NFL Oakland Raiders

This is the Year Tim Brown Will Finally Get Into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

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By @ClydeASpeller

Getty Images

Getty Images

On the eve of Super Bowl XLIX, an announcement will be made of the class that will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer. Each of the 18 finalists deserve a spot in the hallowed halls in Canton, Ohio, but unfortunately, everyone can’t go at once.

There’s a great chance that the likes of Junior Seau, Orlando Pace and Kurt Warner could headline this year’s class as first-ballot members, but as worthy as each finalist is of this high honor, no one is more deserving than Tim Brown.

Since entering the NFL in 1988, Brown has proven to be one of the greatest wide receivers to ever set foot on the gridiron. Throughout his 16 years with the Los Angeles or Oakland Raiders and his one season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brown amassed some of the best statistics the game of football has ever seen.

Brown finished his career with 1,094 receptions (which is currently fifth all-time), 19,679 all-purpose yards (fifth), 14,934 receiving yards (sixth), 3,320 punt return yards (sixth), 100 receiving touchdowns (tied for seventh) and 105 total touchdowns (tied for 17th). The nine-time Pro Bowler’s ability to be effective on both offense and special teams made him one of the few players left in the modern era to make big plays in multiple phases of the game.

This is Brown’s sixth year of eligibility for the HOF. During that span, Brown has been named a finalist several times, but has yet to get the call. Unfortunately, Brown was connected with two other receivers who also found it difficult to get enshrined. Both Cris Carter and Andre Reed retired before Brown. Carter called it quits in 2002 (two years prior to Brown), while Reed hung up his cleats after the 2000 season. Even though they kept coming up short with votes, Carter and Reed eventually made it to the Hall in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

It’s the fact that HOF voters finally realized that Carter and Reed deserved to get enshrined that lets me know that this is will be the year for Brown. Of course, an argument can be made for why each of these three receivers should have been in the HOF much earlier, and all three could have definitely been in the same HOF class.

However, the fact that the voters allowed Carter to get in two years ago, and for Reed to do the same last year gives the clear indication that they’ll put an end to Brown’s long overdue moment in the spotlight, and will be putting to rest the constant questions of why this trio of great receivers aren’t in the HOF.

Clyde A. Speller is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClydeASpeller.

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