Just when all hope was thought to be lost, when all the good fights had been
fought in vain, the ghosts of the past appear to have caught up with Gene
Hickerson.
The ghosts of Paul Brown, Otto Graham, Frank Gatski, Lou Groza, Len Ford and
Marion Motley are reaching out to the former Browns guard, beckoning him,
teasing him.
Those Pro Football Hall of Fame members are eager to swell the ranks of
Cleveland Browns to 16 with another of their own. It’s been a long wait since
tight end Ozzie Newsome joined them back in 1999.
After way too many years and way too many lost battles, it looks as though
Hickerson finally will receive the reward he so richly deserves: Pro football
immortality.
It’s not a certainty yet. The mere formality of his election to the Hall of
Fame is not without a boulder or two along the way. The Pro Football Hall of
Fame’s Seniors Selection Committee’s nod is just the first step.
There is precedence for at least a sliver of concern, a snippet of doubt that
Hickerson again will fall short.
The Seniors Committee has been ignored on three other occasions. It took two
stabs by the committee before Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Henry Jordan
and Detroit Lions offensive lineman Lou Creekmur were eventually elected in the
1990s. Back then, the committee submitted only one name for consideration.
Since the rules were broadened four years ago to allow the committee to put
forth two names for deliberation, only Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Bob Hayes
failed to gain the necessary number of votes for enshrinement, causing friction
within the voting ranks.
Hickerson and Detroit tight end Charlie
Sanders, the Seniors Committee picks this year, join 15 modern-era candidates on
the 2007 ballot. When voting takes place at the Super Bowl next year, the 39-man
board of selectors has the latitude to elect as few as three and as many as six
men.
One would think that Sanders, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, and Hickerson
would be a lock for election. But when one scans the list of modern-era players,
it might cause a furrowed eyebrow or two.
Up for consideration are such luminaries as Buffalo Bills running back
Thurman Thomas, Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin (who should
have been elected last year), late Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas
(ditto), Washington Redskins wide receiver Art Monk, Pittsburgh Steelers center
Dermontti Dawson, Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bob Kuechenberg and Minnesota Vikings/Denver Broncos offensive lineman Gary Zimmerman.
First-year eligibles include Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans offensive
lineman Bruce Matthews and outgoing National Football League Commissioner Paul
Tagliabue.
Thomas, Irvin, Matthews and Tagliabue will get strong consideration for
certain. And Monk, one of the all-time great receivers in the game, has been
ignored too long.
Bear in mind that there is no guarantee the electors will choose a class of
six. Until this past year, when six men were enshrined, the Hall of Fame had
gone four straight years with five or less inductees (five each in 2002 and
2003; four each in 2004 and 2005).
So you can see why Hickerson’s election will not be a slam dunk.
This is not meant to throw cold water on the joy of his selection by the
Seniors Selection Committee. It’s that reality sometimes delivers cold, hard
blows when one’s hopes rise to extraordinary levels of expectation. Just ask
supporters of Hayes.
Why it took so long for the Seniors Committee to recognize Hickerson,
however, will forever remain a mystery. Men of excellence gain entrance to the
HOF
in amazingly quick fashion. And Hickerson was as excellent as they came.
Considered briefly by HOF voters a couple of
times shortly after he retired, Hickerson became a forgotten man even though he
set a high standard with his peerless approach to the game and six consecutive
Pro Bowl appearances. He redefined his position with his uncommon athleticism.
Then he slipped into Hall of Fame nomination oblivion. Until now.
Maybe it will take some fancy persuasion to illuminate the voters who might
not have heard of Hickerson. There will be a large generation gap for some of
them.
But the guess here is that Tony Grossi of The Plain Dealer, the Cleveland
representative on the selection committee, will be fully armed when he stands up
to lobby for Hickerson’s election. He will be just as persuasive as he has been
in his efforts to keep Art Modell out of the Hall of Fame.
Until that time, we wait and hope that justice finally prevails. The wrong is
so close to being righted. It’s about time.