Not knowing anything about football, Butler simply repeated what he'd heard the player next to him say, and volunteered to play guard. The coaches straightened him out, telling him to join the receivers. He played a little bit at wide receiver for the Steelers , but eventually found his home in the defensive backfield, picking off nine passes in his second season and 10 in his third. Why he'd thrive today: I don't think he'd be able to play cornerback right now, but he could be a star at safety.
To say that he had a nose for the ball would be an understatement; he racked up 52 interceptions over games, or around one pick every other game. He was an unbelievable force in the secondary, the kind of ball-hawk who gave opposing quarterbacks nightmares. Dawson quit football in high school, frustrated with being what he called a "blocking dummy" after spending most of his time at the tight end position.
He eventually found his way back to the game and more than made his mark, helping the Pittsburgh Steelers build a dominant rushing attack. In fact, between him and his predecessor, Mike Webster inducted in , the Steelers enjoyed a year stretch with a future member of the Hall of Fame at the position. Dawson brought a cheerful presence to the locker room; always early to work and prone to singing silly ditties, he was nicknamed "Ned Flanders" by teammate Levon Kirkland.
Why he'd thrive today: He was strong and fast, if a bit light around pounds for the current era. He excelled at pulling and scoop-blocking, which might not be as useful against head-on defensive linemen like Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions. But he was very smart, and he'd be able to compensate. As coaches often say, players can add weight, but it's tough to make them taller or faster. Plus, he was durable, starting consecutive games and playing in total.
That kind of reliability was -- and still is -- rare. Doleman, for one, recognized his status as an unsung hero and wanted to do something to change it. When he was with the Vikings , he invented a statistical achievement that he called "the trifecta," which involved sacking the quarterback, forcing a fumble and scoring a touchdown -- all in the same play. Though Doleman accomplished this just once in his career, his sacks and 44 forced fumbles were nothing to sneeze at.
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Want an autograph from the gridiron's greatest players and coaches? Catching passes from Bills quarterback Josh Allen when he dials up maximum velocity is tough enough. Doing it with numb fingers is even tougher, and that's what Stefon Diggs will be dealing with Saturday night. Etienne said sitting on the sidelines was tough on Sundays, likening the experiencing to having a birthday party and not having cake. Around the NFL. Around the NFL Staff nfl. Related Content. Pro Football Hall of Fame - Wikipedia - Get a leg up on encyclopedic knowledge of its history, the selection process, a list of inductees dating back to , and related resources.
Wide receiver Steve Smith is a first-year eligible player nominated for induction in Class of ' Pete Rozelle, O.
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