GRETZ: Step 2 for D.T.

Feb 03, 2006, 4:40:25 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ

DETROIT – Tomorrow morning, Derrick Thomas’ second opportunity for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame will take place here in a meeting room inside the Marriott Renaissance Hotel.

He’s one of 15 former players and coaches who will be discussed and voted on by the 39-member selection committee.

As you may or may not know, I am part of that voting group and as the Kansas City representative, it’s my job to make a presentation on Thomas’ credentials for induction.

So, what are D.T.’s chances in 2006? That’s hard to say. I thought his chances were good last year, based on conversations with other members of the committee in the months leading up to decision Saturday. But then on the voting day in Jacksonville, Thomas made the cut from 15 to 10, but not the cut from 10 to six. It’s at the cut to the final six that it’s a simple yes or no vote.

Doing the math from last year indicates Thomas has a strong 20 votes in the committee for induction. Discussions and comments made afterwards indicate about five to eight voters who do not consider him of Hall of Fame quality. That leaves another 10 or so voters with unknown preferences.

Indications are that this year, the late Reggie White and Troy Aikman are considered locks in their first year of eligibility. After that, it’s anybody’s guess. The 2006 Hall of Fame class must have at least three members, and it could have as many as six.

I think D.T. deserves to be in that class certainly as much as names like Michael Irvin, Warren Moon and Thurman Thomas, who are also part of the 15 finalists. Others are Russ Grimm, Rayfield Wright, John Madden, Art Monk, L.C. Greenwood, Harry Carson, Bob Kuechenberg and Claude Humphrey.

Every one of the selectors seems to have a different method of deciding who is a Hall of Famer. Let me tell you mine.

It starts with a simple question: is this candidate among the best of his generation at his particular position or skill? For instance, was he the best quarterback at any point in his career? Was he the second best? Was he the third best? Do the statistics reflect this? Does the voting of his peers and coaches for the Pro Bowl reflect that? Does the voting of the media for All-Pro teams show that? Does his standing in history compared with others at the position indicate he belongs?

Then next question in my formula is: did he have an impact on the game? Was he a player that opponents had to account for? Did his ability force his team to become creative in how he was used, or were opponents forced to create new schemes and styles in an attempted to stop him? Was he so good at his skill or position that rules were created because of him?

The final question is this: did he have an impact on his team? Did he elevate the play of those around him? Did he push the entire franchise to the heights of professional football? Did he perform in big games? Was he part of a championship team?

By every one of those items but one – a championship – Derrick Thomas qualifies in my mind as a Hall of Famer.

The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.

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A former beat reporter who covered the Pittsburgh Steelers during their glory years, Gretz covered the Chiefs for the Kansas City Star for nine years. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Board of Selectors. He has been the senior columnist for the Chiefs web site since its inception.