What Are Hall Voters Missing About Packers' Lavvie Dilweg?

By John Turney

Now, consider if that player had the following credentials:

-- A six-time consensus All-Pro, including as a rookie, and a second-team All-Pro twice more.

-- A member of an all-decade team.

-- A key player on three NFL champions.

-- An impressive statistical mark that stands among the best of his era.

-- Praise from some of the most respected NFL historians.

-- Recognition from former NFL greats who acknowledged his excellence.

If a player with those achievements were repeatedly denied entry to the Hall of Fame, you'd be outraged ... and you should be. But you may not be as upset as you might because you've seldom heard of Packers' two-way end Lavvie Dilweg and because he played nearly a century ago.

However, if you're a pro football fan who cares about the history of the league and believes in fairness—that is, that players of similar achievement should be recognized equally, regardless of era—then Dilweg’s exclusion should concern you.

Because it does me.

Yes, Dilweg has had his chances. He appeared on the Hall-of-Fame’s preliminary list for a handful of years and was later included on the seniors' preliminary roster. Plus, when the Hall created a special Centennial Class in 2020 to celebrate the NFL’s 100th anniversary, he was a semifinalist. Yet, when the inductees were named, the Blue-Ribbon Centennial Committee largely chose more recent players.

Meaning that Dilweg was left out again.

Given his resume, you have ask: Why? It's a simple question, though the answer is not. No one knows for certain. Some speculate that Hall voters suffer from Packers' fatigue and hesitate to induct many Packers from the league’s formative decades when Green Bay dominated. 

After all, when the Hall was established in 1963, there was a significant backlog of deserving candidates. From 1963-66, multiple Packers' legends were inducted, including Curly Lambeau, Cal Hubbard, Johnny "Blood" McNally, Mike Michalske, Arnie Herber, Clarke Hinkle, and Don Hutson. Later, in 1974, two years after the creation of the seniors' category, another pre-World War II Packer, Tony Canadeo, was added to the list of Packers in the Hall.

That’s a lot of Green Bay representation in a short span, and perhaps voters grew weary of enshrining Packers. Still, even if "Packer fatigue" played a role, it shouldn't. If a team was a dynasty. then elite players and perennial All-Pros should not be left out. Yet Dilweg has been, and that's a mystery.

More than that, it's downright unfair.

I say that because players of similar or lesser caliber who played his position -- end -- were inducted. The WWII-era two-way ends in the Hall of Fame are Red Badgro, Ray Flaherty, Bill Hewitt, Wayne Millner, Guy Chamberlin, George Halas, and Don Hutson. Hutson was in a league of his own, entering the league in 1937 and revolutionizing the receiver position. So no one ...  and I mean no one ... compares to him. 

But, when compared to the rest of the field, Dilweg stands shoulder to shoulder. He played as many or more seasons as the Hall-of-Fame ends of his time, with only Hutson and Bill Hewitt catching more touchdown passes. However, his impact went far beyond that. While a fine receiver and excellent blocker, he made his biggest mark on defense. On that side of the ball, few made more plays than the former Marquette All-American.

Most individual NFL statistics weren’t recorded in the early years and only became official in 1932. But extensive research by historians David Neft and Richard Cohen—both experts who compiled multiple sports encyclopedias—revealed that Dilweg intercepted 27 passes, a skill that set him apart from his peers. Unlike Dilweg, players such as Badgro, Flaherty and Millner rarely, if ever, recorded interceptions. But Dilweg's ability to pick off passes highlights his versatility and effectiveness in the Packers' defensive scheme.

"Without question," said his coach, Hall-of-Famer Curley Lambeau, "he was the greatest end in the seven-man line type defense ever developed."

Dilweg’s contributions weren’t empty stats; they directly fueled Green Bay’s historic success. From 1929-31, the Packers dominated the league -- winning three consecutive NFL championships, compiling a 34-5-2 record, leading the league in scoring and allowing the fewest points. It was pure dominance, and Dilweg was a cornerstone of that team.

Opponents and teammates knew it. That's why Hall-of-Famer Cal Hubbard named Dilweg to his personal all-time team, and Bronko Nagurski did the same. Red Grange went even farther, calling Dilweg "the greatest end who ever brought me down." 

Now, fast-forward to today to see what historians and football researchers have to say. Not surprisingly, they echo those sentiments:

-- Bob Carroll, founder and long-time executive director of the Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA), once stated that "nobody played end better than Dilweg."

-- Ken Crippen, former PFRA president and founder of the Football Learning Academy, has long advocated for Dilweg’s Hall-of-Fame inclusion.

-- Chris Willis, head of the NFL Films Research Library, author of multiple football books and former president of the PFRA, pushed for Dilweg's induction after he was denied in 2020, saying, "Hopefully, that won’t be his last chance to make the Hall, where he deserves to be."

-- Yet another PFRA historian and author John Maxymuk, noted that Dilweg "overall, was consistently excellent ... Dilweg deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the finest end of his era by far."

-- Even the editors of "Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League" recognized his magnificence. "Lavern Dilweg," they said, "by nearly all contemporary accounts, was the best end in pro football almost from his first game in 1926 until his last in 1934."

