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THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 16, No. 6 (1994) HALL OF FAME TOP 15 LISTS

Since 1971, the Board of Selectors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame has narrowed its final choices for enshrinement to the top 15 vote-getters from a preliminary list of 60-70 candidates. If the Senior Committee candidate is not among the top 15, he is also included. There is no set for any class of enshrinees, but the Board's procedural ground rules stipulate that be- tween four and seven new members will be selected each year. In 1973 and 1976, only three new members were enshrined. The Senior Committee candidate must have spent the bulk of his career 25 years earliier (i.e. pre 1970 in 1995). To be elected a candidate needs approximately 80 percent approval.

To be eligible for election, a player must be retired at least five years, a coach need only be retired. There is no retirement qualification for executives.

Although the electees are celebrated each year, we often forget those who came close -- and may make it in a future election. The following is a listing of the top 15 since this procedure was instituted.

LEGEND No. elected in brackets after year No. of times in top 15 in parenthesis Enshrinees in bold type Senior Committee candidate in italics

1971 [7] 1974 [4] 1977 [5] 1980 [4] Roosevelt Brown Roosevelt Brown (4) (2) (3) (4) Willie Davis (2) Charley Conerly (7) Tony Canadeo Charley Conerly (3) (2) Charley Conerly George Connor (6) Willie Davis (5) Len Ford (3) (6) Frank Gifford (2) John Hemry Johnson (6) BILL HEWITT Frank Gifford (3) (3) (2) (4) Dick Lane Big Daddy Lipscomb Jerry Kramer (6) DICK LANE (4) (3) VINCE Yale Lary Dante Lavelli (4) Joe Schmidt Jim Ringo (6) (2) Y.A. TITTLE (3) Pete Rozelle (3) Willie Wood (4) 1975 [4] 1978 [5] 1972 [4] Doug Atkins Herb Adderley 1981 [4] Roosevelt Brown (2) ROOSEVELT BROWN (5) Doug Atkins (5) Tony Canadeo (2) Charley Conerly (4) Doug Atkins (3) Charley Conerly (2) GEORGE CONNOR (2) Charley Conerly (6) Bill George Len Ford (4) Willie Davis (3) WILLIE DAVIS (6) Frank Gifford (2) Frank Gifford (4) WEEB EWBANK (3) Paul Hornung John Henry Johnson Paul Hornung (4) Jerry Kramer (2) Sam Huff Paul Hornung (7) Dick Lane (2) Yale Lary (2) John Henry Johnson (4) Jerry Kramer (7) Dante Lavelli (2) DANTE LAVELLI (5) Jerry Kramer (4) LENNY MOORE Yale Lary (5) Don Maynard (2) Jim Ringo Mike McCormack Clark Shaughnessy JIM RINGO Joe Schmidt Jim Taylor (3) Jim Ringo (4) Johnny Robinson (2) LARRY WILSON Pete Rozelle (4) Doak Walker 1976 [3] Willie Wood (2) Charley Conerly (5) Willie Wood (5) 1973 [3] Willie Davis 1979 [4] Weeb Ewbank Herb Adderley (2) 1982 [4] Roosevelt Brown (3) Doug Atkins (4) DOUG ATKINS (6) Tony Canadeo (3) LEN FORD (5) Len Ford (2) Willie Davis (4) Frank Gifford (5) Gene Hickerson (2) Lou Groza Paul Hornung (3) Paul Hornung (5) Paul Hornung (8) Ole Haugsrud John Henry Johnson (2) John Henry Johnson (5) SAM HUFF (2) Paul Hornung (2) Jerry Kramer (5) Sonny Jurgensen (2) Dick Lane (3) Jerry Kramer (3) YALE LARY (6) Dante Lavelli (3) Yale Lary (3) John Mackey Don Maynard (3) Tony Morabito Jim Ringo (2) Mike McCormack (2) JIM PARKER Clark Shaughnessy (2) Jim Ringo (5) JOE SCHMIDT (2) JIM TAYLOR (4) Pete Rozelle (2) Jim Taylor Doak Walker (4) Johnny Robinson (3) Doak Walker (2) Willie Wood (3) Pete Rozelle (5) Willie Wood (6)

