7 Hall of Famers Who Wouldn't Make It Through Training Camp in Today's NFL

The NFL has changed. From the days before the forward pass to the explosive passing attacks of today, the NFL's evolution was spurred along by its legends.

What would it be like if Hall of Fame players tried to make it in today's NFL? I mean, at the age when they were entering the league, not today—though, I would wager Jerry Rice might be able to stick onto a NFL roster at age 50.

Players are uniformly bigger, faster and stronger than they were during the league's biggest evolutionary periods. Could any of those guys hack it today?

Joe Namath

This is less about evolution and more about overall skill.

Broadway Joe made a career out of an improbable Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts—a game for which he won the MVP without throwing a touchdown pass—but would the outspoken quarterback even beat out Mark Sanchez in today's NFL?

The 6'2" quarterback barely cracked 50 percent passing. For his career. He threw for more interceptions than touchdowns, and his teams lost more than they won. Aside from his Super Bowl guarantee, Namath remains one of the NFL's most statistically overrated players in history.

He was a first-round pick at the time, so he would be given plenty of opportunity had he been the same today, but it would be tough to keep him as the starter with passing statistics like that.

Dick "Night Train" Lane

The Hall of Fame cornerback was certainly a stud in his day, setting a still unbroken record for most interceptions as a rookie with 14. In 12 games.

His main issue for making it in today's NFL is not talent or size, but an overabundance of ferocity. If you think James Harrison plays recklessly, try to drum up some footage of Lane clotheslining receivers. If his own modern day team would not kick him off, Roger Goodell would send him packing quicker than you could say "concussion."

Of course, that he even got in the first place might not have happened today. Dissatisfied with his employment as a factory worker, Lane essentially walked on with the Los Angeles Rams and made the team. 

Would he have been able to walk into the Arizona Cardinals' facility and into the history books today?

Bob Hayes

"Bullet Bob" Hayes was a sight to see in the NFL.

The Cowboys decided to take a chance on the marvelous Olympian after he broke world sprinting records at the 1964 Games. The speedster would wind up changing the NFL forever.

Those were the days of Jim Brown and smashmouth football, when speed was not a major part of the game. Things changed once Hayes arrived and smoked the league from Dallas.

A large part of his success was the incredible speed advantage he possessed. He was a jack rabbit among guinea pigs, a Ferrari racing against Pintos. Defenses had to come up with whole new schemes like zone and the bump and run to try to stop him.

That advantage would be gone in today's NFL. Defensive backs have much greater speed nowadays, and defenses are far more complex and ready for the likes of Hayes.

The truth of the matter is he would have a good shot at success even today, but the former Olympic sprinter might have had a much tougher time transitioning from sprinting to wide receiver.

Red Grange

The "Galloping Ghost" was a spectacle to behold, without whom professional football might have failed entirely.

After an illustrious college career punctuated by a 402-yard, six-touchdown performance against Michigan's perennially stout defense in 1924, Grange chose to pursue a professional football career, an uncommon choice in those days.

That decision helped popularize the NFL during a desperate time for the league, and the rest is history. He was inducted as a charter member of the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame as a result of his efforts.

If Grange were to play college today at 5'11" and 175 pounds, however, I am not sure he would even get drafted. Though many of his games were exhibitions when he entered the league, and he switched from halfback to defensive back midway through his career, Grange tallied a meager 569 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 288 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.

Grange is a microcosm of why NFL players pre-1950 would have a tough time today. They would just not be able to keep up physically.

Nick Buoniconti

Nick Buoniconti defined tenacity. He had to while playing linebacker at 5'11" and 220 pounds.

The former Boston Patriot cemented his legend while playing for the Dolphins during their three-year Super Bowl run, including the famed perfect season of 1972. 

If his Notre Dame coach advised him he would be too small to play in the NFL back then, just imagine what scouts would say today. His roving style of play was a way around his physical limitations, but he might not have possessed enough athleticism to overcome them in training camp today.

He was drafted all the way back in the 13th round—though back then there were fewer teams—and I imagine he might get a shot as an undrafted free agent today. 

Willie Wood

Many superlatives are attached to Wood's name as he manned the safety position for the Packers during their glory years in the 1960s.

An eight-time Pro-Bowler and five-time All-Pro, Wood helped the Packers capture five championships during his career, including the first two Super Bowls. He was a fantastic punt-returner at the time, once holding the record for longest punt return in a Super Bowl at 31 yards.

Coming out of college as a 5'10" quarterback, he would be hard-pressed to make an NFL roster today (though Russell Wilson might have something to say about that). 

Position changes rarely work out for quarterbacks coming out of college nowadays, and Woods' physical limitations would have likely been too much to overcome.

Sid Luckman

With the help of legendary coach George Halas, Luckman ushered in a new era when the Bears unveiled the T-formation.

Luckman played quarterback in that formation, which took the Washington Redskins by surprise in the 1940 championship game to an astonishing, 73-0 degree.

Luckman would go on to win an MVP award in 1943 and tie a record with seven touchdown passes in one game, but was the 6'0" halfback-turned-quarterback the archetypical "system" quarterback?

Quite probably, yes.

Perhaps Luckman would be a modern-day Tim Tebow, but his lack of size would prevent him from truly emulating the Jets' backup quarterback.