The support for Dilweg among historians, researchers and peers is overwhelming. Hall-of-Fame player/coach Jimmy Conzelman named him to his all-time team. Two of his teammates -- Arnie Herber and Verne Lewellen -- included Dilweg on their personal teams. As did Lambeau.

My point is that there are no more reliable experts on Dilweg's candidacy than those who played with or against him -- individuals like Grange, Nagurski, Hubbard, Conzelman, Lambeau and others. If they thought Lavvie was one of the game's most accomplished players, it should mean something. Strike that. It should mean a LOT. But, so far, it hasn't been enough to persuade the Hall's board of selectors to act.

And it's had over six decades. 

Remember what I said about fairness? It demands that voters change their attitude and re-examine a great player whose exclusion from Canton is one of the great injustices in football history. 

I repeat: All-Pros? Check. All-Decade? Check. Championships? Check. Impressive statistics? Check. Unqualified support by coaches, teammates, opposing players and coaches? Check. Unqualified support by pro football historians and authors? Check.

Lavvie Dilweg checks all the boxes for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Enshrinement should be the last for one of the NFL's best-ever players.

Eric Allen's Relative Defensive Passer Rating

By Nick Webster 

As we consider the results of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 many are surprised that Eric Allen made it through as one of the four inductees.

It’s certainly been a wait – this is Allen’s second to last bite at the apple. In two years he will be moved our of the Hall's modern-era into their seniors category.

In the last year, a research partner (Peirce Conboy) and I went back to supplement Stats, Inc. passer rating data on Allen and what came out of the charting and the film study. After poring over old games he was a clear Hall of Famer to me.

Here's why:

Allen was a smooth Corner with very good instincts and hands who certainly benefitted – early in his career – from a devastating Eagles defensive line featuring Reggie White, Clyde Simmons and Jerome Brown - all All-Pros.

A 4.4 guy from Cornerback U (as I like to think of Arizona State with Mike Haynes and Louis Wright preceding Allen as lockdown Sun Devils) his speed didn’t last beyond his first few seasons, but those instincts and ball skills allowed the aging corner to continue to perform well into his thirties.

Most will remember Allen for his four touchdown returns in 1993, including a famous call by Merrill Reese on his long-winding touchdown return versus Boomer Esiason’s Jets. 

But while 1993 was a fine season for Allen, it wasn’t his best. We’ve charted all but two games of Allen’s career and here are his coverage stats year-by-year.

As a rookie Allen played fairly well but was beaten, giving up more touchdowns than interceptions and posting his last above league-average rating allowed that he would have for his next six seasons. Starting in 1989 Allen ripped off a career peak to rival any. In four consecutive seasons he didn’t allow a completion percentage over 50% and had 19 Iinterceptions while giving up just 11 touchdowns.

His passer ratings bounced around between good and spectacular posting a 38.4, 63.4 and 33.9 in ’89 – ’91. Additionally, 1992 and 1993 were both strong with rating allowed of just over 60. 

Allen did begin to fall off in 1994, however - his final year as an Eagle. 

After three mediocre seasons in New Orleans Allen may have been perceived as having lost it, but after signing with Oakland in 1998 Allen had a spectacular season – albeit in less than a complete season – but he returned to have three more seasons around or better than league average.

The numbers say it, the film says it and the accolades say it – Eric Allen is a deserving Hall of Famer.

Here are Allen's career stats and accolades - 

Buffalo Bills' Pro Bowl tackle Dion Dawkins' Quest for a New Offensive Lineman of the Year Award

By John Turney 

Bills' tackle Dion Dawkins

Buffalo Bills' Pro Bowl tackle Dion Dawkins' goal is to win an NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year award before he retires, and that's admirable. Only one question: Who offers that award and where can you find one?

Ah, that's why I'm here

There's a long and checkered list to it, and it starts in 1964 when linemen were recognized with the Outstanding Blocker of the Year award by a newly formed civic club in Wisconsin. Then, in 1967, the NFL Players’ Association began polling its members and holding an annual banquet to honor the winners.

That award ran until the 1999 season.

In 1970, the Wisconsin Chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association started recognizing an Offensive Lineman of the Year, while Football Digest added its own award in 1973, chosen by the magazine’s editors. The Seagram’s Seven-sponsored award debuted in 1974, determined by a poll of NFL assistant coaches.

The NFL Alumni Association also got involved in 1982, naming an NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year through the 2010 season. Then in 2015, the analytics site, Pro Football Focus introduced what it dubbed as "The Bruce Matthews Award," given to the highest-graded offensive lineman. It's the only current offensive lineman of the year award from what could be considered a recognized organization.

However, none of those citations were (or are) as widely recognized as, say, the MVP or Offensive or Defensive Player-of-the-Year awards. Furthermore, unless you're a hardcore NFL fan or historian, you probably didn't know they existed. Granted, the motives were pure and the methodology of selections legitimate, but none of the awards ever got much notice. 

In the mid-1980s the NFLPA struck a deal with USA Today, and there was a two-three-page spread featuring the winners and voting results. That's about as big as any of these awards ever got, with most people not knowing they existed or were discontinued. You had to dig through NFL media guides to find them, and putting together a complete list took a lot of work.

