Waiting for the call: Bob Hayes headlines our list of players who have been overlooked unfairly by the Hall of Fame

Football Digest, Feb, 2005 by Jeff Ryan

ART MONK Redskins, Jets, Eagles (1980-95)

Monk didn't possess the game-breaking speed of Lance Alworth or display the aerial acrobatics of Lynn Swann. In fact, he ran most of his routes short and underneath. But Monk made the grabs that kept drives alive and frustrated defenses.

Monk totaled 940 catches (fifth all-time) for 12,721 yards (ninth), led the NFL in receptions in 1984 with a then-record 106, and hauled in passes in 183 consecutive games, the second longest streak in league history. He played on three Super Bowl winners, and made 69 catches for 1,062 yards and seven touchdowns in the postseason.

"His numbers are amazing," says CBS analyst Randy Cross, "but Monk was never a self-promoter and never real flashy, and that hasn't helped him."

CLIFF HARRIS Cowboys (1970-79)

Harris has the most impressive hardware collection this side of Home Depot. The bruising free safety played on seven division winners, five NFC champions, and two Super Bowl winners, was named to six Pro Bowls, and was a four-time All-Pro and five-time All-NFC selection. Earl Campbell once said Harris hit him harder than any tackler he'd ever faced.

"What defined my career was my risk-taking," says Harris. "I didn't just cover the receiver. I also attacked the line of scrimmage. I always had excellent recognition of where the run was going. To me, it was warfare."

RAY GUY Raiders (1973-86)

He's not even among the top 20 leaders in career punting average, yet Guy deserves a spot in Canton because he's simply the best to ever play his position. Oddly, although the Hall of Fame Selection Committee hasn't granted him a spot in Canton, it did name Guy as the punter when it selected an All-Time NFL Team in 2000. Go figure.

It was Guy's hang time, as much as his distance, that made him so reliable. (One kick struck the gondola hanging from the roof of the Louisiana Superdome during the 1976 Pro Bowl.) Guy was named to seven Pro Bowls, he led the NFL in average yards-per-kick three times, had a career average of 42.4 yards a boot, and had only three punts blocked in 1,052 attempts. He also played for three Super Bowl champions.

So why has he been denied? Apparently, the voters have a bias against kickers. Only one, placekicker Jan Stenerud, has ever been inducted.

JACK TATUM Raiders, Oilers (1971-80)

Though only 5"10" and 205 pounds, the three-time Pro Bowl free safety was so intimidating that some receivers who cut over the middle against him probably still hear his footsteps when they close their eyes and lay in bed at night. With his menacing glare and vicious hits, "The Assassin" epitomized the bully image of the Silver-and-Black squads of the '70s.

"Tatum was a force," says hall of fame quarterback Len Dawson. "Every hit was legal in those days, and he would really rock you if you went into his area."

Adds Plunkett, "It was an awesome sight. Tatum would recoil his body and just explode into a receiver. His timing was extraordinary."

Tatum's candidacy has no doubt been hurt by the hit he put on the Patriots' Darryl Stingley in 1978 that left the wide receiver paralyzed. Though the shot was clean, it came in an exhibition game and on a play on which Stingley had no chance to catch the ball.