If I were fortunate enough to be a part of the selection process, here are the people who would have my support to be part of the 2009 Hall of Fame Class...1. Bob Hayes, wide receiver - before selecting any other candidate, the injustice of Bullet Bob Hayes not being in the Hall of Fame needs to be rectified immediately...
Hayes was close to being inducted in 2004, but was denied the opportunity...the decision was marred by controversy, with many claiming that the Hall of Fame Senior Selection Committee had a bias against members of the Dallas Cowboys...others believe Hayes' longstanding problems with drug abuse hurt his chances...because of this, long-time Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman resigned from the Selection Committee in protest of the decision to leave Hayes out of the Hall...
Hayes for a two sport star...he won the 100 meters at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo...he then went on to star for the Dallas Cowboys where he held all the team's receiving records for many years...he was named to the Pro Bowl three times and All Pro four times...he helped Dallas win five Eastern Conference titles, two NFC titles, played in two Super Bowls, and was instrumental in Dallas' first ever Super Bowl victory...making Hayes the only person so far to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring...
2. Bruce Smith, defensive end - Smith is probably the easiest choice of the 17 finalists...he was a force at DE and was the anchor for those great Buffalo teams that went to four consecutive Super Bowls...
3. Rod Woodson, cornerback/safety - Woodson was a hybrid player in the secondary...he was an All-Pro at both corner and safety who always had a knack for making big plays...in his younger days, he was also a good punt returner...Woodson played for four teams, but his glory years were with the Pittsburgh Steelers...therefore, she should go in as a Steeler...
4. Russ Grimm, guard - it seems like Grimm is always a finalist who falls short...he was the best pulling guard in the game during the Redskins heyday of the 1980s...he opened holes for Riggins, Byner, Smith, Rogers, etc...
5. Ralph Wilson, owner - Wilson (photo, left) was one of the founding fathers of the AFL...he has owned the Bills since 1960...he proved that professional football could flourish in a "small market" city like Buffalo...it would be a fitting tribute to honor Wilson, who is 90-years-old, while he is still living instead of posthumously in years to come...
6. Richard Dent, defensive end - Dent was the best pure pass rusher in the game during the mid-to-late 80s...Dent does not have the gaudy stats of Bruce Smith, but he often forced offenses to double team him...like Woodson, Dent played for four difference teams, but his prime years were with the Chicago Bears...
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