Brian Mitchell

[sportsfanatic21]

Brain had a lot of peers over the years, yet the fact that in the history of the NFL Brian is the only return man in the top-20 says it isn't so easy for return men to put up career leading numbers.

I agree that Brian was great at what he did. And he did it for a long time. I'm just saying that comparing his total yardage numbers to those of guys that didn't return kicks is nonsense.

And again, there are so many guys that were superstar players, who, had they also been kick returners, would have probably blown those total yardage numbers away.

For example, and he's not even in the superstar status that I'm referring to, just that I remember him being good at it, but Dez Bryant returned kicks as a rookie. He returned 15 punts for 215 yards (a whopping 14.3 yard average) and took 2 of the 15 for TDs. He also had 12 kickoff returns for another 293 yards. So in just 27 touches, he added 508 all purpose yards.

I think we can all feel pretty strong in an assumption that guys like Jerry Rice or Barry Sanders would be able to duplicate what Bryant did, if not far exceed, so add another 500-600 total yards per year to those guys career stats and Brian Mitchell (or any other primary return man) isn't in the same stratosphere as far as all time leaders in all purpose yards.

Please don't take this as a knock on Brian Mitchell. He's arguably the best football player to ever wear a Cajun uniform (shout out to Orlando Thomas), and was a fantastic NFL return man. If they ever decide to vote primarily return guys into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he and Devin Hester, and possibly Dante Hall should all be in the first year that they do.

[Turbine]

They are very much a part of the game but you and I don't vote...their peers do. I think the overall feeling of a locker room in regards to special teams guys is that you aren't good enough for first or second string so you go get hurt on special teams while we save our "good players" for the game. Those guys doing the voting think "imagine if i played special teams, I'm a hall of fame LB or RB, I was too good to risk playing special teams but if I did, I'd be way better than that guy"

Sounds kind of like the expectations of every kid signing out of high school.

Experience should make those peers realize that Brian Mitchell was in a league of his own.

[Hark Mudspeth]

Sounds kind of like the expectations of every kid signing out of high school.

Experience should make those peers realize that Brian Mitchell was in a league of his own.

Or maybe they have the experience that says he wasn't...unlike you or I, who don't know what's it's like to be an NFL player or hall of famer. Apparently it's the way the majority feel, otherwise the hall of fame would have a lot more special teams players in it. You hear it constantly, "this guy's only chance to make the team is on special teams" that's a hard perception to get rid of. He isn't good enough to be on the 2 deep but he is just crazy enough to sprint 50-60 yards and crash into people. I actually do think both Mitchell and Hester will get in at some point because their numbers will increasingly look more impressive as time goes by with less and less returns. It will probably take many years.

[Turbine]

I don't know how his 4,303 yards from scrimmage play into this.

He could have played any number of positions in the NFL, he was just out of this world valuable as a return man.

[Hark Mudspeth]

I don't know how his 4,303 yards from scrimmage play into this.

He could have played any number of positions in the NFL, he was just out of this world valuable as a return man.

Only averaging 307 yards per season not on special teams is what hurts him IMO.

[stodgdog]

They are very much a part of the game but you and I don't vote...their peers do. I think the overall feeling of a locker room in regards to special teams guys is that you aren't good enough for first or second string so you go get hurt on special teams while we save our "good players" for the game. Those guys doing the voting think "imagine if i played special teams, I'm a hall of fame LB or RB, I was too good to risk playing special teams but if I did, I'd be way better than that guy"

Members of the Pro Football Selection Committee are primarily sports writers. I looked up Mitchell's stats and they are very impressive. He averaged 5.1 yds/carry in addition to his outstanding stats as a ST player.

[Hark Mudspeth]

Members of the Pro Football Selection Committee are primarily sports writers. I looked up Mitchell's stats and they are very impressive. He averaged 5.1 yds/carry in addition to his outstanding stats as a ST player.

Not arguing against him being in, putting rational reasons why he isn't. There are a lot of really good players with impressive stats that aren't in the NFL hall of fame...ALOT

[Turbine]

Not arguing against him being in, putting rational reasons why he isn't. There are a lot of really good players with impressive stats that aren't in the NFL hall of fame...ALOT

Every single one with Brian Mitchell type numbers is in.

[Hark Mudspeth]

Every single one with Brian Mitchell type numbers is in.

None of them were special teams. Why don't you go to canton and plead your case, because you are literally preaching to the choir here. I don't vote for the NFL HOF...merely suggesting why I think it will be tough for him to get in. In people's minds he was one of the best specialists ever, who for the majority of his career was a backup football player.

[Turbine]

None of them were special teams. Why don't you go to canton and plead your case, because you are literally preaching to the choir here. I don't vote for the NFL HOF...merely suggesting why I think it will be tough for him to get in. In people's minds he was one of the best specialists ever, who for the majority of his career was a backup football player.

You toss that term around like crazy but until this thread I had never heard it applied to Brian Mitchell before.

He should get into the HoF on that phrase alone. "The only backup player to amass over 23.000 all purpose yards."