Trust me, I know. I did it, stopping by the NFLPA offices in Washington, D.C., to fill in some gaps. 

But it was then that I learned that its awards had been canceled because the NFLPA couldn't find a sponsor for its charity dinner. I suggested it keep the polling and publish the awards on the Internet, but my suggestion was declined. And that was that.

Or so I thought. But now NFL writer Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News has an intriguing idea, naming a "John Madden Award" for offensive linemen, which feels fitting given Madden’s legacy and his love for blockers. If that were endorsed, maybe it could be tied to the NFL, with the winner added to the annual NFL Honors show. Then it would have the gravitas it lacked in the past and give it something previous awards lacked -- staying power.

Plus, it would provide an extra accolade for players to display on their walls or trophy shelves and could support a Hall-of-Fame hopeful's case. Imagine a voter saying, "He went to five Pro Bowls and was twice named winner of the annual John Madden Award for Offensive Linemen." 

Don't laugh. That happened with the NFLPA award. When Rams' tackle Jackie Slater was presented as a finalist to Hall voters, he was cited for his four NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year nods. If that could happen again, it would be a positive ... at least in my mind. 

"I think it would be cool, for sure," Chiefs' center Creed Humphrey said this week in New Orleans. "Offensive line guys don't get too many awards. To be able to set up something like that would be really cool."

Finally, in case you're not familiar with the previous NFL or NFC/AFC Offensive Lineman of the Year Award winners, here they are:

NFLPA Offensive Lineman of the Year

Based on votes cast by NFL Players

1967—Forrest Gregg, T, Packers (NFL).

1968—Bob Brown, T, Eagles (NFL).

1969—Bob Brown, T, Rams (NFL); Jim Tyrer, T, Chiefs (AFL).

1970—Larry Little, G, Dolphins (AFC); Bob Brown, T, Rams (NFC).

1971—Larry Little, G, Dolphins (AFC); Gale Gillingham, G, Packers (NFC).

1972—Larry Little, G, Dolphins (AFC); Rayfield Wright, T, Cowboys- NFC(NFC).

1973—Gene Upshaw, G, Raiders (AFC); Ron Yary, T, Vikings - NFC(NFC).

1974—Gene Upshaw, G, Raiders (AFC); Ron Yary, T, Vikings (NFC).

1975—Joe DeLamielleure, G, Bills (AFC); Ron Yary, T, Vikings (NFC).

1976—George Kunz, T, Colts (AFC); Dan Dierdorf, T, Cardinals (NFC).

1977—Art Shell, T, Raiders (AFC); Dan Dierdorf, T, Cardinals (NFC).

1978—John Hannah, G, Patriots (AFC); Dan Dierdorf, T, Cardinals (NFC).

1979—John Hannah, G, Patriots (AFC); Doug France, T, Rams (NFC).

1980—Leon Gray, T, Oilers (AFC); Jeff Van Note, C, Falcons  (NFC).

1981—John Hannah, G, Patriots (AFC); Mike Kenn, T, Falcons (NFC).

1982—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals (AFC); Mike Kenn, T, Falcons (NFC).

1983—Dwight Stephenson, C, Dolphins (AFC); Jackie Slater, T, Rams (NFC).

1984—Dwight Stephenson, C, Dolphins( AFC); Russ Grimm, G, Redskins (NFC).

1985—Dwight Stephenson, C, Dolphins (AFC); Jimbo Covert, T, Bears NFC).

1986—Dwight Stephenson, C, Dolphins (AFC); Jackie Slater, T, Rams (NFC).

1987—Dwight Stephenson, C, Dolphins (AFC); Jackie Slater, T, Rams (NFC).

1988—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals (AFC); Gary Zimmerman, T, Vikings (NFC).

1989—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals(AFC); Jackie Slater, T, Rams (NFC).

1990—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals (AFC); Jim Lachey, T, Redskins (NFC).

1991—Steve Wisniewski, G, Raiders (AFC); Jim Lachey, T, Redskins (NFC).

1992—Bruce Matthews, C, Oilers (AFC); Randall McDaniel, G, Vikings (NFC).

1993—(tied) Richmond Webb, T, Dolphins, Dermontti Dawson, C, Steelers (AFC); Randall McDaniel, G, Vikings (NFC).

1994—Richmond Webb, T, Dolphins - AFC Willie Roaf, T, Saints (NFC).

1995—Dermontti Dawson, C, Steelers - AFC Willie Roaf, T, Saints (NFC).

1996—Dermontti Dawson, C, Steelers (AFC); Larry Allen, G, Cowboys (NFC).

1997—Dermontti Dawson, C, Steelers (AFC); Larry Allen, G, Cowboys (NFC).

1998—Tony Boselli, T, Jaguars (AFC); Larry Allen, T, Cowboys (NFC).

1999—Tony Boselli, T, Jaguars (AFC); Larry Allen, G, Cowboys (NFC).

The NFL Alumni Offensive Lineman of the Year

Based on votes cast by members of the NFL Alumni Association

1982—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals.

1983—Mike Webster, C,  Steelers.

1984—John Hannah, G, Patriots.

1985—Dwight Stephenson, C, Dolphins.

