Shaun Alexander deserves to be in the HOF

[Zebulon Dak]

As it stands right now, and probably ever, if he doesn't get in, he'll be the only player with 100+ TDs not in the Hall of Fame.

This could be exactly right.

If he ever gets in it will be on his TDs + MVP. You're all right, he doesn't have the yards to really compete in that area.

I think he deserves it though, and I think it will eventually happen, as long as he doesn't get pushed too far down that TD list over the next 10 years or so.

 

[Zebulon Dak]

If Davis isn't in, Shaun has no chance.

Davis? You can't mean Terrelll Davis can you?

At this point TD is closer to getting in than Shaun and he has less yards and considerably less touchdowns. But he has Super Bowl wins. And if you want to talk about an offense line, that Broncs line in the late 90s/early 2000s could turn just about anybody into at 1000 yarder.

 

[SalishHawkFan]

Scrolling through the HOF RBs stats on Football-Referenece.com I see that Shauns stats are comparable to the following HOF RB's:

Earl Campbell
Larry Csonka
Floyd Little
Gale Sayers

those guys go back a ways. I'd look at Earl Campbell as being the primary RB you can point to and say, if he deserves in the HOF, then Alexander does too.

You just listed four guys who played 30+ years ago, or even longer................more importantly other than Campbell played before the NFL went to 16 game seasons.

Again, I'm not an Alexander hater, he was a very good back for a couple years. But he just doesn't measure up to the other modern day runners that are getting in, especially in the most important RB category, yards.

If a player falls short in yards, he has to be Lynch type. A guy that everyone respects with how hard he plays and how hard he ran (like Campbell). Alexander is the opposite of that.

Which is why I specifically picked out Campbell as being the primary RB you can point to and say if he deserves to be in the HOF - an nobody denies that Campbell deserves it, then so does Alexander.

Brown racked up the yards in the 60's. Payton racked up his yards during the era of Campbell, as did Dickerson. Marcus Allen was during Campbells time. Sanders was right around that time and Emmitt Smith was right after that period by only a handful of years. Many, many HOFers with tons more yardage made it into the HOF when Campbell played, yet no one debates that Earl earned it.

The more recent RB's in the HOF are no more impressive, in fact, less impressive, than the RB's inducted during Campbells time. Yet Alexanders stats are better than Earls. So if Campbell can make it in, then Alexander deserves a spot.

And I hated Alexander for being a soft player.

 

[JustTheTip]

<--- Trying hard to resist taking bait.

 

[Sac]

but now it's more like 12-13K.

Why?

In an NFL that is more and more geared towards passing and with fewer feature backs, why would the number go up instead of stay the same or go down?

 

[kidhawk]

If Davis isn't in, Shaun has no chance.

Davis? You can't mean Terrelll Davis can you?

At this point TD is closer to getting in than Shaun and he has less yards and considerably less touchdowns. But he has Super Bowl wins. And if you want to talk about an offense line, that Broncs line in the late 90s/early 2000s could turn just about anybody into at 1000 yarder.

My point exactly. TD had a very similar career to SA in just about every way. He does have a Ring that SA didn't get, but SA had almost 67% more TD's over a similar time span.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

but now it's more like 12-13K.

Why?

In an NFL that is more and more geared towards passing and with fewer feature backs, why would the number go up instead of stay the same or go down?

Because players are healthier and playing longer than they use to, so the bar is raised. It's why most of the RB's in the top 10 played in the modern era, (80's to present).

Frankly I don't even think it's close, Alexander isn't getting in.

 

[Our Man in Chicago]

He's kind of right in that grey area. Not many above him are out, and not many below him are in. I don't think he'll get there, but I dunno, he's close. Edgerrin James has to get in before him, right? How about Freddy Taylor and Corey Dillon?

James, Taylor, and Dillon are not HOF-level. Neither is Alexander.

I could see Taylor sneaking in with a Committee vote in a decade or two.

 

[MVP53]

#32 all time rusher ain't getting into the HOF.

10K all time yards used to be the barometer, but now it's more like 12-13K. Add in the fact that Alexander has no rings and didn't get a whole lot of league wide respect for being a soft runner............not helping his cause.

If the benchmark is 12-13K yards, then will any RBs make it in?

Which active RBs do you see reaching that milestone?

Frank Gore & AP are the only 2 active backs with over 10K.

This reminds me a bit of the "300 win" benchmark for pitchers. It's just not very attainable anymore.

 

[Zebulon Dak]

He's kind of right in that grey area. Not many above him are out, and not many below him are in. I don't think he'll get there, but I dunno, he's close. Edgerrin James has to get in before him, right? How about Freddy Taylor and Corey Dillon?

