resume to get in (and likely eventually will), but don’t get talked about nearly as much as they should. Here are four of those players.
1. Isaac Bruce
(source: thescore.com)
Bruce was a member of the “Greatest Show on Turf”, which was the name given to the fantastic St. Louis Rams offense from 1999-200. Bruce is no question one of the best WRs of all time. Though he does get some respect as a good receiver in the eyes of some fans and analysts, he deserves more. Bruce is 4th on the all-time receiving yards list, 8th in all-time receptions and 11th in all time TD catches. With a resume like that, Bruce deserves to be mentioned as one of the best receivers in history, and you almost never hear his name in those conversations despite the fact he has better stats than almost anyone.
2. London Fletcher
(source: usatoday.com)
Fletcher has been one of the consistent and steady linebackers in the history of the NFL. In fact, Fletcher never missed an NFL game and holds the all-time record for consecutive starts at the linebacker position. He also ended his career with 13 straight seasons of 100+ tackles. He was perhaps the best tackler of the 2000’s, yet didn’t play in his first pro bowl until 2010. He also suffered throughout his career in the eyes of the public by playing with small market and underachieving teams, which without a doubt limited the amount of people that noticed him.
3. Richard Seymour
(source: http://keithwmov.tumblr.com/)
Coming in at number three on this list is Richard Seymour. Like other DTs, Seymours numbers aren’t going to jump off the page and demand a Hall of Fame bid, but his play on the field should for all that watched him. Seymour was a 7 time Pro Bowler, a 6 time All Pro and was perhaps the best defensive player on the Patriots during their early 2000’s domination. Once Seymour moved on from the Pats to the Raiders, people seemed to forget just how dominant he was. I feel that the conversation should be started again about how good this guy was.
4. Jason Taylor
(source: foxsports.com)
Jason Taylor enjoyed his best success as a decade long member of the Miami Dolphins. Throughout his career with the Dolphins, he made 6 Pro Bowls, was voted an All Pro 4 times and was a 2 time AFC Defensive Player of the Year. He is also number six on the list of most sacks in an NFL career and a former Walter Payton Man of the Year winner. With all of these accolades, it’s a shame that he is not mentioned in the same vein as other great pass rushers and defenders.
