It takes a village to build a Hall of Fame

[cbarrier90]

​Kevin Greene will get in before either of them.

He still falls under the Reggie White category.

Sam Mills technically does too but he obviously has completely different circumstances that tie him to the organization.

[Mr. Scot]

The thing about getting into the Hall of Fame is that unless you're an 'obvious lock' like Reggie White or Jerry Rice, you need someone in the media/voting pool to 'champion your cause'.

Who's gonna do that for Smitty?

[TN05]

He still falls under the Reggie White category.

Sam Mills technically does too but he obviously has completely different circumstances that tie him to the organization.

​With all due respect, that's like calling Sam Mills part of the Reggie White category. Reggie White was pretty much a JAG here and even if he had a great final year, nobody would remember him as a Panther. Nobody counts him as ours. But Kevin Greene is remembered just as much for his tenure here as anywhere else. Two of his five Pro Bowls and 25% of his sacks came with us.

[TN05]

The thing about getting into the Hall of Fame is that unless you're an 'obvious lock' like Reggie White or Jerry Rice, you need someone in the media/voting pool to 'champion your cause'.

Who's gonna do that for Smitty?

​The multiple cornerbacks that have praised him as the best they ever went up against can and have done that.

[Mr. Scot]

​The multiple cornerbacks that have praised him as the best they ever went up against can and have done that.

​Are any of them Hall of Fame voters?

There's a big difference in effort between praising a guy and mounting a campaign to get him into the Hall of Fame.

[TN05]

​Are any of them Hall of Fame voters?

There's a big difference in effort between praising a guy and mounting a campaign to get him into the Hall of Fame.

​Possibly Hall of Famers themselves, if that counts for anything. The media seems to love the guy and the stats speak for themselves, especially playoffs. I mean, if you look at the stats, his production is basically unprecedented. He averages somewhere around 95 yards and a touchdown per game. In full seasons he averages around 75 catches, 1087 yards, and 6 TDs a year. That's roughly in the same ballpark as Randy Moss (61 catches, 956 yards, 13 TDs), Marvin Harrison (90 catches, 1,194 yards, 11 TDs) Larry Fitzgerald (83 catches, 1,104 yards, 8 TDs), and Terrell Owens (72 catches, 1,062, 10 TDs) with far inferior quarterbacks.

[Mr. Scot]

​Possibly Hall of Famers themselves, if that counts for anything. The media seems to love the guy and the stats speak for themselves, especially playoffs. I mean, if you look at the stats, his production is basically unprecedented. He averages somewhere around 95 yards and a touchdown per game. In full seasons he averages around 75 catches, 1087 yards, and 6 TDs a year. That's roughly in the same ballpark as Randy Moss (61 catches, 956 yards, 13 TDs), Marvin Harrison (90 catches, 1,194 yards, 11 TDs) Larry Fitzgerald (83 catches, 1,104 yards, 8 TDs), and Terrell Owens (72 catches, 1,062, 10 TDs) with far inferior quarterbacks.

The stats are valid, but I wouldn't be so sure about the 'media loving the guy' part. Some of them have had run-ins with him.

[RelaxImaPro]

Smitty has been shafted by voters a lot throughout his career.  Times where he missed out on the All-NFL, All-NFC teams, Pro Bowls, etc... he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way earlier in his career.

He was very obviously a HOF caliber player, but due to circumstances not under his control (limited to no play time early on, QB carousels, injuries), and the fact he's been overlooked a lot in his career... I wouldn't get my hopes up about him making the HOF.  I really hope I'm wrong though.

For instance, Larry Fitzgerald has made the Pro Bowl, etc. with statlines like this:

784 yards, 2 TDs, all 16 games played

He's still only 31, an age where great WRs still typically put up great seasons.  Wanna know what Smitty was doing at 31?  1,394 yards, 7 TDs, and he very unfortunately fell short at the 1 yard/goal line probably 7 or 8 more times that season.

Sorry, but Fitz is one of the most overrated great WRs I've ever seen.  He was putting up his numbers when he had Boldin on the other side drawing coverage, and Kurt Warner as his QB.  Any WR worth his salt would've been putting up numbers in that situation.

What happened once he was put in Steve's situation that he dealt with the majority of his career (that everyone makes excuses for Fitz for) with an average-to-below-average QB with no other receiver to take off the double/triple coverage?  He stopped putting up 1,000 yard seasons.  Yet he's undoubtedly a HOF lock for some reason.  Hell, you could argue he doesn't even deserve half his Pro Bowls.

I don't have a doubt that player-to-player that Steve was a better WR than Fitz.  Hell, Smitty might be one of the top 5 best ever IMHO if all circumstances were equal across the playing field.  He was truly a special talent that sadly had a lot of his potential wasted.

[B.BERSIN]

This will turn into a debate about "Steve Smith will enter the HOF or not" thread quickly.

[camycamcan]

Smitty has better numbers than Michael irvin but SBs are a problem

[OneBadCat]

Smith will get in the HOF. He's too damn good and what he's done at his underdog stature is unprecentdented. He will always be remembered. Perhaps going to the Ravens maybe what ultimately gets the NFL media and country behind him.

If he hits 14,000 receiving  yards his ass in the HOF. It may take time but it will happen. His all purpose yards are already HOF worthy.

And to comment on a previous post. Smith has always been better than Larry Fitzgerald. I've shared that same sentiment for years.