Buddy Parker defeated Paul Brown's dynasty Cleveland Browns two times in three NFL championship game appearances. But he came up short again in voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Getty Images)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024, which was announced last week, could have numbered nine new inductees because rules were adjusted to consider three senior candidates and one from the coach/contributor category. That was in addition to the maximum of five candidates from among 15 modern-era finalists.
But only seven total made it through the gruelling voting process.
And that was a surprise.
Our annual “inside the Hall of Fame selection meeting” column seeks to explain what happened and gives fans a peek into a year-long process that culminated in the final votes. It was conducted via Zoom on January 16 among HOF executives and the 50 voting members of the selection committee.
Confidentiality rules limit the details of what I can report.
Contentiousness at the onset
The first candidate considered was Buddy Parker from the coach/contributor category. I never realized what a controversial career he had as a coach with three NFL teams, most notably the Detroit Lions.
For 1 hour, 10 minutes, Parker’s candidacy was picked apart. It was the most riveting discussion in my 20+ years on the committee, eliciting controversial allegations, emotional rebuttals and warnings of proper protocol by Hall officials.
As coach of the Lions in the 1950s, Parker was Paul Brown’s nemesis. Parker beat the Cleveland Browns dynasty teams in four of five meetings overall and two of three in NFL championship games. He also popularized what became known as the “two-minute offense.”
Ultimately, though, Parker failed to get the necessary 80 percent vote – 40 affirmatives -- even though he was advanced by the special coach/contributor committee. His downfall was rooted in the fact he resigned three times as coach with the Cardinals, Lions and Steelers; was rejected by the HOF’s special committee for a Centennial Class in 2020; and was tinged by accusations of racism which, I felt, were adequately shot down by advocates in the room.
Following Parker, the cases of senior nominees Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael and Art Powell were aired.
Gradishar’s discussion consumed 15 minutes, 23 seconds. McMichael’s lasted 9:57. Powell’s 15:05.
I voted for all three and was particularly pleased that Gradishar made it because I felt once he got in it would help grease the skids for the Browns’ Clay Matthews, a contemporary of Gradishar who lacked Gradishar’s one Super Bowl appearance (1977 season) and defensive player of the year award (1978). A Warren, OH, native and Ohio State Buckeye, Gradishar was the centerpiece of the Denver Broncos’ Orange Crush defense in the mid-70s and 80s.
The only senior nominee who did not make it was Powell, who flourished in the early days of the American Football League. Some opponents considered it not competitive with the NFL during Powell’s heyday with the New York Titans and Oakland Raiders.
Modern era candidates
Two hours and 17 minutes into the meeting, attention turned to the 15 modern era candidates. A maximum of five could be selected.
Each candidate is introduced by a designated selector who begins the debate with a presentation. The presentation is limited to 5 minutes. A digital clock looms ominously as the presenter speaks. Exceeding the time limit is not a good thing; attention spans wane in an 8-hour+ meeting.
I always clock and record the overall discussions for each candidate. These were the discussion times in order for the 15 modern era candidates.
1. Devin Hester: 22 minutes, 22 seconds.
2. Antonio Gates: 35:53.
3. Torry Holt: 13:04.
4. Andre Johnson: 22:37.
5. Reggie Wayne: 37:36.
6. Willie Anderson: 13:06.
7. Jahri Evans: 12:00.
8. Jared Allen: 14:13.
9. Dwight Freeney: 11:41.
10. Julius Peppers: 6:48.
11. Patrick Willis: 13:01.
12. Eric Allen: 10:54.
13. Rodney Harrison: 19:15.
14. Darren Woodson: 13:50.
15. Fred Taylor: 11:47.
After each presentation, all voting members are invited to speak for or against a candidate, or to ask questions. The Parker debate aroused the most discussion; 15 voters chipped in.
(Fourteen voters spoke on Gates and Wayne, 13 on Johnson, and 12 on Hester. The others averaged about four.)
I spoke very briefly on Parker’s behalf, citing his 2-1 record against the Browns to earn my vote.
The only other candidate I spoke on was Hester.
I had voted for Hester in his previous two appearances as a finalist. My point was Hester was the greatest return specialist in the history of the NFL with 20 return touchdowns in his career. Nobody else on this ballot, while deserving, could claim to be the greatest ever at what he did.
And, I continued, if you somehow consider Hester only the second-greatest returner (as some voters do), nobody on this ballot is even the second-greatest ever at what he did. I was glad that Hester made it.
The cutdown votes
The first votes to cut down from 15 to 10 came at 4:30 p.m. – 7 ½ hours into the meeting.
Eliminated on the first ballot were Eric Allen, Jahri Evans, Rodney Harrison, Fred Taylor and Reggie Wayne – exactly the way I voted.
The second vote from 10 to 5 came at 4:45 p.m. Eliminated were Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Antonio Gates, Torry Holt and Darren Woodson. I had Allen and Anderson on my ballot.
(A note on Gates: He will get in. The argument “If you believe he’s a Hall of Famer, then vote him in. Why wait?” My response: I have five others I believe deserve it, too, and some have been waiting longer than Gates, a first-time candidate.)
The five survivors were Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Julius Peppers and Patrick Willis. The final vote requires a “yes” or “no” on each candidate. Each must receive 80 percent “yes votes” – or 40 – to get in.
Fortunately, they all made it.
I used to have a vote on the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America when I covered MLB for The Plain Dealer. The processes are completely different. There is no discussion on the baseball Hall of Fame – only a ballot with a maximum of 10 selections.
No system is perfect and both receive plenty of criticism from fans and “experts” who don’t own a vote. I can assure you the voting system of the Pro Football Hall of Fame couldn’t be more comprehensive.
Congratulations to the Class of 2024 and good luck to the candidates who will be back for future votes. Believe me, the responsibility felt by the voters is not taken lightly.