PFHOF Profile: Tim Brown
The Pro Football Hall of Fame has always had their long debate over who should and who shouldn’t be in the hall.
Every year a new group of players misses the vote and enters into the long list of biggest snubs in the hall.
That list continues to grow every year as new players continue to be passed over while new players continue to be eligible.
For the longest time there was a group of players who had to wait repeatedly to find their way to the halls of Canton.
That group was known as the triplets as three of the greatest receivers to play the game continued to be grouped together whenever speaking of the hall of fame nominations.
Cris Carter, Andre Reed, and Tim Brown were constantly named in the same breath as they went through the nomination process.
Every year all three were passed over and every year the debate about all three raged on as to whether or not they belonged in the Hall of Fame.
For some they were good but not great and often were overshadowed by better players.
As the years went on many thought their chances were only getting slimmer as better and better players came into the ballot.
Then finally in 2013 Carter broke through the constant waiting and became the first of the triplets to find his way to Canton.
The next year the second of the three receivers made his move into the Hall of Fame as Andre Reed joined Carter in 2014.
Now another year has passed and the final of the three receivers will enter the Hall of Fame as Brown finishes the debate over whether all three will get into the Hall.
Brown quickly established himself as a potential great player in university where he won the Heisman trophy.
What was unique about that trophy was the fact that despite being a good receiver he made his biggest impact in the return game.
He won the Heisman largely based on his effectiveness as a returner rather than his time as a receiver.
That Heisman got him drafted and in Los Angeles he continued his trend of providing electrifying plays in the return game.
This was the big reason why he took so long to get into the Hall of Fame in the first place.
Special teams get little recognition in the NFL especially when it comes to the Hall of Fame where only one kicker is in and great special teamers will never see a bust in Canton.
Brown was a good receiver but more than that he was one of the best returners in an era where returners weren’t necessarily important pieces to a team.
Brown changed that attitude and showed just how important a returner could be to a team.
Still he was a better returner than a receiver and so the debate among the voters raged on as to whether or not he should make it.
Based just on his receiving numbers many could say that he was good but not hall of fame good, add the return numbers and he becomes a hall of famer.
More often than not the return numbers were ignored and he was judged solely on his receiving numbers making him a fringe candidate among some sure bets.
Now though it seems like his value to the Raiders has been fully realized and for that he earns a spot among the best in the game.
With almost 20,000 all-purpose yards Brown ranks among the best all-time in that category with hall of famers like Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, and Emmitt Smith above him.
He made plays when the Raiders needed him to and often helped them win the now all-important field position battle.
When he was playing the field position battle was yet to be a big issue but Brown made people realize that it was a lot easier to win games when you only had half of the field to score.
For that reason Brown enters the Hall of fame this year as he represents the last of the triplets and a player who changed the game.
After all that is what makes up the Hall of Fame, men who came into the NFL and changed the way the game was played thanks to their skill and ability.
Brown was that man and now will see his bust revealed as the long wait is finally over for the returner/receiver to enter Canton.
The Sport Addiction 