DC: T.O. Among 15 Modern-Era Hall Finalists; Woodson, Johnson Don’t Advance

[MarkP88]

Bert Bell. Charles W. Bidwill, Sr. Al Davis. Edward DeBartolo. George Halas. Lamar Hunt. Earl Lambeau. Tim Mara. Wellington Mara. George Preston Marshall. Dan Reeves. Art Rooney. Dan Rooney. Ralph Wilson.

13 owners.

All inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Bell, Halas, Lambeau, Mara, and Marshall were inducted in the Hall's FIRST class of 1963.

Owners have been inducted into the Hall for over half a century. And the NFL isn't the only professional team sports organization that honors franchise owners.

Wasn't disputing that--just expressing my disappointment that our owner (who's had long stretches of not being a good owner) could get inducted to the Hall before the coach who built a 3-time champion and the best safety in team history.

 

[DallasEast]

Wasn't disputing that--just expressing my disappointment that our owner (who's had long stretches of not being a good owner) could get inducted to the Hall before the coach who built a 3-time champion and the best safety in team history.

That's understandable but there will not be universal acknowledgment of Jones' contributions, which have bolstered the league's status and profitability significantly. His team-related accolades will be mentioned also but the league will eventually be granting him the highest recognition (e.g. Hall induction) for what he has done for the entire league than for what he has done for Dallas only.

 

[MarkP88]

That's understandable but there will not be universal acknowledgment of Jones' contributions, which have bolstered the league's status and profitability significantly. His team-related accolades will be mentioned also but the league will eventually be granting him the highest recognition (e.g. Hall induction) for what he has done for the entire league than for what he has done for Dallas only.

Yup, I do understand that.

 

[joseephuss]

Wasn't disputing that--just expressing my disappointment that our owner (who's had long stretches of not being a good owner) could get inducted to the Hall before the coach who built a 3-time champion and the best safety in team history.

Jimmy coached for 9 seasons in the NFL with 5 of those in Dallas. Woodson played for 12 seasons in the NFL. Jerry has now owned the team for 28 seasons. Only Tex Schramm and Tom Landry have been members of the Cowboys organization longer. Dallas had 250 regular season wins in the 29 seasons before Jerry owned the team. They have won 243 games with him as the owner.

Jerry hired Jimmy Johnson. Without Jerry, Dallas does not get Jimmy. Jimmy built those teams and deserves that credit, but he got the chance to do so because Jerry brought him in. That matters.

 

[CCBoy]

I'd at least like to see him wait a good several years before getting in. It'll be interesting to see what happens in his case, since he's such a divisive figure for that generation of receivers.

Lol, I still appreciate the memory of a tear in his eye and stating, 'that's my QB.'

 

[lwehlers]

dawkins will make the hall of fame first before woodson. what a joke.

 

[Cowboy4ever]

Yeah he should get in with a ticket. A ticket punched to a HOF induction. He was a great coach for all the reasons I mentioned in my original post about him. He's better than some coaches already in the HOF. Give me a break.

Name one. I can appreciate what Jimmy Johnson did. But just about any coach worth anything could have done the same with being gifted 88 and 8 and most of the OL. He had 63 picks in his tenure as a Cowboy coach. Most of which never amounted to any thing for the Cowboys.. 2/3 played 2 years or less for the team with 21 players never playing a down for the Cowboys. He wasted basically 3 1st round picks in 5 years.. Walsh, Maryland and Harper. Maryland and Harper were good role players, but not worth spending a 1st on. I have been a Cowboys fan my whole like (46 years) and maybe I hold the way Coach Landry was treated/fired against his replacement, but to me Jimmy was a good coach, not a great coach. He did some great things, winning 2 SB and helping to rob the Vikings of those picks.. But to me, he doesn't deserve to be in the HOF... he just wasn't an all time great. There are many players I feel the same way about, very good but not all time greats and shouldn't be in the hall but they are, so I am sure Jimmy will get in at some point, especially being a part of the Media now, which seems to help.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Name one. I can appreciate what Jimmy Johnson did. But just about any coach worth anything could have done the same with being gifted 88 and 8 and most of the OL. He had 63 picks in his tenure as a Cowboy coach. Most of which never amounted to any thing for the Cowboys.. 2/3 played 2 years or less for the team with 21 players never playing a down for the Cowboys. He wasted basically 3 1st round picks in 5 years.. Walsh, Maryland and Harper. Maryland and Harper were good role players, but not worth spending a 1st on. I have been a Cowboys fan my whole like (46 years) and maybe I hold the way Coach Landry was treated/fired against his replacement, but to me Jimmy was a good coach, not a great coach. He did some great things, winning 2 SB and helping to rob the Vikings of those picks.. But to me, he doesn't deserve to be in the HOF... he just wasn't an all time great. There are many players I feel the same way about, very good but not all time greats and shouldn't be in the hall but they are, so I am sure Jimmy will get in at some point, especially being a part of the Media now, which seems to help.