1986—Bill Fralic, T, Falcons.

1987—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals.

1988—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals.

1989—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals.

1990—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals.

1991—Jim Lachey, T, Redskins.

1992—Randall McDaniel, G, Vikings.

1993—Bruce Matthews, C, Oilers.

1994—Nate Newton, G, Cowboys.

1995—Willie Roaf, T, Saints.

1996—Dermontti Dawson, C, Steelers.

1997— Larry Allen, G, Cowboys.

1999—Tony Boselli, T, Jaguars 

2000— Bruce Matthews, G, Titans.

2001—Kevin Mawae, C, Jets.

2002—Jonathan Ogden, T, Ravens.

2003—Tom Nalen, C, Broncos.

2004—Alan Faneca, G, Steelers.

2005—Walter Jones, T, Seahawks.

2006—Steve Hutchinson, G, Vikings

2007—Jeff Saturday, C, Colts.

2008— Alan Faneca, G, Jets.

2009—Steve Hutchinson, G, Vikings.

2010—Josh Sitton, G, Packers.

National 1,000 Yard Club NFL Outstanding Blocker of the Year

1964—Jim Parker, G, Colts.

1965—Forrest Gregg, T, Packers.

1966—Bob Brown, T, Eagles.

1967—Jerry Kramer, G, Packers.

1968—Gene Hickerson, G, Browns.

1969—Mick Tingelhoff, C, Vikings

1970—Jim Otto, C, Raiders.

1971—Walt Sweeney, G, Chargers,

1972—Larry Little, G, Dolphins.

1973—Buffalo Bills Offensive Line

1974—Ray Mansfield, C, Steelers.

1975—Ron Yary, T, Vikings.

1976—Gene Upshaw, G, Raiders and Len Hauss, C, Redskins.

1977—Chicago Bears Offensive Line.

PFWA Wisconsin Chapter

Forrest Gregg Award  (NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year)

Based on vote of PFWA members

1970—Gale Gillingham, G, Packers.

1971—John Niland, G, Cowboys.

1972—Larry Little, G, Dolphins.

1973—Reggie McKenzie, G, Bills.

1974—Ron Yary, T, Vikings.

1975—Dan Dierdorf, T, Cardinals.

1976—Joe DeLamielleure, G, Bills.

1977—Russ Washington, T, Chargers.

1978—Mick Tingelhoff, C, Vikings.

1979—John Hannah, G, Patriots.

1980—Leon Gray, T, Oilers.

1981—Mike Webster, C, Steelers.

1982—Marvin Powell, T, Jets.

Football Digest Offensive Lineman of the Year

Chosen by magazine's editors

1973—Ron Yary, T, Vikings.

1974—Larry Little, G, Dolphins.

1975—Dan Dierdorf, T, Cardinals.

1976—John Hannah, G, Patriots.

1977—Art Shell, T, Raiders.

1978—John Hannah, G, Patriots.

1979—John Hannah, G, Patriots.

1980—John Hannah, G, Patriots.

1981—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals.

1982—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals.

1983—John Hannah, G, Patriots.

1984—Russ Grimm, G, Redskins.

Seagram's Seven Crowns of Sports NFL Awards Offensive Lineman of the Year

Based on vote of NFL assistant coaches

1974—Rayfield Wright, T, Cowboys.

1975—Dan Dierdorf, T, Cardinals.

1976—George Kunz, T, Colts.

1977—George Kunz, T, Colts.

1978—John Hannah, G, Patriots.

1979—Leon Gray, T, Oilers.

1980—John Hannah, G, Patriots.

1981—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals.

1982—Marvin Powell, T, Jets.

1983—Dwight Stephenson, C, Dolphins.

1984—Dwight Stephenson, C, Dolphins.

1985—Dwight Stephenson, C, Dolphins.

1986—Anthony Munoz, T, Bengals.

Pro Football Focus Bruce Matthews Award -  Best Offensive Lineman

Based on the site's highest-graded offensive lineman

2015—Joe Thomas, T, Browns.

2016—Marshal Yanda, G, Ravens.

2017—David DeCastro, G, Steelers.

2018—Mitchell Schwartz, T, Chiefs

2019—Brandon Brooks, G, Eagles.

2020—Trent Williams, T, 49ers.

2021—Trent Williams, T, 49ers.

2022—Lane Johnson, T, Eagles.

2023—Penei Sewell, T, Lions.

2024—Jordan Mailata, T, Eagles.

Hall of Fame Class of 2025

 

(left to right) Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, Sterling Sharpe
photo credit: John Turney

On Thursday, February 6, 2025, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 was announced at the NFL Honors Show in New Orleans -- the host city of Super Bowl LIX.

The four voted in were Eric Allen, cornerback, Jared Allen, defensive end, Antonio Gates, Ttght end and Sterling Sharpe, wide receiver.

The foursome will be enshrined on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, OH.

Remembering Virginia McCaskey (1923-2025)

LOOKING BACK
By Chris Willis, NFL Films

Remembering Virginia McCaskey

Today PFJ remembers one of the most important women in NFL history. A woman that was referred to often as the “First Lady of the NFL.” Virginia McCaskey passed away today at the age of 102. For over a century she lived true to her personal trinity of faith, family and football. She was a special lady indeed.