1 THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 16, No. 6 (1994)

1983 [5] 1987 [7] 1991 [5] (4) (4) 1995 [5] Bob Brown Bob Brown (2) (7) SID GILLMAN (2) (2) (5) L.C. Greenwood (2) Gene Hickerson (3) Al Davis (2) Carl Eller (3) (2) Paul Hornung (9) LEN DAWSON (3) L,C. Greenwood John Henry Johnson (7) JOHN HANNAH (4) SONNY JURGENSEN (2) STAN JONES HENRY JORDAN (4) Don Maynard (4) JOHN HENRY JOHNSON (9) John Mackey (4) Mike McCormack (3) Jerry Kramer (9) (7) (3) (2) (2) (2) Johnny Robinson (4) DON MAYNARD (8) Pete Rozelle (6) Tommy McDonald (4) Lynn Swann (8) Mac Speedie (2) (3) ALAN PAGE Willie Wood (7) 1984 [4] 1988 [4] 1992 [4] Fred Biletnikoff George Allen LEM BARNEY (2) WILLIE BROWN FRED BILETNIKOFF (5) Bob Brown (3) Buck Buchanan (3) AL DAVIS (6) Paul Hornung (10) Al Davis (2) Dan Dierdorf (2) Henry Jordan (2) MIKE DITKA Carl Eller (4) Jerry Kramer (8) Willie Lanier Bob Griese (3) Bud Grant (3) Don Maynard (5) Ray Guy MIKE McCORMACK (4) Charlie Joiner Joe Namath (2) Leroy Kelly (2) Tom Mack (4) Pete Rozelle (7) Tom Mack (2) JOHN MACKEY (5) ALAN PAGE CHARLEY TAYLOR (2) JOHN RIGGINS (2) Lynn Swann (5) Willie Wood (8) Lynn Swann Bill Walsh

1989 [4] 1985 [5] 1993 [5] Fred Biletnikoff (2) Bob Brown (4) Buck Buchanan (2) Buck Buchanan (4) Carl Eller (5) Carl Eller Al Davis (3) FRANK GATSKI Carl Eller (2) Charlie Joiner (2) Paul Hornung (11) Bud Grant (2) LARRY LITTLE (4) Willie Lanier (2) Bob Griese (4) Tom Mack (5) Ted Hemdricks Don Maynard (6) Henry Jordan (2) JOE NAMATH (3) Leroy Kelly (3) Mel Renfro Johnny Robinson (5) Tom Mack (3) PETE ROZELLE (8) John Mackey (2) O.J. SIMPSON ART SHELL (2) Dwight Stephenson Lynn Swann (2) Lymm Swann (6) Fran Tarkenton (2) WILLIE WOOD (10) BILL WALSH (2) Willie Wood (9) Kellen Winslow 1990 [7] BUCK BUCHANAN (5) 1986 [5] Al Davis (4) 1994 (6) Fred Biletnikoff (3) Dan Dierdorf Dan Dierdorf (3) Larry Csonka BOB GRIESE (5) Al Davis Carl Eller (6) Len Dawson (2) (2) BUD GRANT (4) Bob Griese JACK LAMBERT JIMMY JOHNSON PAUL HORNUNG (12) Charlie Joiner (3) KEN Larry Little (3) LEROY KELLY (4) John Henry Johnson (8) John Mackey (3) WILLIE LANIER (3) BOB ST. CLAIR Tom Mack (6) Larry Little Ken Stabler Mel Renfro (2) Tom Mack Lynn Swann (3) JACKIE SMITH Don Maynard (7) Johnny Robinson (6) Jack Youngblood Lynn Swann (7) FRAN TARKENTON (3) RANDY WHITE DOAK WALKER (5) Kellen Winslow (2)

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