I love Coach Landry but look at the players he had. Look at all the HOF coaches. They all had great players. You can't hold that against Jimmy and he went out and got them. The Cowboys had a losing culture when Jimmy took over. He changed it all around. I understand how you feel about how Coach Landry was fired. I didn't like Jimmy when he was at the University of Miami. When he was at the Cowboys Jimmy was very arrogant and could be hard to take but he won me over. That dynasty in the 90's was all on him. Yes Jerry went out and got the players Jimmy wanted but he put it together.

 

[jamesdojr]

Say what?
With all due respect, TO should go in before Darren Woodson. The legend of Woodson has grown since he retired. I wouldn't be upset in any way if he gets in the Hall of Fame, but I doubt the league and HOF committee see Woody as Cowboys fans see him. He was a consistently solid player when he was in the league, but he was not considered among the top or even the elite safeties of his era. And when you speak of Hall of Fame players, you generally compare them to their contemporaries. Then you have to consider the Cowboys team and the players already in the Hall of Fame (Emmitt, Troy, Irvin, Haley, Larry Allen).
However, having said all that, I think Woodson will get in, just not this time. His "good guy" persona will help him just as TO's "trouble maker" persona will keep him out a little while longer.
But between the two (TO vs. Woodson), TO gets in first - hands down!

Huh? Woodson was a consistently solid player?? I thought I was watching one of the best safeties to ever play the position. You left me speechless...

 

[TimHortons]

The fact that TO wasn't a first ballot selection is a joke. Despite his off field antics, the guy is a top 5? 10? WR all time.

 

[Biggems]

I agree it's a joke that Woodson didn't advance. He deserves to be in the HOF. And I'm not talking about just his numbers, which are impressive, but his passion for the game. My favorite Darren Woodson moment is not winning the 3 super bowls but in one of the Campo years when we sucked. He broke his arm in a game against the Ravens. I believe it was his forearm. He got a cast put on it and came back into the game and played the rest of the game. At that point in the season we were already eliminated from the playoffs and we finished 5-11 IIRC.

That defines Darren Woodson. That defines a football player and a leader. Playing your heart out with a broken arm for a team that finished 5-11 is HOF material. As a fan of the Cowboys, Darren Woodson represented everything you want to see from your players. I've always said he's my favorite Cowboy from that 90's era, I like him more than Irvin, Emmitt, Aikman, Deion etc.

I only bought one jersey during the 90's and it's Darren Woodson's and I still wear it to this day. I loved that player.I'll never forget that Baltimore game.

He made Roy Willie look like an all pro S....once he retired, Roy Willie turned into Biscuit, the oft-beaten S.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

I don't see Woody getting in. If I'm being honest, I'm not sure he deserves to be in. I'm not even sure he deserves the Ring of Honour. Maybe the Hall of Very Good.

 

[tyke1doe]

Huh? Woodson was a consistently solid player?? I thought I was watching one of the best safeties to ever play the position. You left me speechless...

