I'd vote him in. Unfortunately In Klecko's case, I think the lack of a Super Bowl championship - let alone an appearance - has hurt his chances among the voters. It shouldn't though. Going to the pro bowl for all three positions on the DL should be enough......
I think too many voters see him as a one hit wonder with that amazing 20 sack season. It's dumb, because he wasn't, but I'm not on the HOF comission.
Joe Klecko was consistently one of the 5 best defensive linemen in the NFL when he was healthy. That wasn't often enough to guarantee him a spot in the hall and I think ultimately the injuries probably cost him the hall. It's a shame because he was far and away the greatest defensive lineman ever to play for the Jets.
Klecko's injuries and the Jets' failure to get him to the Super Bowl are the main two barriers, but he was a game-changing presence in many ways, rooted in the fundamentals and capable of playing his best in clutch situations, with a passion so raw it was frankly scary...at least to this fan. It's a shame Klecko's overlooked so often, even by me in an earlier posting when I wrote about all the Jets' retired numbers and forgot old #73.
I think he should be in but you have to be on the ballot to be voted in and he has never been on the ballot.
Klecko was over shadowed by LT and as good as the Jets D was with the sack exchange the Bears came in and slaped the crap out of us on our home field. I think while Jet fans rightly recognized Klecko as a top player guys like Reggie White, LT, Dan Hampton and a few others over shadowed him on the national stage. His career was also cut short by injuries and he only had 4 pro bowl appearances. I don't see how he will get into the HOF although he was a great player. I would argue that Gerry Philbin had the best year of any Jet lineman in 68 and the 68 line was far better than the sack exchange. I do agree that Klecko was a great player but 4 pro bowls injuries and you could argue he was never the best player at his position during his playing career is probably what is holding him back from serious consideration.
Peer opponents, such as Dwight Stephenson (Center for the Dolphins and a HOFer) need to step up and speak on Klecko's behalf. One of the reasons he's in the Hall is his battles with Klecko.
If Klecko gets in, Smerlas from the Bills needs to be in. Both borderline IMHO, but I would put them both in. If I had to leave one out, it would be Klecko.
I think he should be in the hall of fame based on his acting in some of those old Burt Reynolds movies alone.
You're going to get an overwhelming positive on a Jets site, but to me, this is a no-brainer. He was the most dominant at his position in his time, both against the run and the pass, and he was all-pro at three positions. Definitely HOF material.
He was first team All-Pro in 1981 and 1985, but there are more deserving players not in the HOF such as Claude Humphrey, Roger Wehrli, Charlie Sanders, Tommy Nobis, and Art Monk.
First team All-Pro in 1984 and 2nd team another time, but widely recognized as a better WR than Klecko was a DL.
Art Monk was a solid possession WR who cought a ton of passes. He was not in the same class of the HOF WR of his era Swann, Stallworth, Lotfton, Largent, Joiner, Belitnikoff all had much better Y per Catch and were all head and shoulders better than Monk. I would argue that Klecko was much more in the class of the top Defensive lineman of his era than Monk was to the top WR of his era.
He was a Hall of Fame finalist, though. 2006 Preliminary Nominees Name Position Years/Team(s) Troy Aikman ^ QB 1989-2000 Dallas Cowboys Ken Anderson QB 1971-1986 Cincinnati Bengals Ottis Anderson RB 1979-1986 St. Louis Cardinals, 1986-1992 New York Giants Bruce Armstrong ^ T 1987-2000 New England Patriots Steve Atwater S 1989-1999 Denver Broncos Mark Bavaro TE 1985-1990 New York Giants, 1992 Cleveland Browns, 1993-1994 Philadelphia Eagles Cornelius Bennett ^ LB 1987-1995 Buffalo Bills, 1996-1998 Atlanta Falcons, 1999-2000 Indianapolis Colts Matt Blair LB 1974-1985 Minnesota Vikings Cliff Branch WR 1972-1985 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders Gil Brandt Administrator 1960-1988 Dallas Cowboys, 1995-present National Football League Robert Brazile LB 1975-1984 Houston Oilers Joey