She was special not because her father, George Halas, was one of the founders of the NFL, but the legacy she left taking over the franchise that her father operated for over six decades. She has continued his legacy and kept the Bears franchise going. A franchise that has won 9 NFL championships including Super Bowl XX. A franchise that has made 28 post-season appearances and this past fall, 2024, the Bears will be playing in their 105th NFL season, having won over 800 total games -both regular and post-season combined. 

EARLY LIFE

On January 5, 1923, Min and George Halas welcomed their first child. The entire nine months of pregnancy George was convinced it was going to be a boy. To his surprise it was a girl. “I assumed - and so had Min - that the new arrival would be George Stanley Halas, Jr. I already had visions of drawing my son into the thick of the Bears. We didn’t even have a name for the girl…I filled in the baby’s certificate of birth leaving the name blank. Many years later, upon getting a copy of her birth certificate for a passport application, my daughter discovered that the name we gave her - Virginia Marion Halas - had been inserted in pencil,” wrote Halas in his autobiography.

Despite being an established football owner George hesitated to identify as such, when asked to designate an occupation on his daughter’s birth certificate he wondered if “the world would respect as a father’s occupation the designation of “football owner, manager, coach and player.” So instead, Halas, identified himself as a “civil engineer.”

On September 4, 1925 the couple would have their second and last child, a son, George Halas, Jr. “It’s a boy! said the nurse. She took me to Min and my son. Min was happy as an angel. She cradled the boy in her arm. He was a wonderful sight to look upon. I bent over. Hiya Mugs! I said,” recalled Halas. Once again the NFL’s Papa Bear shied away from “football owner” as his occupation. This time writing “realtor.” Soon Halas could tell the world he was an NFL owner. Something that made young Virginia proud.

Growing up in a football family came natural for Virginia. Even while her father was game planning for games during the week, she would do her homework next to him, occasionally he would take a break from the X’s and O’s to check out her work.

George Halas (left) with daughter Virginia (1963) 

Virginia got a kick out of knowing the Bears players, even if she had to prove it any way she could to her fellow schoolmates. “Girls didn’t bother at all. I think the only time I got the attention of the boys was when I got into an argument in the school playground about knowing Red Grange,” said Virginia. “That was, ‘Oh, you don’t know Red Grange,’ and it was him with the Bears at that point. It was that they knew Red Grange. So, I asked my dad to have Red sign a picture for me that I could take to school and prove that I know him. Now it’s a little embarrassing to think that I was that convinced that I had to prove something.”

Red Grange autographed photo to Virginia

Because the NFL was important to her father, it was important to Virginia. “I was very definitely involved. I loved the game, mostly because it was so important to my dad, and everything that was so important to him was important to me too,” said Virginia McCaskey in 1999.

She always cherished Sundays going to Bears games. “Home games we had 8:00 a.m. Mass at St. Hillary’s. Come home and have breakfast. I was going to say read the paper, usually the sports pages. Then he would leave about 10:00 a.m. for a one o’clock kickoff. We would go later in time to get there for the game. Then we would wait for him after the game and all of us come home together. If we won it was wonderful. Everybody was happy and enjoying the moment. I think he really tried to help me feel better if we lost a game. He’d say, ‘Well, we’ll get them next time. Or that’s too bad. But we learned something that will help us along the way.’ He was always, always very positive,” recalled Virginia. (1999 interview)

Virginia learned the ins and outs of the NFL by observing her father and being surrounded by the sport. It was her life. While attending Drexel University, near Philadelphia, Virginia met Ed McCaskey. In 1943 she married McCaskey and went on to have 11 children and now over 40 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her and Ed continued to be involved with the Bears until 1983 when her father passed away. At that point she became the owner.

Her accomplishments include being very involved in the Brian Piccolo Award, given out yearly by the Bears to the one rookie and one veteran who best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Bears running back. For decades she has helped raise money for cancer research.

MEETING VIRGINIA MCCASKEY

Over my career working for NFL Films, and writing about the history of the NFL, I was fortunate to interview Virginia McCaskey twice.

My first time sitting down with her was in 1999. I was producing a piece on the NFL’s first post-season game – the famous 1932 indoor game played between the Portsmouth Spartans and Chicago Bears – and the first ever NFL Championship Game between the Giants and Bears in 1933. I interviewed all of the living participants at the time that including the likes of Glenn Presnell, Charles “Ookie” Miller, Harry Newman and George Musso. I also contacted the Bears to see about doing an interview with Mrs. McCaskey who had attended the Indoor Game as a young child.

I knew she liked her privacy and didn’t do many interviews. I thought it was a long shot. But I was pleasantly surprised when she said yes. I traveled to her modest ranch home in Des Plaines, Illinois to do the interview. For an hour she answered all my questions about the early days of the Bears and specifically about the two important games in NFL history.

Virginia McCaskey, 1999

She was very excited to talk about being indoors watching her Bears. “I remember being there, because I was nine years old. I remember the odor,” says Virginia McCaskey. “There had been a circus in Chicago Stadium the previous week. We were familiar with the Stadium because my dad had a professional basketball team, named the Chicago Bruins. So, we would go to the stadium for those basketball games. The field was not your ideal field. It certainly was a lot more comfortable than being at Wrigley Field that particular week.”

During the hour I was very impressed with her knowledge and enthusiasm for the history of the NFL. I was more than happy with the interview we did and several of her interview sound bites made my NFL Films piece on those two important games.

After I finished the interview Virginia sent me a handwritten note asking for a copy of the interview and the eventually piece that would air on our show, NFL Films Presents. I was more than happy to comply since she gave me her time. After more than twenty years later I’ve kept the note.

Handwritten Note from Virginia McCaskey (1999) to Author

The next time our paths crossed was in 2005 when I was writing my book on Joe F. Carr, the former NFL President from 1921-1939. Carr and Halas were close friends and I knew I wanted to get a little more input from Virginia McCaskey about their relationship. I again reached out to the Bears and once again she said yes to an interview. This time we did the interview in Canton, Ohio the same day the Bears played the Miami Dolphins in the Hall of Fame game.

We talked for thirty-five minutes, she was on a tight schedule because of the game, but I got what I wanted. One of my favorite quotes in the Carr book is her answer on meeting Joe Carr when he would come over for dinner. Although she was not any older than ten years old, she recalled Carr’s visit very vividly. Virginia McCaskey recalled:

 “I was very much involved then. I loved the game. My memory of Joe Carr is his coming to dinner in our apartment on Campbell Ave. during my grammer school and high school days…He was always well reserved and well dressed with his business suit, and his white shirt, and his tie and his glasses. He would always ask Mugs (her brother) and me about our schoolwork and our activities. He paid special compliments to my mother because she fixed a chicken dinner, which was his favorite. She also had a chocolate icebox cake recipe that we all enjoyed. She didn’t make it very often, so we were always happy when we heard that Mr. Carr was coming for dinner, because then we knew we’d get the chocolate icebox cake.

Then after dinner he and dad would go into the living room to have their business discussions. Mugs and I would help mom clean up the dishes or something just to keep us out of the way. Now I look back and think, wouldn’t it have been wonderful to sit in on some of those discussions.”

Her answers about her father and Joe Carr made me feel like I had been right in the living room in Chicago listening to Halas and Carr talk about the NFL. Her answers made my book better.  

My two interviews with Virginia McCaskey are two of the most important and rewarding interviews I have ever done. I will never forget them.

HER LEGACY

George Halas was involved with the National Football League for 63 years (1920-1983). He was present at the formation of the league in Canton, Ohio in 1920. He played ten seasons as a player. He won 324 NFL games in a 40-year coaching career. He won eight NFL championships as player-coach-owner. He won his first title at the age of 26. He won his last at 68. “It has been the most priceless privilege of my professional life to see our dreams come true and to watch our ugly duckling grow to be a magnificent eagle,” once said Halas about being a part of the National Football League.

Virginia’s legacy is just as impressive.

Virginia McCaskey looking at Halas Family Scrapbooks (2015) 

She has seen it all. 100 years of NFL action and history. “She has set such a great example of how owners of professional teams should conduct themselves, with a quiet dignity and a love of their teams,” said John Mara, President-CEO of the New York Giants in 2015. She knew Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski. She watched the 1932 Indoor Game and the Bears 73-0 blowout of the Washington Redskins in 1940. She was in New Orleans when the Bears won Super Bowl XX. She has been part of the NFL’s owners’ meetings her entire adult life. While sitting in the Bears owners’ box she has watched all of the Bears greatest players including Sid Luckman, Bulldog Turner, George Musso, Ed Sprinkle, Bill George, Mike Ditka, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon, Brian Urlacher, Devin Hester and many more. She befriended Brian Piccolo when he fought cancer and she has crossed paths with NFL Commissioners, Bert Bell, Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell. She has seen pretty much everything that the NFL has done for the past 100 years.

“I don’t think anybody could’ve dreamed of what it had grown into. My father had that commitment and the love of the game. He used to say he didn’t really work at it because it was so important to him and he was so pleased that what he believed in had come to fruition in the present success of the NFL and we were all the benefactors,” said Virginia McCaskey.

RIP to the “First Lady of the NFL.”

Can Adam Vinatieri Beat the Odds Again as First-Ballot HOFer?

By John Turney 

As an ESPN analyst, Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Parcells once described Adam Vinatieri's improbable 45-yard field goal in the 2001 playoffs -- a kick made in a blizzard at Foxboro vs. the Oakland Raiders -- as the "greatest football play of all time."

Surprised? I was. After all, it was a kicker who made the game-tying play, and kickers aren't football players, right? At least, that's what we sometimes hear. But not Vinatieri. He was more than a kicker.

We know because Parcells told us so.

Rewind the videotape to 1996 when Parcells was head coach of the New England Patriots, and Vinatieri was his kicker. In an early December game vs. Dallas, one which the Patriots won, Vinatieri managed to chase down Cowboys' running back Herschel Walker on a kick return, prompting Parcells to give the rookie his highest compliment.

"You're not just a kicker," he told Vinatieri. "You’re a football player."

