With Kurt Warner being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, there are now four members of The Greatest Show on Turf immortalized in Canton. The other three are Marshall Faulk, Aeneas Williams and Orlando Pace.
But wait, where’s wide receiver Isaac Bruce?
After all, Bruce ranks fourth all-time in receiving yards(15,208), 13th in receptions(1,024) and 12th in receiving touchdowns(91). Bruce was the first NFL player to have three straight games of 170+ receiving yards and scored the eventual game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XXXIV on a 73-yard pass thrown by Warner.
This year, he made it to the finalist list for players to be inducted, but ultimately did not make the final cut. He and fellow wide receiver Torry Holt have yet to be inducted. Meanwhile, last season, former Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Many felt that, while he is deserving, it was too early of an induction for Harrison.
Interestingly, both players have similar stats. Bruce played 16 years compared to Harrison’s 13, but both made two Super Bowls(each won one). Harrison, however, made 10 playoff appearances compared to Bruce’s five. Bruce played in and started more games, had more yards, yards per catch and total yards from scrimmage. Harrison had more touchdowns (128 to 91), fewer fumbles (12 as opposed to 16), and saw more targets.
Perhaps the decision to induct Harrison in 2016 over Bruce was harder than it may seem, given the similarity between the two.
But now that Harrison is in, Bruce needs to be next. Next year, players such as Donovan McNabb, Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher and Jeff Saturday will be on the ballot, making the playing field for induction even tougher.
However, tough competition aside, one of the most recognizable and clutch wide receivers has done more than enough on and off the field over his 16-year career and afterward to earn himself a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
