List of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees from defunct NFL franchises explained

This is a list of inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame that includes inductees who played or coached for franchises that are no longer active. The "charter" class of seventeen was selected in 1963.[1]

Enshrinees are selected by a 44-person Selection Committee which meets each year at the time and location of the Super Bowl. Current rules of the committee stipulate that between four and seven individuals are selected each year.[2] Any person may nominate an individual to the hall, provided the nominee has not played or coached for at least five seasons prior to the nomination. Not including the charter class, 67 players have been inducted in their first year of eligibility.[3]

In addition to the regular Selection Committee, which primarily focuses on contributions made over the past approximately thirty seasons, a nine-member Seniors Committee (which is a subset of the larger committee) submits two nominees each year whose contributions came prior to 1985.[2] These nominees are referred as "Seniors nominees" (formerly "old-timer" nominees).[4]

Two Hall of Famers, Joe Guyon and another Indian halfback, Jim Thorpe, stayed paired together from 1919–1924 on four defunct teams. Starting with the 1919–1920 Canton Bulldogs, they next played for the 1921 Cleveland Indians, 1922–1923 Oorang Indians, and the 1924 Rock Island Independents.[5]

Hall of Famers by team

Akron, Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn

Inductee! scope="col" width="40"
ClassPositionSeasons Major part of Primary Contribution
Akron Pros / Indians
2005 Coach 1921 All-America halfback, pro football pioneer. Helped Akron become NFL's first champion, 1920. One of just two African Americans in the NFL at time. NFL's first African American head coach, 1921. Played and sometimes coached four teams in NFL career.
Halfback 1919 - 1921
1925 - 1926
1950 Baltimore Colts
1981 Quarterback/ Kicker 1950 Chicago Bears, Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders
1968 Defensive tackle 1950 Baltimore Colts
1971 Quarterback 1950 San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants
Boston Yanks
1972 Quarterback 1945 Brooklyn Dodgers
Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers
1981 Offensive end
Defensive end
1936 New York Giants
2005 Quarterback
Coach
1932 - 1934
1932
NFL's first great passer. League record 11 touchdown passes as rookie, 1927 – Another record with 20 TDs, 1929. Led league in touchdown passes four consecutive years (1927–1930). NFL record 66 career touchdown passes lasted for years. Triple-threat player, could run, pass, kick.
Also had major impact for the New York Giants
1971 Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
1938 - 1944 Two-time Mississippi All-America, Dodgers' third-round draft pick, 1938. Was small for tackle position, but was tough, aggressive, fast, durable. Only missed one game due to injury, 60-minute performer, excellent tackler. All-NFL, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1944.
1972 Quarterback 1937 - 1941 All-American tailback at Duke, All-NFL, 1938–1940, NFL's Most Valuable Player, 1940, Triple-threat, two-way back who led Dodgers to their greatest seasons in 1940, 1941, Led Yankees to AAFC Eastern title in 1946

Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas

Inductee! scope="col" width="40"
ClassPositionSeasons Major part of Primary Contribution
Canton Bulldogs
1965 End/ Coach
1922 - 1923 Football hero at Nebraska, Was the premier end of the NFL in the 1920s, Iron man two-way performer. Player-coach of four NFL championship teams: 1922–1923 Canton Bulldogs, 1924 Cleveland Bulldogs, 1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets. Six-year coaching record 58-16-7 for an amazing .759 percentage.
1966 Halfback 1919 - 1920 All-America tackle at Georgia Tech, 1918. Triple-threat halfback in pros. Played with Jim Thorpe on four NFL teams. Helped 1927 Giants compile an 11-1-1 record with his many abilities – passing, running, punting, tackling and blocking. His TD pass gave Giants win over Bears for 1927 NFL title.
1963 Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
Punter
Place kicker
1920 - 1923
1925 - 1926
Signed with Bulldogs same day NFL organized, 1920. Largest player of his time, leader of Canton's championship lines, 1922–1923. A 60-minute performer, also punted, kicked field goals. NFL records for longest punt (94 yards), longest dropkick field goal (50 yards)
Coach 1926
1964 Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
1922 - 1923
1925
Started on four title teams: 1922–1923 Canton, 1924 Cleveland, 1933 Bears. Possibly invented the constant shifting by defensive players before each play.
Also had major impact with the Chicago Bears
1963 Coach / Halfback 1915 - 1917
1919 - 1920
1926
1912 Olympic decathlon champion. First big-time athlete to play pro football, playing for pre-NFL Canton Bulldogs in 1915. NickNamed "The Legend" on the all-time NFL team. Was voted top American athlete of first half of 20th century. First president of the NFL.
Cleveland Bulldogs
1965 End/ Coach
1924 Canton Bulldogs
2005 Quarterback 1927 New York Giants
1964 Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
1924 Canton Bulldogs, Chicago Bears
1966 Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
1925 New York Giants
Cleveland Indians 1921
1966 Halfback 1921 New York Giants
1963 Coach / Halfback 1921 Canton Bulldogs
Columbus Panhandles
1963 Team Owner 1904, 1907–1922 NFL president 1921–1939
Dallas Texans (NFL)
1968 Defensive tackle 1952 Baltimore Colts
1972 Defensive end 1952 Baltimore Colts

