And as Aikman’s enshrinement illustrates, that resonates among voters. And those three played in the 1940s and 1950s, when careers were considerably shorter due to poorer medical capabilities and smaller salaries.Īt the same time, Roethlisberger has something that many quarterbacks with longer tenures don’t have: a reputation as a winner. Among Hall of Fame inductees, only Otto Graham (10 seasons, 126 games), Bob Waterfield (eight seasons, 91 games) and Jim Finks (seven seasons, 79 games) have spent less time on the field that Big Ben. If he packed it in tomorrow, his nine seasons and 127 games would put the Steelers quarterback among the least experienced quarterbacks to be immortalized in Canton. Given that he is only 30, it is not surprising that longevity is the weakest part of Roethlisberger’s resume. His 191 touchdown passes rank 42nd all time and would put him 17th among current Hall of Famers, between Bob Griese and Sammy Baugh. If inducted into the Hall of Fame tomorrow, he would rank 13th out of 27 quarterbacks, just behind Sonny Jurgensen, Troy Aikman and Steve Young, and just ahead of Len Dawson and Terry Bradshaw. With 29,844 career passing yards, Big Ben ranks 37th in NFL history. His 92.7 quarterback rating is the ninth best of all time and would rank second among current Hall of Famers. Though not a passing machine like first-ballot Hall-of-Famers like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, Roethlisberger’s career stats would make him a competitive candidate for enshrinement. So if Big Ben hung it up after nine seasons, how would he stack up against current and future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in these three areas? Somebody worthy of the Hall of Fame should inspire fathers and grandfathers to bore their descendants with stories about what it was like to see him play. Hall of Famers need to produce moments that resonate. A candidate also needs to stand out in the minds of the voters. To rank among the best the game has ever seen, a player needs to separate himself from his peers by sustaining excellent performance over a meaningful period of time.Įven gaudy stats and a long career don’t guarantee a spot in the Hall of Fame, though. NFL history is littered with many players who have shone brightly for a moment and then disappeared. Doing it for many years books his ticket to Canton. Putting up impressive numbers for a year will earn a player a trip to Hawaii.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |