CFZ Should Herschel Walker be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

[LACowboysFan1]

And what are the other factors that would be evidence for him being in the HOF?

Being part of a trade where one team got fleeced? Being super (re)productive with multiple women?

Help me out here.

Imho, Walker was one of those players who the other team had to concentrate on, stop or slow Walker and you'll probably win the game.
Impact on the game is a big factor, again imho.

Thanks for the question...

 

[dckid]

Absolutely he should…
I’m convinced we could have won the Super Bowl in his first season if Danny White doesn’t get injured in the Meadowlands.
His debut against the Giants on MNF was a great game, I listened to it live on the armed forces network radio which we could just about pick up here in the UK.
It was also Al Michaels first MNF commentary alongside Frank Gifford.

I dont think that team was anywhere near a SB caliber team even with White. Playoff team yes but they had just gotten spanked by the Bears the year before.

 

[AbeBeta]

Imho, Walker was one of those players who the other team had to concentrate on, stop or slow Walker and you'll probably win the game.
Impact on the game is a big factor, again imho.

Thanks for the question...

For like two seasons?

What do career mean?

 

[Jarntt]

Heck yeah, he won us a few super bowls...

 

[Reverend Conehead]

When the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, all the statistics compiled by the players in the AFL were included in their official statistical history. But when the USFL folded in the mid-1980's, the statistics compiled by the players, including luminaries like Herschel Walker, Reggie White and Jim Kelly were not included in their overall professional football statistics. That is why Bruce Smith is credited with the most sacks in history (200) ahead of Reggie White (198.) If you include the 23.5 sacks Reggie White had while playing in the USFL in 1984 & 1985, Reggie White is the clear #1 all-time sacks leader with 221.5 sacks in his Pro Football career.

In the USFL playing for the New Jersey Generals, Herschel Walker had 7,115 yards from scrimmage.

• 1,143 rushing attempts for 5,562 yards
• 130 receptions for 1,484 yards
• 3 kick returns for 69 yards.

Currently, Herschel Walker ranks 48th in NFL history in total yards from scrimmage, sandwiched between HOF RB Roger Craig at #47, and HOF WR Art Monk at #49. He is 2 spots ahead of soon-to-be HOF TE Jason Witten, who is ranked 50th all-time on the total yards from scrimmage list.

In the NFL, Herschel Walker has a total of 18,168 total yards from scrimmage.

• 1954 rushing attempts for 8,225 yards
• 512 receptions for 4,859 yards
• 215 kick returns for 5,084 yards

If you added his USFL statistics, Herschel Walker would rank #1 on the Total Yards from Scrimmage list with 25,283 yards compiled - 1,743 yards ahead of currently ranked #1 Jerry Rice, and 3,704 yards ahead of currently ranked #2 Emmitt Smith. Even if you exclude his kick return yardage, he would rank 4th all-time, behind Walter Payton with 20,130 Total Yards rushing and receiving.

Walker, even without his USFL statistics currently ranks 45th all time in rushing yards, ahead of HOF players Roger Craig, Larry Czonka, and Terrell Davis. If you add his USFL numbers, he has a total of 13,787 total rushing yards, which would rank him 7th all-time, ahead of HOF RB LaDanian Tomlinson, and just behind HOF RB Curtis Martin. Walker's receiving yards would rank 197th all-time, and his kick return yards would rank 32nd all-time.

In Canton, they call it the Pro Football Hall of Fame, not the NFL Hall of Fame. I'm not sure how they can justify excluding Herschel Walker from among the luminaries inducted into company of legends already included therein.

I think he should be, but I'm heavily biased. I loved Herschel Walker, and was super bummed when he got traded. At the time, I had no idea how good that trade was for the team. I think Walker's already in the college football Hall of Fame.

 

[kskboys]

I didn't say the AFL didn't prove it had talent, so that argument makes no sense.

But if you want to play that game, that was the 3rd season after the merger. The first 2 seasons the AFC (former AFL) wasn't competitive in the Super Bowl. Additionally, it's illogical to suggest the Jets winning in the 3rd season after the merger somehow proved that 3 years earlier the AFL already had the same talent from the top of the league to the bottom that the NFL had.

But ultimately, none of this changes the fact that you have erroneously argued that only NFL accomplishments have ever been considered for the HOF. Clearly that's not true given that pre merger accomplishments, even going back to the early days of the AFL when it was a start up league, were considered for a number of players that got into the HOF.

Opposite. You have yet to prove that any other league counts toward the HOF. You are the one in error, dude.

The fact the AFL eventually merged with the NFL doesn't change the fact it was an entirely separate league, and the stats and accomplishments were not built in the NFL or against NFL talent. Accordingly, there is precedent for stats built outside the NFL to carry weight with HOF voters

Obviously in all the time since, there hasn't been an alternative league that has competed with the NFL to the same degree the AFL did, so that explains why non NFL accomplishments today aren't given the same weight as AFL accomplishments.

