Hall Changes & A Push For Monte Kiffin
July 5th, 2019
BY IRA KAUFMAN
The Pro Football Hall of Fame appears ready to shake things up – for one year and one year only.
Come and get it.
In honor of the NFL’s 100th anniversary, Canton’s shrine of excellence is about to open its doors to an expanded Class of 2020. There is a strong push for a contingent of 20 Hall of Famers next summer, rather than the usual maximum of 8.
There is still the matter of a final vote from the board, but at this point, it appears fairly certain the motion will be approved. Football fans can expect a class of 5 modern-era candidates, 10 seniors, 3
contributors and 2 coaches.
The first thing you should know is this proposed one-year change will have no effect on former Bucs like John Lynch and Ronde Barber. To earn a bust in Canton, they must still be on the list of 15 finalists
and then survive the cut to five.
But an expanded class would make it far easier for several others with Tampa Bay ties. Senior candidates are players who have been retired for at least 25 years, so a Mike Alstott is a long way off. But Doug Williams and Jimmie Giles both qualify … and they each have distinct qualifications.
“So Powerful”
You can’t write the history of pro football without devoting a chapter to Williams, the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. He also led the Bucs to three playoff berths within a four-year span before departing in a contract dispute.
Where does Doug Williams rank among Bucs QBs?
He may have completed less than half of his career pass attempts, but Williams is a historic figure for helping the 1987 Redskins hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy by crushing John Elway’s Broncos in San Diego.
“It was a sight to see, truly amazing, but it was more than that,” said quarterback Rodney Peete. “It didn’t have quite the global impact of Jesse Owens going to Berlin and winning the Olympics, but it was something that was so powerful — something that a lot of people running these organizations didn’t believe could happen.”
Giles played 8 1/2 seasons for the Bucs and averaged 15.4 yards per catch, a stunning figure for a 240-pound tight end who was also a stout blocker. Giles made four Pro Bowls and defensive guru Buddy Ryan said when his teams faced Tampa Bay, his game plan was focused almost entirely on neutralizing the big, fast tight end who was rarely caught from behind.
Let’s also remember that after Williams left the Bucs in 1983, Giles was catching passes from Jack Thompson, Jerry Golsteyn, Steve DeBerg and Eric Hipple.
One franchise that stands to benefit from an expanded senior pool is Cincinnati. The Bengals have been playing since 1968 and Anthony Munoz is their only representative in Canton. That could change in 2020 because Lakeland’s Ken Riley and Ken Anderson are strong candidates overdue for recognition.
Riley is tied for fifth with Charles Woodson on the career interception list with 65 thefts. The four guys ahead of him – Paul Krause, Emlen Tunnell, Rod Woodson and Night Train Lane — are all enshrined. Charles Woodson has the look of a first -ballot Hall of Famer in 2021.
Up until now, coaches had to battle players for a spot in Canton. That was a difficult fight to win, but the competition will change in 2020 with coaches set aside in a separate category for at least one year.
The Travesty
This centennial year is an opportunity to correct a major oversight. Of the 318 busts in Canton, not a single one depicts the likeness of an assistant coach.
Coordinator time?
That’s a gold jacket travesty.
As Tampa Bay’s only Hall of Fame voter, I’m going to be pushing for Monte Kiffin, who joined Tony Dungy at One Buc Place in 1996 and implemented the ground-breaking Tampa 2 scheme. In his 13 years with the Bucs, Kiffin boasted a Top 10 scoring defense every season except 2006. That was also the only year Kiffin didn’t oversee a Top 11 unit in total defense.
When Kiffin departed in 2009, the Buc defense plunged to 27th in both categories.
It’s refreshing that Hall of Fame officials are planning to do something special for the NFL’s 100th anniversary. The Class of 2020 figures to be a historic one.
Buc fans are hoping it hits close to home.
July 5th, 2019 at 1:36 pm
Id like to see Doug Williams in the Hall along with Jimmie Giles. I hope though that this is really a one year thing but like many things once you open it, you never really close the door. I think Ronde should in before Lynch at some point and I think in the future with the way society is evolving there will be more player put in the hall that may not be deserving as truly a game changer or one of the best
July 5th, 2019 at 1:50 pm
I loved what Kiffin did here but away from coaching Hall of Fame level players he didn’t do much at the collegiate level or his other NFL stop as coordinator. It’ll be hard for him to make it
July 5th, 2019 at 1:54 pm
The Wise Sage Said:
Proof positive that “coaching matters.”
July 5th, 2019 at 2:39 pm
It’s with all due respect to what you do I think a majority of NFL fans only have mild interest in the expansion of inductees.
I’d have to call this a big swing and a miss for the NFL.
NFL ans crave only one thing and that’s live football……..A HOF Sunday with games airing all day with all teams in throwbacks and announcements afterward would be something that sounds like fun.
How about we make opening week special and air a Friday, Saturday, Sunday Night games for this event………Including must see halftime announcements?
Heck, get college involved in this and find a way to incorporate them.
Otherwise it sounds like another HOF game where I’ll turn it on cause football is finally back but be flipping over to baseball once I realize I’m watching Cowboys practise squad not make the team by playing lousy football. Snoozarama!!!!
July 5th, 2019 at 2:58 pm
Until Ronde and Simeon get in the HOF, I’m not paying any attention to the HOF. The way Kiffin left the Bucs, he would be the last coach i’d vote for.
July 5th, 2019 at 2:58 pm
kiffin, giles, williams….i would like to see them get in….
GO BUCS!!!!!
July 5th, 2019 at 3:02 pm
Let’s have an anti-HoF too… a seventh circle of hell for those who have done unquantifiable damage to the game. I’m all for Doug in the HoF… but we should also recognize the horrible cancer on the game that was Hugh Culverhouse. Doug’s feats are Hall-worthy but the fact that he accomplished all that he did In spite of the racist poison of Culverhouse is inspiring.
July 5th, 2019 at 3:06 pm
Mr Ira! Let’s make another push for Simeon Rice as well!! Great article!
July 5th, 2019 at 3:25 pm
Doug Williams holds a special place in many Bucs & Redskins hearts but he didn’t exactly have a “hall of fame” career, he finished his career with a less than 50% completion percentage and when Joe Gibbs brought him into Washington, it was as a backup and he had trouble breaking into the starting lineup over the often injured Jay Schroeder(not exactly starting material himself). Don’t get me wrong, Williams had some memorable games including an astounding superbowl performance but I just don’t think his career in it’s entirety was hall of fame worthy. If he gets in, does that mean Trent Dilfer should be considered for the hall next?
July 5th, 2019 at 4:18 pm
WestChap…..I am very glad I didn’t have to live through those days.
Don’t know much about what happened then but I’m glad that Doug Williams was able push past it and achieve greatness…….From what I’ve heard Doug’s SB performance was one of the greatest of all time.
It’s pretty freaking sad a Bucs fan should be so happy about what a player ackomplished in spite of our own team. That truely may be the most embarrassing thing about Buc fans……….. I may not always use it but I never go to a Bucs game without a brown bag from Publix…….The four year span don’t count.
July 5th, 2019 at 4:32 pm
I also believe Monte Kiffin should be recognized in the Bucs “Ring of Honor”.
July 5th, 2019 at 5:11 pm
I would love to see Doug Williams get in. I still cannot forget (I was a teen then),
How former Buc Hugh Culverhouse refused to pay him. He promptly left the Bucs and went straight to the Redskins to win them a superbowl. proving..just like Dungy did..Its hard to keep a good man down.
July 5th, 2019 at 5:34 pm
Mike Johnson,
Actually Doug had to play a couple of years in the old USFL because he was still under contract with the Bucs.
July 5th, 2019 at 5:38 pm
Doug Williams all the way. Don’t let a meaningless stat (completion percentage) over shadow a monumental: First Black Quarterback to Win a Superbowl, and spectacularly at that.
July 5th, 2019 at 5:51 pm
If Dungy is in the HOF so should Doug Williams. Simian Rice should be the next Buc.
“Let’s have an anti-HoF too… a seventh circle of hell for those who have done unquantifiable damage to the game.”
I’ll nominate Monte Kiffin to the 7th Circle Hall of Shame. That selfish SOB quit on this team in the muddle of a playoff run so he could go to Tennesee with his a**hole son. That lasted exactly one season before his WhQre son got a sniff of Hollywood. Culverhouse and Schiano could go there too.
July 5th, 2019 at 6:30 pm
Thanks Ghost, as I said before Kiffin would be the last person I’d vote for after how he tanked the defense while the Bucs were competing for the play offs. He destroyed the team that year and undermined Gruden. Fans were furious at the time. A total disgrace if Ira pushes to get him in.
July 5th, 2019 at 6:47 pm
Doug Williams should have been a lifetime Buc-
He went to USFL and later Redskins because the Bucs paid him lower than any other starter in the league and less than many backups.
After Willams left , Bucs didn’t make playoffs again for 15 years.
Williams is the only player in NFL history to throw 4 td’s in 1 quarter of SB.
John McKay should get in for his quips alone, plus he backed up Williams vs ownership during contract negotiations .
McKay before Kiffin.
July 5th, 2019 at 8:32 pm
Wow, some real heady stuff to think about here today! Good football fan stuff.
___________
Go Bucs!!! Get back in the game in 2019!!
July 5th, 2019 at 9:38 pm
5 pathetic career playoff wins and one great year for those bums low standard bucfan confuses with legends… outside of sapp they all belong in the restroom below condom machine not hall of fame….
July 5th, 2019 at 9:57 pm
And who will ever forget. When Monte decide to tell everyone during the playoff run the entire defense quit!!! Every one of those sorry bastar___!!
July 5th, 2019 at 10:34 pm
I believe that Ira should be recognized in the Bucs Ring Of Honor
July 6th, 2019 at 2:41 am
I like Doug Williams as a man, and I watched him when I was a wee little lad…but he really was not that good. Trent Dilfer left and won a superbowl too.
The only reason his leaving mattered is because the media and fans felt Culverhouse’s refusal to pay him was racially motivated. The cost to keep him was laughable when compared to today’s price s. But…
…the simple, hard truth is that if Winston put up the same percentages, absolutely no one would make him a starter. Yes, I said percentages, not totals, because percentages stand the test of time in order to compare. Doug Williams completed LESS THAN 50% of his pass attempts.
It was a different day, yes, but that still qualifies as bad.
July 6th, 2019 at 7:27 am
Dave Pear is right: Doug Williams went to play for the Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL after Hugh Culverhouse and his tangerine blazer (which Don Cherry nor the late Craig Sager would wear) would not give him reasonable coin. If I recall Williams also had a few choice bits of advice to Bo Jackson about the same time the USFL folded ad probably helped steer the #1 overall into playing for the Royals instead of the Bucs. That being said if Wiliams did get the nod for Canton you can bet he will be referred to as a Redskin by the national media except when they rightfully laugh at our Bucs for letting him walk………
July 6th, 2019 at 7:49 am
Back in the day, completion % was different. There were no west coast offenses to bolster percentages and when you killed the clock before the half or at the end of games, the wide receiver ran a 5 yard out and you threw it over his head out of bounds.
Dilfer was a bad joke.
July 6th, 2019 at 10:33 am
I can’t forgive Kiffin for leaving the team as he did, tanking what was a promising season.
Few defenses have quit like that Bucs team did.
July 6th, 2019 at 10:54 am
Anyway those were some fun unforgettable times with our new Tampa Bay Bucs.
July 6th, 2019 at 11:07 am
Would love to see Doug, but the fact that Ken Riley (local-Lakeland) and FAMU QB and coach (not relevant to HOF), is there a reason the Sage can’t push for the local guy, he should’ve been in, was it the fact that he played for the Bengals.
July 7th, 2019 at 1:56 pm
Love to see lynch rice an barber get theirs. They weren’t just great players on the field but they were pros off of it too
July 7th, 2019 at 6:52 pm
Monte shafted the Bucs that year, his distractions (personal) effected the performance of the defense. If I’m not mistaken, the Bucs at (9-3) only needed one more win to secure a playoff spot. He would never get my vote based on his exit performance.