Detroit, Duluth, Frankford, Hammond

Inductee! scope="col" width="40"
ClassPositionSeasons Major part of Primary Contribution
Detroit Panthers
1964 Quarterback
Coach
Team owner
1925 - 1926 Chicago Cardinals as a coach
2005 Quarterback 1928
1966 Offensive guard
Defensive line
1926 - 1927 Pittsburgh Steelers
1963 Halfback 1926 - 1927 Green Bay Packers
1963 Fullback
Coach
1926 - 1927
1927
Scored record 40 points in one game against Bears, 1929 – Iron man, playing 1714 of 1740 minutes in 29-game 1926 season – All-league all five NFL seasons
Also had major impact for the Chicago Cardinals
1965 End/ Coach
1925 - 1926 Canton Bulldogs
1964 Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
1925 Canton Bulldogs, Chicago Bears
Hammond Pros
1965 Quarterback pre-NFL 1919 Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Bears
1963 Offensive end
Defensive end
pre-NFL 1919 Chicago Bears
2005 Halfback
Coach
1923, 1925
1925
Akron Pros/Indians

Kansas City, Milwaukee, New York

Inductee! scope="col" width="40"
ClassPositionSeasons Major part of Primary Contribution
Kansas City Cowboys
1966 Halfback 1924 - 1925 New York Giants
1966 Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
1924 - 1925 New York Giants
Milwaukee Badgers
1964 Quarterback
Coach
1922 - 1924
1922 - 1923
Chicago Cardinals as a coach
1963 Halfback 1925 - 1926 Green Bay Packers
2005 Halfback 1922 Akron Pros/Indians
New York Bulldogs/Yanks
1968 Defensive tackle 1951 Baltimore Colts
1967 Quarterback
Placekicker
1949 Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers
1984 Offensive tackle 1951 Cleveland Browns
New York Yankees
1981 Offensive end
Defensive end
1927 - 1928 New York Giants
1976 Offensive end 1927 - 1928 Boston/ Washington Redskins as Head Coach
1963 Halfback 1927 Chicago Bears
1964 Offensive guard
Defensive line
1927 - 1928 Green Bay Packers

Oorang, Pottsville, Providence

Inductee! scope="col" width="40"
ClassPositionSeasons Major part of Primary Contribution
Oorang Indians
1966 Halfback 1922 - 1923 New York Giants
1963 Coach / Halfback 1922 - 1923 Canton Bulldogs
Pottsville Maroons
1963 Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
Punter
Place Kicker
1927 - 1928
Coach 1928
1966 Offensive guard
Defensive line
1928 Pittsburgh Steelers
1963 Halfback 1928 Green Bay Packers
Providence Steam Roller
1964 Quarterback
Coach
1927 - 1929
1927 - 1930
Chicago Cardinals as a coach
2005 Halfback 1925 Akron Pros/Indians

Rock Island, Staten Island, Washington

Inductee! scope="col" width="40"
ClassPositionSeasons Major part of Primary Contribution
Rock Island Independents
1964 Quarterback
Coach
1921 - 1922 Chicago Cardinals as a coach
1966 Halfback 1924 New York Giants
1964 Offensive tackle
Defensive tackle
1920 - 1922 Chicago Bears
1963 Halfback 1924 - 1925 Canton Bulldogs
Staten Island Stapletons
1967 Halfback
Placekicker
1929 - 1932 New York Giants
Washington Senators
1966 Halfback 1921 New York Giants

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ProFootballHallofFame.com. January 25, 2010.
  2. Web site: Selection Process. ProFootballHallofFame.com. January 25, 2010.
  3. Web site: Pro Football Hall of Fame Yearly Finalists. March 23, 2012.
  4. Web site: Senior Nominees, 1972 - 2012. https://archive.today/20130411163022/http://www.profootballhof.com/story/2005/1/1/senior-nominees-1972-2012/. dead. April 11, 2013. ProFootballHallofFame.com. January 22, 2012.
  5. Web site: Joe Guyon Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site.
  6. Web site: Members by Team List . ProFootballHallofFame.com. May 25, 2012.
  7. Web site: Heroes of the Game - Hall of Famers Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site.