The Top Five Oakland Raiders Who (Probably) Won't Make the Hall of Fame

With the Hall of Fame inductions approaching soon for the NFL, I was thinking about the Raiders greats who will likely never make the Hall.  This is the obvious reason for the omission of "Mr. Raider" Tim Brown from this list—he's Hall of Fame-bound soon.  In my opinion, these are the top five Raiders that won't likely be inducted into Canton.  We'll start with No. 5...

5. Rich Gannon

The 2002 MVP and two-time Pro Bowl MVP was known largely as a journeyman until late in his career when he donned the silver and black.  Gannon may not have had a cannon arm, but he was a thinking man’s quarterback.

His situational awareness was a key part of his ability to make completions (in his 2002 MVP season, he set a then-NFL record with 418 completed passes).  Although Gannon’s reign in Oakland was short, he left his mark as one of the truly great Raider gunslingers.

4. Lester Hayes

Lester Hayes’ Hall of Fame shot may have been damaged due to a substance, legal at the time, which he used.  No, nothing ingested; Stickem.  However, regardless if it helped him pick the ball, Lester’s ability to read his opponent and place himself in the position to have a chance at an interception cannot be argued.

Hayes had 13 interceptions in 1980, a Raiders record.  He was a five-time Pro-Bowler, 1980 Defensive Player of the Year, and won two Super Bowls with the Raiders.  The self-proclaimed “Jedi” was feared by opponents and was a major part of the success of 70s and 80s Raiders teams.

3. Jack Tatum

The Assassin.  The nickname says it all.  The most feared, hardest-hitting Raider ever.  Jack Tatum was the epitome of Raider football.  The Raiders were once referred to simply as “a group of criminals.”  Tatum relished this role.  Tatum was once quoted as saying, "I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault."

He ensured that when he hit someone, they felt it.  Tatum’s aggression, abilities, and dedication made him a legend, which is still seen today by the Assassin banners in the Black Hole.  Tatum finished his NFL career with three Pro-Bowls, a Super Bowl ring, and 37 career interceptions.

2. Ray Guy

Arguably the greatest punter of all-time, Ray Guy is deserving of a Hall of Fame nod that I doubt he’ll ever see.  In many opinions (including mine), when you are the best ever at what you do, you deserve to go to Canton.

Ray Guy was a seven-time Pro-Bowler who could drastically alter the game with a kick.  In 1981, he had five punts surpass 60 yards.  Guy was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team as the punter.  It’s hard to argue against his enshrinement, but somehow people do.

1. Ken Stabler

When talking about this list with a colleague at work, when I said Ken Stabler as my No. 1 Raider not in the Hall of Fame, his words were “Wait, the Snake isn’t in the Hall of Fame?”  Ken Stabler was the driving force behind the Raiders from 1970 to 1979.  His easy-going attitude made him a fan-favorite, and won him game after game.

Gene Upshaw once spoke about the amazing feeling when the Raiders were down in the fourth quarter, and everyone knew the Snake would somehow pull out a win.  Stabler led the Raiders to the Super Bowl championship in 1977.

He was the NFL MVP in 1974 and a four-time Pro-Bowler.  Stabler’s nine seasons in Oakland left fans with memories for a lifetime, including “Ghost to the Post” and the “Holy Roller.”  Raider fans know that the Hall just seems empty without the Snake.