With the Hall of Fame induction ceremony a few weeks away, I looked into some of the players I think deserve Hall of Fame honors.
Three came to mind: wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, cornerbacks Eric Allen, and Albert Lewis.
Sterling Sharpe
Sharpe played only seven NFL seasons because of a neck injury. So the question is, is Sharpe worthy of the Hall of Fame? i say yes.
Although he only played seven seasons, he had outstanding numbers in those seven years. In five of them, Sharpe had over 1,000 receiving yards. Also, he had double-digit touchdowns in four seasons. For example, in 1989, Sharpe caught 90 passes for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns and put up consistent numbers for the next couple of years.
When Brett Favre became the Green Bay Packers starter in 1992, Sharpe started to reach another level.
In the 1992 season, Sharpe caught 108 passes, 1,461 yards, and 13 touchdowns. He followed that up with 112 catches, 1,274 yards, and 11 touchdowns the following season. In Sharpe’s final season, he caught 18 touchdowns with 1,119 passing yards. Again, Sharpe was one of the best receivers in the NFL while putting up numbers just as good as Jerry Rice.
When Sharpe retired, he was 27th all-time in receiving yards and 22nd all-time in receiving touchdowns, and his 72.6 yards per game average was good for second all-time.
Also, when Sharpe retired, he held the Packers’ single-season records for receptions and touchdowns. He is third all-time in Packers career receptions, fourth all-time in touchdowns, and third all-time in receiving yards.
Sharpe finished his career with 595 catches, 8.134 yards, and 65 touchdowns. His 8,134 receiving yards were good for third in that time span. Only Henry Ellard and Rice were ahead of him. He made the Pro Bowl five times and the All-Pro team three times. In addition, Sharpe led the NFL in receptions three times and touchdowns twice. The former Packer star was one of the best receivers in his era and deserved to be in the Hall of Fame.
Eric Allen
Allen was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1988 in the second round, 30th pick. He was one of the top defensive backs in his time with the Eagles. With the Eagles, Allen had 34 interceptions, setting an Eagles franchise record. In 1993, Allen had six interceptions and four defensive touchdowns to lead the NFL.
In 1994, Allen left the Eagles, signed with the New Orleans Saints, played there for seven seasons, and then on to the Oakland Raiders.
With the Raiders, Allen resurrected his career. In four seasons with the Raiders, Allen had 15 interceptions, including three for touchdowns in 2000. Allen is the only player in NFL history to have two years of three-plus interception returns for touchdowns.
A member of the All-Decade team of the 1990s, six pro bowls, and the 1989 All-pro team, Allen finished his career with 54 interceptions, tied for 21st all-time, and nine defensive touchdowns.
Eric Allen deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He put together several good seasons with the Eagles and ended his career playing solidly for the Raiders. Allen matched up with some of the great receivers in the NFL and held his own: Allen and Michael Irvin and some classic battles in the 1990s. Irvin had plays where he would beat Allen, and then Allen would turn around and break up a pass or intercept one. Allen should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Albert Lewis
Lewis played 11 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Raiders late in his career for his last five seasons.
While with the Chiefs, Lewis intercepted 38 passes and made four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. Lewis was among the best corners in the late 80s and 90s.
Lewis joined the Raiders in 1994 when they were in Los Angeles before moving to Oakland in 1995. The cornerback spent five years with the Raiders and was one of the team leaders.
In Lewis’s 16 seasons, he had 42 interceptions. Lewis played corner for the Raiders in his first four seasons before moving to safety in 1998, when the Raiders drafted Charles Woodson and signed Allen.
Along with his 41 interceptions, Lewis compiled 832 tackles, forced 13 fumbles, and 12.5 sacks in his 16 NFL seasons.
Lewis is one of the best bump-and-run cornerbacks ever to play. His length and athletic ability made it hard for receivers to get open. Lewis is one of the most underrated cornerbacks in NFL history.
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