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Thread: Jerome Bettis, Kevin Greene Hall of Fame finalists

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    Jerome Bettis, Kevin Greene Hall of Fame finalists

    Bettis, Greene Hall of Fame finalists

    Teresa Varley
    Steelers.com

    Former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis and linebacker Kevin Greene are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

    Former Steelers’ running back Jerome Bettis and linebacker Kevin Greene were among the 15 finalists announced on Thursday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014. They were selected from an initial list of 126 individuals that included 89 players, 16 coaches and 21 contributors that was then whittled down to 25 semifinalists.

    Bettis, who has been a finalist the previous three years, rushed for 10,571 yards with the Steelers, and amassed 13,662 career yards overall in his career, ranking sixth all-time in the NFL.

    “Jerome has put in the work and he is worthy of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” said Hall of Fame center Dermontti Dawson. “With his stats, he has put in the work to qualify.”

    He was the Steelers leading rusher from 1996-2001 and in 2003-04, and posted 50 100-yard games with the Steelers. He was voted to the Pro Bowl six times and capped his career by helping to lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl XL Championship.

    “He had tremendous feet,” said former Steelers running back Merril Hoge, now an NFL analyst for ESPN. “His lateral movement was great for any size. He could play between the tackles, which in the NFL is the majority of where you play. The combination of his size, power and quickness allowed him to be extremely unique and rare.”

    Greene, a finalist the last two years, played 15 seasons in the NFL, three of them with the Steelers (1993-95). He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1985, and soared to success in his fourth NFL season when he finished the year with 16.5 sacks. In his three seasons with the Steelers he had 35.5 sacks and two Pro Bowl selections. He finished his career with 160 sacks, 26 fumble recoveries, five interceptions, and recorded three safeties.

    “He had such a will to inflict a sack on the quarterback,” said Steelers’ defensive assistant Jerry Olsavsky, who played linebacker with Greene. “Back in 1993 when Kevin showed up here, that was his main goal. He would always say, ‘I have to get to the quarterback.’ He would remind you, ‘I have to get to the quarterback.’ It was a running play and he would still say, ‘I have to get to the quarterback,’ and we would tell him it’s a running play.”

    The class of 2014 will be announced in New York City on Saturday, Feb. 1, during the NFL Honors Awards Show as a part of Super Bowl XLVIII weekend.

    Finalists for Hall of Fame Class of 2014: K Morten Andersen. RB Jerome Bettis, LB Derrick Brooks, WR Tim Brown, Eddie DeBartolo, Jr., Owner, Coach Tony Dungy, LB Kevin Greene, DE Charles Haley, WR Marvin Harrison, OT Walter Jones, DB John Lynch, WR Andre Reed, OG Will Shields, DE Michael Strahan, DB Aeneas Williams.

    [URL]http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Bettis-Greene-Hall-of-Fame-finalists/e3f83635-7a1e-4a92-8e93-ed90b88cce3a[/URL]
    Steel Maniac's Time-Based Prediction: Lamar Jackson will be a bust and total flop in the NFL.

    What Actually Happened: Lamar Jackson became the youngest two-time NFL MVP winner ever.

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  2. #2
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    I don't view Kevin Greene as a true Steeler and I never will even if he does end up in the HOF. Good player but not loyal to any one team that he played for IMHO.

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    I hope Dungy makes it, he has the body of work both as a player and coach. He is from my hometown and I called him once when I was a kid. Guy took time out to come to my school for an 'interview'. Back then he had a full fro, still have the pictures.
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    Im thinking this will be the year for the Bus. I'd guess that Jones, Brooks, Strahan, Bettis, Harrison, DeBartolo, and Dungy get in.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Man of Steel View Post
    I don't view Kevin Greene as a true Steeler and I never will even if he does end up in the HOF. Good player but not loyal to any one team that he played for IMHO.
    MOS, You got to cut Kevin a break. You can only be as loyal to a team as the team is to you; if they don't want to pay you fair market value, what are you supposed to do? The owners make maximum $ while, hopefully, trying to win. Why shouldn't a player try to do the same? The Rams let KG hit free agency; they didn't value him so he left. The Steelers had a young Jason Gildon waiting in the wings, who would do the job for cheaper, and let KG walk. How is that his fault? (BTW, Gildon went on to set the all-time Steelers' record in sacks, so you can't fault that decision as well.) If the Steelers wanted to pay KG fair market value, he would have stayed, but they had a cheaper alternative. I remember at the time, KG said, "Jason is ready to play and start now, I understand." He wasn't bitter or anything. And, even though he only player here 3 years, they WERE his most prominent years of his career, so, yea, I do consider him a Steeler first and foremost. Those seasons with KG, Lloyd, Brown and Kirkland were special. They are considered one of the best LB units of all time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by flippy View Post
    Im thinking this will be the year for the Bus. I'd guess that Jones, Brooks, Strahan, Bettis, Harrison, DeBartolo, and Dungy get in.
    IDK, I see it as Walter Jones, Tim Brown (been waiting for a long time, which is why he goes in before Harrison), Bettis (deserving and chums with the media boys, so he gets in), Ray Guy (first and only punter to make it, have to finally let a punter in and he was the best ever), Charles Haley (won more rings than anyone, and he WAS a big part of his team winning, Brooks and Greene have to wait, only one LB at a time), and, I guess Dungy (super nice guy everyone loves and still feel sorry about loss of his son).

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by sick beats View Post
    IDK, I see it as Walter Jones, Tim Brown (been waiting for a long time, which is why he goes in before Harrison), Bettis (deserving and chums with the media boys, so he gets in), Ray Guy (first and only punter to make it, have to finally let a punter in and he was the best ever), Charles Haley (won more rings than anyone, and he WAS a big part of his team winning, Brooks and Greene have to wait, only one LB at a time), and, I guess Dungy (super nice guy everyone loves and still feel sorry about loss of his son).
    It'll be close between Brown and Harrison. I think Harrison's the better WR, but he's had some off field issues that could work against him and Brown has been lingering for a while and put up HOF numbers. They might wanna get Brown in before more modern WRs with big numbers start flooding the ballots.

    Brooks is an 11 time ProBowler and 5 time All Pro. I think he's better and gets more votes than Haley although Haley had a lot of sacks and rings. Although I think Greene might get in ahead of Haley.

    I gave Strahan the edge over Greene because he's got more All Pros and Pro Bowl appearances plus he's got the single season sack record and is the biggest media darling of any former NFLer. But Greene has some monster numbers and this is a close call.

    Re: Ray Guy, I agree he deserves it, but he's a punter. I think he's gonna need a big push from the talking heads to get over the hump. I figure Debartolo gets in over him. He did get his team 5 SuperBowls and I think that sets him apart from his peers even moreso than anyone on the list.

  8. #8
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    bussie is the only RB in the class so I think this is his year. hope he makes it!
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