Browner S 1983-1991 Minnesota Vikings, 1992 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Harold Carmichael WR 1971-1983 Philadelphia Eagles, 1984 Dallas Cowboys Harry Carson * LB 1976-1988 New York Giants Todd Christensen TE 1979 New York Giants, 1979-1988 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders Gary Clark WR 1985-1992 Washington Redskins, 1993-1994 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 1995 Miami Dolphins Mark Clayton WR 1983-1992 Miami Dolphins, 1993 Green Bay Packers Ben Coates ^ TE 1991-1999 New England Patriots, 2000 Baltimore Ravens Don Coryell Coach 1973-1977 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers Jim Covert T 1983-1990 Chicago Bears Roger Craig RB 1983-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991 Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-1993 Minnesota Vikings Curley Culp DT 1968-1974 Kansas City Chiefs, 1974-1980 Houston Oilers, 1980-1981 Detroit Lions Isaac Curtis WR 1973-1984 Cincinnati Bengals Dermontti Dawson ^ C 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers Fred Dean DE 1975-1981 San Diego Chargers, 1981-1985 San Francisco 49ers Ed DeBartolo, Jr. Owner 1979-1997 San Francisco 49ers Richard Dent * DE 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles Chris Doleman DE/LB 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-1995 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-1998 San Francisco 49ers Ray Donaldson C 1980-1992 Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts, 1993-1994 Seattle Seahawks, 1995-1996 Dallas Cowboys Mark Duper WR 1982-1992 Miami Dolphins Kenny Easley S 1981-1987 Seattle Seahawks Henry Ellard WR 1983-1993 Los Angeles Rams, 1994-1998 Washington Redskins, 1998 New England Patriots Tom Flores Coach 1979-1987 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-1994 Seattle Seahawks Chuck Foreman RB 1973-1979 Minnesota Vikings, 1980 New England Patriots Russ Francis TE 1975-1980, 1987-1988 New England Patriots, 1982-1987 San Francisco 49ers Irving Fryar ^ WR 1984-1992 New England Patriots, 1993-1995 Miami Dolphins, 1996-1998 Philadelphia Eagles, 1999-2000 Washington Redskins Randy Gradishar LB 1974-1983 Denver Broncos Kevin Greene LB (also DE) 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-1995 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-1999 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers L.C. Greenwood * DE 1969-1981 Pittsburgh Steelers Russ Grimm * G 1981-1991 Washington Redskins Ray Guy P 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders Pat Haggerty Game Official 1965-1992 National Football League Charles Haley DE/LB 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-1996 Dallas Cowboys Jim Hart QB 1966-1983 St. Louis Cardinals, 1984 Washington Redskins Ken Harvey LB 1988-1993 Phoenix Cardinals, 1994-1998 Washington Redskins Lester Hayes CB 1977-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders Jay Hilgenberg C 1981-1991 Chicago Bears, 1992 Cleveland Browns, 1993 New Orleans Saints Chris Hinton G/T 1983-1989 Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts, 1990-1993 Atlanta Falcons, 1994-1995 Minnesota Vikings Kent Hull C 1986-1996 Buffalo Bills Claude Humphrey DE 1968-1974, 1976-1978 Atlanta Falcons, 1979-1981 Philadelphia Eagles Michael Irvin * WR 1988-1999 Dallas Cowboys Rickey Jackson LB 1981-1993 New Orleans Saints, 1994-1995 San Francisco 49ers Joe Jacoby T 1981-1993 Washington Redskins Jimmy Johnson Coach 1989-1993 Dallas Cowboys, 1996-1999 Miami Dolphins Brent Jones TE 1987-1997 San Francisco 49ers Ed “Too Tall” Jones DE 1974-1978, 1980-1989 Dallas Cowboys Mike Kenn T 1978-1994 Atlanta Falcons Cortez Kennedy ^ DT 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks Joe Klecko DE/DT/NT 1977-1987 New York Jets, 1988 Indianapolis Colts Chuck Knox Coach 1973-1977, 1992-1994 Los Angeles Rams, 1978-1982 Buffalo Bills, 1983-1991 Seattle Seahawks Bob Kuechenberg * G 1970-1984 Miami Dolphins (injured 1984) Henry Lawrence G/T 1974-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders Albert Lewis CB 1983-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-1998 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders Nick Lowery K 1978 New England Patriots, 1980-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-1996 