Tim Brown's Election to Hall of Fame an Honor Long Overdue

Finally. At long last, the wait is over.

After six years of waiting, former Oakland Raiders legend Tim Brown has received his due and has been elected to the professional football Hall of Fame. Brown will be entering the Hall in a strong class of former players that includes Jerome Bettis, Charles Haley, Will Shields, and the late Junior Seau. Special contributors Ron Wolf and Bill Polian were also elected along with senior committee selection Mick Tinglehoff.

Brown ended a very distinguished playing career sixth on the NFL’s all time receiving yardage list with 14,934 yards. He is fifth on the career receptions list with 1,101, and is tied with former Seattle Seahawks great Steve Largent for seventh on the all time touchdown receptions list with 100. His 19,682 all-purpose yards – 3,320 on punt returns and 1,235 on kickoff returns – put him fifth on the all time list.

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Browns resume is impressive and his credentials, many believe, should have earned him induction long ago. He first appeared on the ballot in 2010, but instead watched former teammate – and arguably, the best receiver to ever play the game – Jerry Rice, earn the selection. In 2011 and 2012, Brown fell victim to a numbers game. There were simply too many qualified receivers in the field of candidates – though none received the required 80 percent of votes needed from the 46 person panel.

In 2013, former Minnesota Vikings great Cris Carter got the nod, and in 2014, Brown watched as former Buffalo Bills star Andre Reed was inducted over him. But with Indianapolis Colts standout Marvin Harrison the only other receiver on the ballot, Brown was feeling better about his chances.

Jan 31, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders former receiver Tim Brown speaks at a press conference to introduce the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees at Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking with the Washington Post before the Hall of Fame selection vote, Brown said, “I really think, not that this is my best shot, but now that I’m the veteran guy in the receiving group, I’m hoping that I will get a little bit more favor this time when it comes to this deal. We’ll see what happens.”

What sets Brown apart and makes him uniquely qualified to enter the Hall is the fact that he put up his outstanding numbers without having had an elite quarterback throughout the vast majority of his career. Until the Raiders obtained Rich Gannon to run the offense, Brown caught balls from a collection of quarterbacks – Jeff Hostetler, Jay Schroeder, Jeff George, Vince Evans and Donald Hollas – who weren’t exactly lighting up the league, and might not have been starters on most teams. There is no doubt that Brown’s reliability and steadying presence made that motley crew look better than they actually were.

Now that he has finally obtained the required percentage of votes and will be enshrined in Canton, Brown carries some divided emotions and mixed feelings. Specifically about who will not be in attendance to see him finally honored, people he says had the biggest influence on his life – his father, former Raiders owner Al Davis, and his former teammate and close friend Chester McGlockton.

Tim Brown’s Election to Hall of Fame an Honor Long Overdue

By Kevin Saito | Feb 1, 2015