Then why has he been passed over for induction into the Hall of Fame? Again, I think he was a great safety, but I'm a Cowboys fan. He is not esteemed the same way by the Hall of Fame voters - obviously - nor is he considered among the greatest safeties of his era. That what has hurt him. However, because he is such a nice guy and because he remains in the game as a football commentator, I think he'll make it. Never underestimate the power of sentiment.

 

[skinsscalper]

Wasn't disputing that--just expressing my disappointment that our owner (who's had long stretches of not being a good owner) could get inducted to the Hall before the coach who built a 3-time champion and the best safety in team history.

Don't forget which owner actually had the balls and foresight to give that coach a chance. Go back and refresh your memory (or Google it of you have to) and see how many college coaches went from NCAA Div. 1 to head coach in the NFL. I'll wait.

 

[jamesdojr]

Then why has he been passed over for induction into the Hall of Fame? Again, I think he was a great safety, but I'm a Cowboys fan. He is not esteemed the same way by the Hall of Fame voters - obviously - nor is he considered among the greatest safeties of his era. That what has hurt him. However, because he is such a nice guy and because he remains in the game as a football commentator, I think he'll make it. Never underestimate the power of sentiment.

All I know is I'd give anything right now to have a 25 year old Darren Woodson on this team right now. He is instantly the best DB in our secondary by a landslide and it isn't even close. I'd package and trade Carr, Claiborne, Jones, Church, Wilcox, and Brown this offseason for a 25 year old Darren Woodson and I might give my trade partner my 1st rnd pick too.

On the flipside, I wouldnt give a 6th rnd pick for a 25 year old T.O. not on this team. This team is about team and T.O. destroyed and divided teams... his own. Another reason Woodson isn't in is because the guy never brought attention to himself. It was all about team. He gave credit to his teammates before he took credit for himself. That's a real leader and is Hall of Fame material in my book.

 

[tyke1doe]

All I know is I'd give anything right now to have a 25 year old Darren Woodson on this team right now. He is instantly the best DB in our secondary by a landslide and it isn't even close. I'd package and trade Carr, Claiborne, Jones, Church, Wilcox, and Brown this offseason for a 25 year old Darren Woodson and I might give my trade partner my 1st rnd pick too.

Oh, I agree. I noticed that after Woodson left, Roy Williams' (the safety) production started to decline. Coincidence?

 

[jamesdojr]

All I know is I'd give anything right now to have a 25 year old Darren Woodson on this team right now. He is instantly the best DB in our secondary by a landslide and it isn't even close. I'd package and trade Carr, Claiborne, Jones, Church, Wilcox, and Brown this offseason for a 25 year old Darren Woodson and I might give my trade partner my 1st rnd pick too.

On the flipside, I wouldnt give a 6th rnd pick for a 25 year old T.O. not on this team. This team is about team and T.O. destroyed and divided teams... his own. Another reason Woodson isn't in is because the guy never brought attention to himself. It was all about team. He gave credit to his teammates before he took credit for himself. That's a real leader and is Hall of Fame material in my book.

And the guy hit like a linebacker and covered like a corner. The hits he could lay down on receivers and running backs ... thing of beauty

 

[jamesdojr]

Oh, I agree. I noticed that after Woodson left, Roy Williams' (the safety) production started to decline. Coincidence?

Exactly! No coincidence. Think of this... QBs are the hardest positions to find once you lose a good one. Since Troy left, we have had 2 QBS - Romo and Dak. They haven't been easy to find and heaven knows we have had some horrible QBS to replace Troy...

....in about the same amount of time, We are still looking to find another Darren Woodson. Haven't even come close.

 

[EST_1986]

Exactly! No coincidence. Think of this... QBs are the hardest positions to find once you lose a good one. Since Troy left, we have had 2 QBS - Romo and Dak. They haven't been easy to find and heaven knows we have had some horrible QBS to replace Troy...

....in about the same amount of time, We are still looking to find another Darren Woodson. Haven't even come close.

Woody has nothing on this guy

 

[AbeBeta]

Woodson not getting in is a joke.

Unless you follow the NFL as a whole.

Good player. Not elite.

Best player on OK defenses who thrived because of 8, 22, and 88.

Get some perspective