Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

[shelby]

Best of luck to BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!

Former Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith headlined a list of first-year nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class for 2009. The preliminary list, released Tuesday, also included tight end Shannon Sharpe and defensive back Rod Woodson among the 11 first-year nominees.
The NFL’s all-time leader with 200 sacks, Smith was an eight-time All-Pro in a 19-year career with the Bills and Washington Redskins from 1985-2003.

Also on the list: RB Larry Centers and everyone's favorite, Ralph Wilson.

linky

[OpIv37]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Bruce is a given.

[Mitchell55]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Go Larry Centers. Im very surprised he is on it though.

[OpIv37]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Go Larry Centers. Im very surprised he is on it though.

It's more for his time in Arizona (well, Phoenix at the time) than in Buffalo. He was one of the best at receiving out of the backfield. He came to Buffalo towards the end of his career and while he was solid here, he certainly wasn't Hall of Fame material.

[Mitchell55]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

It's more for his time in Arizona (well, Phoenix at the time) than in Buffalo. He was one of the best at receiving out of the backfield. He came to Buffalo towards the end of his career and while he was solid here, he certainly wasn't Hall of Fame material.

Like all bills players (flutie, burris, centers,morris,smith) he ended his time as a patriot which sucks.

[Pinkerton Security]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Centers helped revolutionize the FB position, though now it is kinda of rare to have a fullback at all. Now H-backs and the like are more popular, as is the single back. He was a very unique player.

[patmoran2006]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Bruce and Sharpe are both locks, prolly Woodson too.

[Night Train]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Bruce is a lock but his ego is sure healthy.

For the last 2-3 years, he's been signing memorabilia "Bruce Smith HOF '09 "

[trapezeus]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

jerry jones is on the ballot? What has he done for football other than put a bunch of whining divas on a team together with the most pasive coach of all time?

he started this Personal seat licence nonsense. he doesn't believe in sharing the luxury box suites but increase the salary cap. he wants more new stadiums funded by tax payers. this guy is the original crooked CEO who just hasn't got caught yet.

I'm literally going to die a little if (and when) he goes into the HOF.

[Marvelous]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Bruuuuce!!!
-I think i might attend this... Never recovered my 1st jersey(Bruce). It was defaced via jiz-ragged by Phinhead best friend when i was late teen... Irony is best served when bitter


-Time to put the Ralph in for all his hard work...& esp while he's alive to be able to die as a Hall o' Famer!

[Marvelous]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Larry Centers is responsible for about 85% of all Rob Johnsons completions..I bet Trent Edwards (&JP) would DIE to have a outlet on the flats like that now... Screw Hyped up expensive TE's, when you can draft a awesome catching FB/H-back.. Then again i see Owen Schmitt as a all out, old school , smash mouth FB.. Shoulda woulda coulda been nice...

[gil]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Bruce deserves it, ego or not.

Pulling for Andre & Tasker

[OpIv37]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Bruce deserves it, ego or not.

Kelly had an ego too. So did Michael Jordan. I don't mind athletes having egos when they back it up on the field/court/ice/whatever. Bruce Smith is at worst the second best DE in the history of the game. He was absolutely dominant in his day and the only guy that was better than him is Reggie White. No one else even comes close (you could probably argue Deacon Jones but the game was so different back then that it's hard to compare). Of course he's going to have an ego.

[gil]

Re: Bruce Smith headlines first-year Hall nominees

Kelly had an ego too. So did Michael Jordan. I don't mind athletes having egos when they back it up on the field/court/ice/whatever. Bruce Smith is at worst the second best DE in the history of the game. He was absolutely dominant in his day and the only guy that was better than him is Reggie White. No one else even comes close (you could probably argue Deacon Jones but the game was so different back then that it's hard to compare). Of course he's going to have an ego.

Completely agree - I was going to say that - I think a big part of what made him great outside of his unbelievable god-given talents was that he also believed he was the best.