OK,, so he was a football player, per Parcells. But the greatest football play ever? Even Bill Belichick, who took over as the Patriots' coach in 2000, qualified his praise by calling Vinatieri's 2001 field goal "by far the greatest kick I have ever seen." 

Best football play or greatest kick ever, it doesn't matter. Either way, it was a remarkable achievement given how much football Parcells and Belichick had seen in their careers.  And it was that clutch kick, among many others, that landed Adam Vinatieri on the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame's Class of 2025 finalist list. Now, this week we learn if it's enough to make the former New England and Indianapolis specialist the second kicker ever to be a first-ballot choice (Jan Stenerud was elected in his first year of eligibility in 1991) and the third kicker overall.

If not, he'll have to wait, as Morten Andersen (whose records he topped) did until 2017 when he was enshrined in his fourth year as a finalist. Whichever way the voting goes, Vinatieri has a compelling case for first-ballot induction, and let's count the ways:

-- He played 24 seasons in the NFL, third most behind George Blanda (26) and Andersen (25).

-- His games played (365) are second most in league history, behind Andersen, and his 32 playoff contests trail only future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady.

-- He's the NFL's all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points.

-- His field goals made (599) are also the most ever.

-- He scored 238 points in the playoffs, which are first all-time ... as are his post-season field goals (56).

-- His clutch performances in Super Bowls, including game-winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and XXXVIII, are iconic moments that helped define his career.

-- He was a first-team All-Pro in 2002, 2004 and 2014 and made the Pro Bowl those same years. Moreover, he was voted to the NFL 2000s' all-decade team and is one of two kickers named to the NFL's 100th anniversary team. Stenerud is the other.

-- Five times he was AFC Player of the Month and 27 times the AFC Player of the Week.

-- He's in the New England Patriots' Hall of Fame and the Colts' Ring of Honor.

As you can see, the honors -- like his kicking records -- go on and on. But they weren't easy to achieve ... not at first, anyway. As a rookie in 1996, his career got off to a shaky start when he missed three field goals in a Week 2 loss to Buffalo. He missed another in a blowout win the following week, irking Parcells ... and why not? Heading into a Week 4 matchup against Jacksonville, he'd converted just three of his first seven attempts.

So the pressure was on for the young kicker out of South Dakota State.

But that's when Vinatieri excelled, with the Jacksonville game offering a glimpse into what would make him extraordinary. He nailed five field goals in that contest, including the game-winner, in a 28-25 overtime victory, and proceeded to miss only three more kicks the rest of the season, including the playoffs.

Now, fast-forward from that point in his career to his retirement when Belichick called him "the greatest kicker of all time," and you'll understand why he should be on the short list when the Hall's Class of 2025 is revealed on Thursday. 

"When you look up 'clutch' in the dictionary," Brady said to Vinatieri on social media, "it should have your picture. An incredible teammate with an incredible work ethic. Honored to have played with the GOAT."

Brady should be. Without Vinatieri's clutch kicks, Brady may not be considered the G.O.A.T. of NFL quarterbacks. A few weeks after Vinatieri's kick(s) in the 2001 "Snow Bowl" (or "Tuck Rule Game," take your pick) he hit a 48-yarder as time expired in Super Bowl XXXVI to give the Patriots a 20-17 win over the heavily-favored St. Louis Rams.

It was the first of six Patriots' Super Bowl titles.

Two years later, he hit a 41-yard game-winner in Super Bowl XXXVIII to secure a 32-29 win over Carolina, and a dynasty was born. The following season, the Patriots would go on to win their third title in four years.

"Even in the other Super Bowl we won we won against Philadelphia (Super Bowl XXXIX)," said then-special teams coach Brad Seely, "he kicked a field goal late in that game to put us ahead. Now it wasn’t a deciding kick, but every one of those Super Bowl wins was a three-point game. And it was because of Adam."

That can also be read as ... "because of Adam," Tom Brady got his first three rings. Clutch is what mattered, and Vinatieri was just that. 

That's important to remember. Because while he holds a slew of records, Vinatieri wasn't the most accurate kicker of his era. He just wasn't. He was good, ONE of the best. But there were kickers with higher field-goal percentages. In fact, at his retirement, his 83.8 percent accuracy rate ranked 15th all-time among kickers with 200 or more field goals. Of course, that's nothing new for Hall-of-Fame kickers. When Andersen retired he was 14th, and Stenerud was 10th.

Earlier Hall-of-Fame kickers who played dual roles weren't much different. Blanda was 22nd (minimum 100 made field goals) and Lou Groza was sixth (75 made, minimum). But it wasn't across-the-board accuracy that defined Vinatieri's kick as much as it was pressure. He responded to it like few others.

When his team was down by three or fewer points in the last two minutes of play, for example, his 83.8 accuracy rate jumped to nearly 87 percent. And when his team was down by three or fewer points in the last 30 secondss, it increased to just over 88 percent.

Bottom line: He hit field goals when it mattered.

So there you have it. It's a first-ballot resume, though it doesn't mean Vinatieri is a first-ballot lock. Modern analytics could get in the way. 