New York Jets Dexter Manley DE 1981-1989 Washington Redskins, 1990 Phoenix Cardinals, 1991 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Charles Mann DE 1983-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 San Francisco 49ers Fred Marion S 1982-1991 New England Patriots Clay Matthews LB 1978-1993 Cleveland Browns, 1994-1996 Atlanta Falcons Art McNally Game Official 1968-1991 National Football League Karl Mecklenburg LB 1983-1994 Denver Broncos Sam Mills LB 1986-1994 New Orleans Saints, 1995-1997 Carolina Panthers Art Modell Owner 1961-1995 Cleveland Browns, 1996-2003 Baltimore Ravens Art Monk * WR 1980-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 New York Jets, 1995 Philadelphia Eagles Warren Moon ^ QB 1984-1993 Houston Oilers, 1994-1996 Minnesota Vikings, 1997-1998 Seattle Seahawks, 1999-2000 Kansas City Chiefs Nate Newton G 1986-1998 Dallas Cowboys, 1999 Carolina Panthers John Offerdahl LB 1986-1993 Miami Dolphins Lemar Parrish CB 1970-1977 Cincinnati Bengals, 1978-1981 Washington Redskins, 1982 Buffalo Bills Drew Pearson WR 1973-1983 Dallas Cowboys Jim Plunkett QB 1971-1975 New England Patriots, 1976-1977 San Francisco 49ers, 1979-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders Andre Reed ^ WR 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins Dan Reeves Coach 1981-1992 Denver Broncos, 1993-1996 New York Giants, 1997-2003 Atlanta Falcons Ken Riley CB 1969-1983 Cincinnati Bengals Reggie Roby P 1983-1992 Miami Dolphins, 1993-1994 Washington Redskins, 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1996-1997 Houston/Tennessee Oilers, 1998 San Francisco 49ers George Rogers RB 1981-1984 New Orleans Saints, 1985-1987 Washington Redskins Ed Sabol Contributor Founder - NFL Films Steve Sabol Contributor President - NFL Films Rich Saul C 1970-1981 Los Angeles Rams Sterling Sharpe WR 1988-1994 Green Bay Packers Donnie Shell S 1974-1987 Pittsburgh Steelers Clyde Simmons ^ DE 1986-1993 Philadelphia Eagles, 1994-1995 Arizona Cardinals, 1996-1997 Jacksonville Jaguars, 1998 Cincinnati Bengals, 1999-2000 Chicago Bears Phil Simms QB 1979-1993 New York Giants, injured-1982 Fred Smerlas NT 1979-1989 Buffalo Bills, 1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991-1992 New England Patriots Neil Smith ^ DE 1988-1996 Kansas City Chiefs, 1997-1999 Denver Broncos, 2000 San Diego Chargers Ken Stabler QB 1970-1979 Oakland Raiders, 1980-1981 Houston Oilers, 1982-1984 New Orleans Saints Paul Tagliabue Commissioner 1989-present National Football League Darryl Talley LB 1983-1994 Buffalo Bills, 1995 Atlanta Falcons, 1996 Minnesota Vikings Steve Tasker ST/WR 1985-1986 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills Joe Theismann QB 1974-1985 Washington Redskins Derrick Thomas * LB 1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs Thurman Thomas ^ RB 1988-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Miami Dolphins Andre Tippett LB 1982-1993 New England Patriots Jessie Tuggle ^ LB 1987-2000 Atlanta Falcons Jeff Van Note C 1969-1986 Atlanta Falcons Brad Van Pelt LB 1973-1983 New York Giants, 1984-1985 Los Angeles Raiders, 1986 Cleveland Browns Herschel Walker RB 1986-1989, 1996-1997 Dallas Cowboys, 1989-1991 Minnesota Vikings, 1992-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995 New York Giants Everson Walls CB 1981-1989 Dallas Cowboys, 1990-1992 New York Giants, 1992-1993 Cleveland Browns Roger Wehrli * CB 1969-1982 St. Louis Cardinals Reggie White ^ DE/DT 1985-1992 Philadelphia Eagles, 1993-1998 Green Bay Packers, 2000 Carolina Panthers Ralph Wilson, Jr. Owner 1959-Present Buffalo Bills Ron Wolf Administrator 1991-2001 Green Bay Packers George Young * Administrator 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-1978 Miami Dolphins, 1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 National Football League Gary Zimmerman T 1986-1992 Minnesota Vikings, 1993-1997 Denver Broncos ^ - First year of eligibility * - Finalist in 2005
Sharpe was maybe the 2nd best receiver I've seen. Unfortunately, he's in the same grouping with Rich Jackson and Kenny Easley. They were on their way to Hall of Fame careers and then had to retire due to injuries. Gale Sayers got in based on only a 7-year career but he was on the highest level of the all time great players.
