What would a kick/punt returner have to accomplish to make the Hall of Fame?

[Rain Man]

Begin the discussion now.




I'm just curious. Is total TDs a barometer? Is it total average return yardage? Total yardage overall? Do you have to have good stats for both kickoff and punt returns?

I don't think a dedicated returner has made the Hall of Fame. Is it possible to do so? Should it happen?

Is a guy like Brian Mitchell a potential hall of famer? Here are his kick return stats. He also has 1,967 yards and 12 TDs rushing, and 2,336 yards and 4 TDs receiving.



KICK RETURNS

Year Team G No Yards Avg Lg TD 40+
1990 Washington Redskins 15 18 365 20.3 37 0 0
1991 Washington Redskins 16 29 583 20.1 35 0 0
1992 Washington Redskins 16 23 492 21.4 47 0 3
1993 Washington Redskins 16 33 678 20.5 68 0 2
1994 Washington Redskins 16 58 1478 25.5 86 0 5
1995 Washington Redskins 16 55 1408 25.6 59 0 5
1996 Washington Redskins 16 56 1258 22.5 50 0 4
1997 Washington Redskins 16 47 1094 23.3 97 1 4
1998 Washington Redskins 16 59 1337 22.7 101 1 5
1999 Washington Redskins 16 43 893 20.8 45 0 1
2000 Philadelphia Eagles 16 47 1124 23.9 89 1 2
2001 Philadelphia Eagles 16 41 1025 25.0 94 1 3
2002 Philadelphia Eagles 16 43 1162 27.0 57 0 6
2003 New York Giants 16 55 1117 20.3 29 0 0
2004 New York Giants 0 0 0 --- 0 0 0
TOTAL 223 607 14014 23.1 101 4 40


PUNT RETURNS

Year Team G No FC Yards Avg Lg TD 20+
1990 Washington Redskins 15 12 4 107 8.9 26 0 0
1991 Washington Redskins 16 45 21 600 13.3 69 2 8
1992 Washington Redskins 16 29 9 271 9.3 84 1 3
1993 Washington Redskins 16 29 7 193 6.7 48 0 1
1994 Washington Redskins 16 32 24 452 14.1 78 2 4
1995 Washington Redskins 16 25 15 315 12.6 59 1 4
1996 Washington Redskins 16 23 16 258 11.2 71 0 4
1997 Washington Redskins 16 38 23 442 11.6 63 1 6
1998 Washington Redskins 16 44 18 506 11.5 47 0 5
1999 Washington Redskins 16 40 14 332 8.3 33 0 2
2000 Philadelphia Eagles 16 32 33 335 10.5 72 1 3
2001 Philadelphia Eagles 16 39 22 467 12.0 54 0 6
2002 Philadelphia Eagles 16 46 11 567 12.3 76 1 7
2003 New York Giants 16 29 14 154 5.3 15 0 0
2004 New York Giants 0 0 0 0 --- 0 0 0
TOTAL 223 463 231 4999 10.8 84 9 53




What does Dante need to accomplish to be a Hall of Famer? Here are his stats. He has only 193 yards rushing with 0 TDs and 961 yards receiving with 4 TDs.



KICK RETURNS

Year Team G No Yards Avg Lg TD 40+
2000 Kansas City Chiefs 5 17 358 21.1 36 0 0
2001 Kansas City Chiefs 13 43 969 22.5 71 0 3
2002 Kansas City Chiefs 16 57 1354 23.8 88 1 5
2003 Kansas City Chiefs 16 57 1478 25.9 100 2 9
2004 Kansas City Chiefs 14 57 1458 25.6 97 2 5
TOTAL 64 231 5617 24.3 100 5 22


PUNT RETURNS

Year Team G No FC Yards Avg Lg TD 20+
2000 Kansas City Chiefs 5 6 5 37 6.2 22 0 1
2001 Kansas City Chiefs 13 32 6 235 7.3 26 0 1
2002 Kansas City Chiefs 16 29 11 390 13.4 90 2 3
2003 Kansas City Chiefs 16 29 14 472 16.3 93 2 8
2004 Kansas City Chiefs 14 20 15 226 11.3 46 0 4
TOTAL 64 116 51 1360 11.7 93 4 17

[|Zach|]

He would have to be able to start at the line of scrimmage block a guy and then get enough space to catch and return a punt for a TD.

[cdcox]

I would not ever consider Brian Mitchell as a HOFer.

The HOF is for special players. The bar for a returner to make it, who only plays special teams, will naturally be much higher than for an every down player. Being the best ever at the position is not enough, you have to blow away what anyone thought was possible. Were someone to get up around 30 TDs as a returner, I think you could begin the conversation. Pedestrian stats from the LOS should not really help someone, because those stats are not something that only a great player could generate. If they were to generate stats from the LOS that are border line HOF, such as Lynn Swann's or Otis Taylor's, those would definitely count in their favor.

[CHIEF4EVER]

What would a kick/punt returner have to accomplish to make the Hall of Fame?
Play the Broncos*(cheated on the salary cap during their championship seasons) every week.

[Phobia]

Play the Broncos*(cheated on the salary cap during their championship seasons) every week.

Well played.

[penchief]

I would say they would have to make a fashion statement.

Isn't Billy "White Shoes" Johnson the only kick/punt returner in the NFL Hall of Fame? I'm pretty sure he didn't make it as a receiver, which was his position on the team.

Those white shoes and white socks were a wonderful PR move by Billy Johnson. It made him look faster and more brilliant. It drew attention to the position like never before.

I believe when Dante is not acting like a head case he is better than White Shoes.

[Rain Man]

Nope. There are no white shoes in the Hall of Fame.

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/alphabetical.jsp


I would agree with cdcox that I don't consider Mitchell to be a Hall of Famer, despite the fact that he is most likely the most prolific returner in NFL history. I'm just trying to figure out what my criteria would be. Maybe TD percentage (TDs per return) would be a factor, but also with a stellar overall average and reasonable longevity.


Mitchell
1 TD per 51.6 punt returns
1 TD per 151.8 kickoff returns

Dante
1 TD per 29.0 punt returns
1 TD per 46.2 kickoff returns

[Thig Lyfe]

If dante keeps going at this rate, I think there's a possibility.