When I watched the NFL Hall of Fame inductions last week, I found myself thinking of Fred Taylor. The former Jaguars running back belongs in the Hall, but more of that in a moment.
What makes a Hall of Famer? For skill position players, the numbers often tell the story. For offensive linemen it’s more difficult except in a case like Joe Thomas, who played more than 10,000 consecutive snaps for the Browns at left tackle, one of the most difficult places to play.
As a Jaguar, I was able to watch Tony Boselli during his short career, concentrating on him in dozens of snaps. You could tell he was a special left tackle, more often than not dominating his man.
Now back to Taylor. His problem with Hall voters — apparently — is he played in an era of great AFC running backs. Why should he be punished for that? He had the numbers, but he had more than that. What I remember is his quickness to the line, his patience waiting on his blocks and his world-class speed getting through the hole.
That’s Hall of Fame running.