James, Taylor, and Dillon are not HOF-level. Neither is Alexander.

I could see Taylor sneaking in with a Committee vote in a decade or two.

Edge has more yards and TDs than Taylor, plus a Super Bowl. Taylor might have gotten the short end of the stick being stuck in Jacksonville, and that might garner him some sympathy votes, but there's no way he gets in before Edge.

Edge And Marvin Harrison will both get in, probably some time after Peyton goes in. My opinion.

 

[justafan]

Scrolling through the HOF RBs stats on Football-Referenece.com I see that Shauns stats are comparable to the following HOF RB's:

Earl Campbell
Larry Csonka
Floyd Little
Gale Sayers

those guys go back a ways. I'd look at Earl Campbell as being the primary RB you can point to and say, if he deserves in the HOF, then Alexander does too.

IMO Earl Campbell was one of the top 5 RB in history of the game, nobody had that combo of vision,speed and power.SA isnt even in the conversation there.

If we would have been in the SB more or at least won one he might get the vote,but the that team just wasnt in the picture long enough.the whole thing fell apart way too soon

I would love to see him in but I see him as one of the legends of the game.

Agree with the poster that Marshawn will get in before SA

 

[IndyHawk]

Scrolling through the HOF RBs stats on Football-Referenece.com I see that Shauns stats are comparable to the following HOF RB's:

Earl Campbell
Larry Csonka
Floyd Little
Gale Sayers

those guys go back a ways. I'd look at Earl Campbell as being the primary RB you can point to and say, if he deserves in the HOF, then Alexander does too.

The Kansas Comet did his numbers in like 5 years.Earl was a cheat.The other 2 I really don't know too much of.

 

[justafan]

Scrolling through the HOF RBs stats on Football-Referenece.com I see that Shauns stats are comparable to the following HOF RB's:

Earl Campbell
Larry Csonka
Floyd Little
Gale Sayers

those guys go back a ways. I'd look at Earl Campbell as being the primary RB you can point to and say, if he deserves in the HOF, then Alexander does too.

The Kansas Comet did his numbers in like 5 years.Earl was a cheat.The other 2 I really don't know too much of.

How did he cheat?

 

[Rocket]

I'm with Zeb. Regardless of having help, Shaun got the numbers. How many points do Walter and Steve have?
Not even stellar linemen set records without someone GOOD carrying the ball.
Who got the MVP again? I forget...
Don't get me wrong, I despised his hesitations and that dam glued-on smile. But the dude did great things.

 

[hawknation2015]

#32 all time rusher ain't getting into the HOF.

10K all time yards used to be the barometer, but now it's more like 12-13K. Add in the fact that Alexander has no rings and didn't get a whole lot of league wide respect for being a soft runner............not helping his cause.

If the benchmark is 12-13K yards, then will any RBs make it in?

Which active RBs do you see reaching that milestone?

Frank Gore & AP are the only 2 active backs with over 10K.

This reminds me a bit of the "300 win" benchmark for pitchers. It's just not very attainable anymore.

I see 10,000 yards as the benchmark for a RB, and a ring certainly helps if the back played a major role in leading his team there. I would like to see Alexander make the HoF, but unfortunately, I don't see it happening without either of those two accolades. Close but no cigar.

Marshawn is creeping toward that 2nd benchmark with 8,768 yards and counting. He just needs more than the paltry 18 carries he received last Sunday.

 

[justafan]

I hope he does get in.Sometimes its easy to diminish a local sports stars accomplishment because something like his reputation of being soft.I know many were angry that the whole thing fell down so quickly and he gets alot of blame for that.
Maybe the national press and voters have an extremely high opinion of him.
I think his only chance is if most of the fringe players that were mentioned get in before him.

 

[HawkGA]

As an Alabama and Seahawks fan, I love Shaun. But he's not getting into the Hall of Fame.

Honestly, I'm not sure I could say he deserves it. Then again, it seems to me they're voting more and more people into the Hall and really devaluing it so maybe.

 

[thegreeninyoureye]

I think Shaun deserves it to be in. If he played for a different team like Pittsburgh or Dallas he would probably be in by now. Shaun Alexander was a td machine!

 

[redhawk253]

The left side of the line deserves to be in Canton (1 down and 1 to go). Shawn never got many yards after contact unless he could see the endzone. That will hurt his chances

Shaun averaged more ypc to the right over his career. So i guess ya better add those guys too.....

 

[Zebulon Dak]

The left side of the line deserves to be in Canton (1 down and 1 to go). Shawn never got many yards after contact unless he could see the endzone. That will hurt his chances

Shaun averaged more ypc to the right over his career. So i guess ya better add those guys too.....

I was gonna bring that up, I remember hearing that before. Do we have data to back it up?