Just read the news that Fred Taylor will be retiring as a Jacksonville Jaguar on Friday, and figured (especially after an amusing couple minutes of conversation at a draft last night during which a neighbor of mine tried to convince me that Fred Jackson would be voted into the Hall of Fame–took a couple minutes to figure out he meant Taylor) that it’s worth putting the question out to the experts on our site.

The numbers:

  • 1 time Pro Bowlers, zero All-Pros (he made one 2nd Team AP All-NFL team–may be telling right there)
  • 11,695 career rushing yards, 15th all time
  • Could have been closer to 15,000 if he was healthier during his career
  • 66 career rushing TDs, 74 total TDs
  • 14,709 yards from scrimmage (25th all time)

Realistically, I think these numbers are far short of HOF worthy, especially by today’s HOF definition.  If he had put these numbers up in the 70’s or 80’s, he might have made it–as it stands, I can think of several other contemporary backs that I would list as significantly better, that I would say might not even be HOF worthy (looking at you Jerome).

I would say clearly not a first ballot guy, but my neighbor thought the yards from scrimmage would get him in–and looking at the ‘Similar Players’ on Pro-Football-Reference does show a number of HOF caliber players as comparisons at various points of his career, and even two (Frank Gifford and Eric Dickerson) for overall career.

So what say you, Zoneblitz Nation?

Is Fred Taylor Canton Worthy?

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