Steelers’ legend L.C. Greenwood’s snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame proves the NFL has a serious problem on its hands
L.C. Greenwood still isn’t in the Hall of Fame, and it raises some major concerns going forward.
It’s been nearly 13 years since Pittsburgh Steelers legend L.C. Greenwood passed away. One of the most dominant players on the Steel Curtain defense, Greenwood was a pivotal force on the Steelers’ dynasty of the 1970’s.
His career accolades are among the best of any every finalist every year. Yet, once again on Thursday night, he was left off the ballot, and it proves that the NFL has a huge problem on its hands.
L.C. Greenwood’s latest snub proves the Hall of Fame voting process needs a revamp
L.C. Greenwood Career Accolades
- 4x Super Bowl champion
- Super Bowl record for sacks in a game (4 in Super Bowl X)
- Hall of Fame All-Decade team for 1970’s
- 2x first team All-Pro
- 6x Pro Bowler
- 78 career sacks
“L.C. Greenwood was a special player and a special man,” Former Steelers player and Hall of Fame voter Tony Dungy said earlier this week via Steelers Now. “He was a guy that I looked up to as a high schooler. And then I got to Pittsburgh, and I had the chance to play alongside him. He did things at the left-end position, had to do it in our defense that no other left-ends did. He won four Super Bowl rings. He was an outstanding player.”
“For me to be on the voting team and have to be impartial, that’s hard because he was so special to me. So I had to fight my way to be impartial and put that out of my mind. But he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
The Problem with the Hall of Fame criteria
If you look at the 2026 class, you will see that of the five players who will be enshrined, only one of them isn’t from the modern era. That would be Roger Craig. The Hall of Fame committee made the change in total enshrinements after complaints of too many names being let in, but now it’s clear that the pendulum has swung too far the other direction.
“I don’t like the process the way it is now,” Dungy added. “I said it last year. Now, I’m not going to comment on this year’s voting because I don’t know who’s in and who’s out, but I said it last year. We changed the process last year and went to this 80% deal. … Five years ago, we had an eight-person class: five modern, one coach, one contributor, one senior. Last year, we had a four-person class: three modern, no coaches, no contributors, one senior.”
Something needs to change, and it should start and end with Greenwood in the Hall of Fame.
Pittsburgh Steelers News
Latest departure along the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff will be one they can’t escape even if they wanted to
A familiar face is headed to the Baltimore Ravens.
