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Eric Allen snubbed by Hall of Fame in first year as finalist originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
He got closer this year. But ultimately, the result was the same.
Inexplicably, Eric Allen is still not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Allen, the brilliant cornerback who spent the first seven years of his career with the Eagles, was a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist this year for the first time in his fourth year as a semifinalist.
But Allen was not among the seven former players selected by the Hall of Fame Committee for enshrinement in the Class of 2024.
Allen, who retired after the 2001 season, was in his 18th year of eligibility. Players become eligible five years after they retire and have a 20-year window of eligibility before their fate rests with the Hall of Fame Seniors Committee.
Allen made five Pro Bowl teams and one 1st-team all-pro in his seven years with the Eagles and made a sixth Pro Bowl with the Saints. He finished his 14-year career with the Eagles, Saints and Raiders with 54 regular-season interceptions and eight pick-6’s as well as four postseason INTs and a ninth pick-6.
There are 23 cornerbacks and 45 defensive backs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Only four of them had 58 career interceptions and nine interception returns for touchdowns in their entire career.
Of those four, only two did it as full-time cornerbacks – Aeneas Williams and Deion Sanders. The others, Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson, only reached those marks after converting to safety.
So Allen had more interceptions and return touchdowns than 41 of 45 Hall of Fame defensive backs and 21 of 23 Hall of Fame cornerbacks.
Allen was the only cornerback and one of only two defensive backs among the 15 finalists. The other d-back finalist was former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson, who was. also not voted in. Woodson was a contemporary of Allen’s in the NFC East from 1992 through 1994.
The Hall of Fame’s selection committee met this week in Las Vegas to vote on the 15…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/eric-allen-snubbed-hall-fame-032502124.html
Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia
Publish date : 2024-02-09 03:25:02
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