NFL All-Decade All-Time Canton Snubs: Defense

Ever since the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened its doors in 1963, the selectors have been voting on which players best represent the NFL each decade since the 1920s. They also took part in selecting the American Football League's All-Time Team after the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970.

Getting on these teams is a big deal because it greatly increases a player's chances on being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yet it is no guarantee, because there are several players from each All-Decade Teams still not inducted.

This is also true on the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, which is supposed to represent the very best players in NFL history, when the Hall of Fame voters put together this team in 1994. The 1920s team has the fewest players not yet enshrined with two. The 1950s team has six.

Though, as expected, the 1990s team has 26 men not inducted yet, there are still eight not eligible. The 1980s team has 20 not in with two still not eligible. Both the 1960s and 1970s teams are missing 15 members not yet in Canton.

Yet the AFL suffers the biggest disrespect, with a whopping 34 members of that team still not inducted. This includes 14 players of the First Team. A big part of the reason is an obvious disrespect of the AFL. When the league existed, the NFL would call it a league of inferior talent. Yet this inferior talent won two of four Super Bowl encounters and forced a merger because of their successes.

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the best players not yet inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Those names in the honorable mention bracket that have their names in bold are men I believe also belong in Canton.

Please note that members of the 2000s All-Decade Teams, and all players yet to be eligible for induction, are exempt from this list.

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