In one analysis, I've seen former Chiefs' great Nick Lowery named as the game's leading kicker, ranked about eight points above average ... or "above-replacement kicker"... per 16 games, with Andersen and Stenerud ranked four or fewer. That means that metric considers the league's two all-time leading scorers a field goal or field goal-and-extra point better than a mediocre kicker. So the so-called "value," or the position value, of a kicker isn't close to that of a position player. 

Hopefully, the Hall's board of selectors sees more than just metrics when it looks at Vinatieri. Let's hope voters remember what they saw with their eyes, what we all saw ... and that's a kicker who lasted 24 years , broke every career record in the book and excelled when the stakes were high, no matter the weather, the opponent or the situation. 

Adam Vinatieri was money on game-winning kicks in the biggest games, and isn't that what a Hall of Fame kicker is all about? We're about to find out.

Never Reached a Super Bowl? No Problem. Neither Did These Greats

By John Turney

Stop if you heard this before: Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen will be home for the Super Bowl.

Sound familiar? It should. It's been that way the entirety of Allen's seven-year NFL career, with the Kansas City Chiefs dismissing him and the Bills from the playoffs four of the past five seasons. The latest setback occurred last weekend, with the Chiefs prevailing 32-29, keeping Allen's streak of missing Super Bowls intact.

It was the fourth time Allen lost to Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs, and the first time one quarterback beat the other that many times in a five-year span. So that makes Allen unique. But missing the Super Bowl? That doesn't.

Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson hasn't played in one. Nor, for that matter, have some of the NFL's all-time greats. Some, like Hall-of-Famers Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers, were stuck on underwhelming Chicago Bears' teams that couldn't reach the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. The same goes for Browns' tackle Joe Thomas. Then there were others whose teams made the playoffs but didn't go far.

However, my interest is with none of them. 

I'm here to choose the 10 greatest players who didn't play in Super Bowls, but who, like Allen and Jackson, came close by playing in one or more conference championship games. Call it a misery index ... as in: The greater the heartbreak, the more you move up the list ... and let's call it now. 

Here are my picks:

1. Dan Fouts—The leader of "Air Coryell" had the San Diego Chargers close. He lost the AFC championship game twice and a divisional playoff game in three straight years -  1980-82. That was his window, and it slammed shut after that. He still put up numbers and picked up his Gold Jacket but never played in the Big Game ... and, in terms of legacy, that means more for quarterbacks than other positions.

2. Merlin Olsen—Like Fouts, Olsen came close to playing in a Super Bowl. The Rams played in NFC championship games in 1974-76, losing all three -- twice to the Vikings and once to the Cowboys. The 14-time Pro Bowler would be on most people's "Mt. Rushmore" of defensive tackles.

3. LaDainian Tomlinson—The Patriots stopped Tomlinson's Chargers twice. Then, in 2010, the Pittsburgh Steelers shut the door on his Jets. So Tomlinson never held the Lamar Hunt Trophy after an AFC title game. One of the best all-around running backs, Tomlinson could run, catch, block, run short and run long. But he couldn't run his teams to the Super Bowl in two title tries.

4. Earl Campbell—Twice he led the Houston Oilers to an AFC championship game ... and by "led," I mean that without him they don't get there. In fact, without him, they wouldn't make the playoffs, period. He was the Oilers' offense, but that wasn't enough. The Steelers were a better, more complete team and twice the "Tyler Rose" fell one game short of playing in a Super Bowl.

5. Barry Sanders—One of the top-five running backs in league history, Sanders played in only one NFC championship game. That happened in his third season (1991), and it never happened again despite the Lions reaching the playoffs five of his 10 NFL seasons. Sanders was an elite player, but he wasn't enough to push Detroit over the hump. 

6. Randall McDaniel—Offensive linemen are people, too, and this Hall-of-Fame guard fits perfectly on this list. He played 14 seasons, including 11 in the playoffs, and never advanced to the Big Game. The closest he came was 1998 when his Vikings lost in the NFC championship game after a missed Gary Anderson field goal (his first of the season) ended that dream. Nine times his team advanced to the playoffs but never won a conference championship. Ouch. 

7. John Randle—Another Vikings' star, Randle is one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the history of the NFL. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, all-decade choice and member of the league's 100th anniversary team who produced 137-1/2 sacks. Like McDaniel, he got close to making the Super Bowl in 1998, and the rest you know. Just read the paragraph above.  

8. Eric Dickerson—Like Barry Sanders, Dickerson is one of the top running backs the game has seen. But his Rams' team only made one championship game, only to be shut out by the Bears (1985). He played for four teams, and all were one-dimensional ...with Dickerson the one dimension. But it was never enough. 

9. Steve Largent—The Seattle wide receiver played in an AFC championship game in 1983 in a Cinderella playoff run. The Seahawks snuck into the playoffs with a 9-7 record, proceeded to beat John Elway and the Broncos and then upset the 12-4 Miami Dolphins. However, they couldn't handle the Raiders. It was the first and last time Largent played in a conference title game, though he'd make three more playoff appearances.

10. Tony Gonzalez—The 14-time Pro Bowler was on six playoff teams, but it wasn't until his second-to-last year in the NFL that he got his closest shot at a Super Bowl. That was the 2012 season when the Falcons hosted the NFC championship gamer, only to be beaten by San Francisco, 28-24.

updated: 2/5/2025