Above from left: Bob Kuechenberg, Kent Hull, Jerry Kramer.
Offensive linemen have traditionally been the players who grind it out in the trenches and get little or no credit for their team’s success. That may explain why there are so many deserving O-line Hall of Fame candidates who don’t ever get consideration. There are 2 glaring omissions in this category, in my opinion. Jerry Kramer of the 1960s Green Bay Packers is one of them, and Bob Kuechenberg of the 1970s Miami Dolphins the other. Kramer was a stalwart guard on the most dominant team of that decade, and led the fabled Packer sweep, the team’s bread-and-butter running play (see picture above). The Packers were not a team that used trick plays. They were a “here we come, try and stop us” team, and they were rarely stopped. How Kramer is not in the Hall is a mystery to me. Kuechenberg is a similar case. He was, in my opinion, THE dominant offensive lineman of the 1970s. He was better than his teammate, Larry Little, who is in the Hall, and was the main reason why Don Shula’s running game was dominant against every team they played, especially during the team’s 3 year Super Bowl run in the early ’70s. Buffalo center Kent Hull is a player who will likely never be considered for enshrinement, but he should be. He arrived in Buffalo along with Jim Kelly and anchored the Bills’ offensive line in their four year Super Bowl run in the 1990s. The Bills ran a no-huddle offense during this period and the offensive linemen had to be in great condition, and Hull was. He made all the line calls on the run, and was a great run and pass blocker. Bill Fralic was an outstanding guard but toiled somewhat in anonimity with the Atlanta Falcons. He was a 4-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL’s all-decade team for the 1980s. Jim Tyrer and Ed Budde were teammates with the AFL Kansas City Chiefs and both were mainstays on Hank Stram’s great KC teams. Budde played for 14 years and was a 5 time AFL all-star. Tyrer was a 7 time AFL all-star and a dominant run blocker. Two players who were overshadowed by great teammates, but should be considered for Canton for their own abilities are Max Montoya, who played guard for the Bengals, and Walt Sweeney, a former Charger. Montoya played on the same line with a player who many consider to be the best lineman ever, Anthony Munoz, but he was a four-time Pro Bowler himself in his 16 year career. Sweeney played in the shadow of a Hall of Famer also, tackle Ron Mix. Sweeney was an all-star, either in the AFL or NFL, nine times in his 13 year career.
Pictured below: Walt Sweeney (left), Ed Budde.
Hull isn’t the only center overlooked despite having Hall credentials. In fact center is a position that is overlooked in general. Some centers who had great football careers and deserve a look include Mick Tingelhoff, Jay Hilgenberg, Dermontti Dawson and Bart Oates. Tingelhoff played his entire 17 year career with the Vikings and was a Pro Bowler 6 times, and also the Vikes’ center in 4 Super Bowls. Hilgenberg anchored the Bears line in the Walter Payton era and made the Pro Bowl 7 times. Dawson was a 7 time Pro Bowler with the Steelers, and has come close to election and may yet get in. Oates played 10 seasons, was a 5-time Pro Bowler and played on 3 Super Bowl champion teams.
Below: Jay Hilgenberg (left), Dermontti Dawson.