As for Flutie, I never suggested stats outside the NFL should carry as much weight as those built in the NFL. In fact, I have consistently & repeatedly said they should not. Plus, there is the question of whether the Pro Football Hall of Fame even allows Canadian accomplishments to be considered. As mentioned before, I don't know if the HOF criteria it is limited to pro football in America.

And yes, you did say the AFL did not have NFL talent.

Where is this precedent?

I really don't even know what you are arguing about at this point. Your last sentence is clear that you don't know, and yet you're arguing as if you do know.

 

[joseephuss]

Opposite. You have yet to prove that any other league counts toward the HOF.

Did the voters consider the old AAFC when voting for Otto Graham for the HoF? He was tremendous in his AAFC years. He was still great once the Browns were folded into the NFL, but not quite at the same level as he was in the AAFC. His career passer rating was 86.63, which was great for his era. If you only consider his time in the NFL, his passer rating was 78.17, which was still a very high level at the time he played. His passer rating was 99.10 for his time in the AAFC. He is a HoFer just from his time in the NFL and what he and the Browns accomplished in those yearx, but I don't think voters ignored what he did in the AAFC as well.

 

[OmerV]

Opposite. You have yet to prove that any other league counts toward the HOF. You are the one in error, dude.

And yes, you did say the AFL did not have NFL talent.

Where is this precedent?

I really don't even know what you are arguing about at this point. Your last sentence is clear that you don't know, and yet you're arguing as if you do know.

The AFL talent was in the AFL, so how could they have been playing against NFL talent? Prior to the merger there were no games between the AFL % NFL


What you're suggesting I said is that I said the AFL had no players at all that had the level of talent to be in the NFL, and I did not say that.


I said AFL accomplishments took place while the player was not in the NFL.

You, on the other hand, have been arguing that only accomplishments in the NFL are counted.

The clear precedent that proves that wrong is that is that guys like Alworth, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Len Dawson and others would not be in the Hall of Fame if not for accomplishments from the years they were not in the NFL

 

[CowboyRoy]

The fact the AFL eventually merged with the NFL doesn't change the fact it was an entirely separate league, and the stats and accomplishments were not built in the NFL or against NFL talent. Accordingly, there is precedent for stats built outside the NFL to carry weight with HOF voters

Obviously in all the time since, there hasn't been an alternative league that has competed with the NFL to the same degree the AFL did, so that explains why non NFL accomplishments today aren't given the same weight as AFL accomplishments.

As for Flutie, I never suggested stats outside the NFL should carry as much weight as those built in the NFL. In fact, I have consistently & repeatedly said they should not. Plus, there is the question of whether the Pro Football Hall of Fame even allows Canadian accomplishments to be considered. As mentioned before, I don't know if the HOF criteria it is limited to pro football in America.

the usfl was also pro football.

 

[OmerV]

the usfl was also pro football.

I didn't say otherwise.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

For like two seasons?

What do career mean?

12 years in the NFL, over 8,000 yards rushing, etc. etc.

You can look it up.

 

[Maverick84]

should be in the insane asylum hall of fame

 

[rags747]

AFL Counts then USFL Generals counts baby! Generals took the league by storm and we all know why! Walker definitely deserves to be in the HOF, much better selection than the Broncos Davis who’s stats do not compare to Walkers! Ty…

 

[AbeBeta]

12 years in the NFL, over 8,000 yards rushing, etc. etc.

You can look it up.

You know that isn't a lot right? Two 100-yard seasons. Sort of pitful.

 

[Chrissyboy]

Great player. A truly dual threat.

He perhaps should be in the HOF for giving us our trade haul and helping to set us up for a decade. Otherwise, I think there are more deserving players through NFL history awaiting their chance, too.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

YES.....

 

[Clove]

No sir.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

You know that isn't a lot right? Two 100-yard seasons. Sort of pitful.

Thanks for your opinion...

 

[TequilaCowboy]

Walker should be in because Warren Moon is. They clearly considered Moon's CFL success when deciding to put him in the hall. However, Hall voters are an inconsistent bunch in their rationale.

It is called the Pro Football HOF, ...and not just the NFL HOF......so Walker's stats, including USFL, would make him the #1 in total yards from scrimmage of all time. Past Jerry Rice and Emmitt. So definitely, belongs in the PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME.

 

[gimmesix]

It is called the Pro Football HOF, ...and not just the NFL HOF......so Walker's stats, including USFL, would make him the #1 in total yards from scrimmage of all time. Past Jerry Rice and Emmitt. So definitely, belongs in the PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME.

I changed my mind after reading more about why it is the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's mainly because of the desire for it to include players from the AFL and NFL since they merged. Couldn't just call it the NFL Hall of Fame. Moon's CFL stuff is mentioned, but it's not included in the numbers the hall shows. It's only kind of mentioned as an oh by the way. Walker would have had to have had a good enough career in the NFL alone to earn inclusion, and he did not. Rather that's fair or not, that seems to be the way that it is.