On Thursday, ESPN reported that Patriots owner Robert Kraft was once again passed over for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, being denied entry onto the final ballot as a contributor in favor of the late Ralph Hay.
Kraft, a six-time Super Bowl champion and widely regarded as one of the most influential owners in all of sports, will miss Canton for the 13th time, as Hay gets the nod for the full selection committee’s consideration instead of the 83 year old.
Hay died in 1944, and was the one-time owner of the now-defunct Canton Bulldogs from 1918 to 1922. He’s also credited as being one of the co-founders of the American Professional Football Association, which later became known as the National Football League.
According to ESPN, this news is expected to be announced by the Hall of Fame next month.
Hay, along with one coaching candidate and three candidates from the pre-Super Bowl era whose names have yet to be revealed, will be considered by the full selection committee in January of next year.
Ahead of his team’s practice on Friday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was asked about his boss and close personal friend missing out on football’s most exclusive fraternity yet again.
“I don’t know how that process works,”said Mayo. “But I don’t think there’s anyone more deserving than Robert Kraft to be in the Hall of Fame.”
As previously mentioned, Kraft has won six Lombardi Trophies, more than any other majority owner in the history of the NFL. In his 31 years of ownership beginning in 1994, the franchise has won the AFC 10 times, and has a regular season winning percentage of .653.
For 19 consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2019, the Kraft-led Patriots never suffered a losing record, and won double-digit games in all but one of those seasons. Only four times during that 19-year run did his team win less than 12 games, and in two of those seasons New England went on to win the Super Bowl (2001 and 2018). In 23 seasons from 1996 to 2019, his team won 19 AFC East division titles.
On top of the trophy case, Kraft is regularly credited as being one of the major players in negotiating TV rights deals that have forever changed sports on television globally, as well as reportedly being a major contributor to helping the league avoid a lockout in 2011.
But for the Hall of Fame’s contributor’s committee, it all wasn’t enough to push him past Hay.
Kraft wasn’t the only Patriots icons in contention for Canton this fall, as three New England legends are still alive in the lengthy induction process for modern-era players:
- Kicker Adam Vinatieri, who retired as the game’s all-time leading scorer after the 2019 season, spent the first 10 seasons of his career in New England from 1996 to 2005. Vinatieri won four Super Bowls in his career, three of which coming in a Patriots uniform. This is his first year of eligibility.
- Safety Rodney Harrison is a semifinalist for the fourth time, and spent the final six seasons of his 15-year career in New England from 2003 to 2008. Harrison was among the leaders of a vaunted Patriots defense that helped the team win back-to-back Super Bowls in 2003 and 2004. Harrison is one of only two players in NFL history with 30 career interceptions and 30 career sacks (the other being Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis).
- Defensive Tackle Vince Wilfork is also a semifinalist for a fourth time, spending the first 11 seasons of his career in New England from 2004 to 2014. Wilfork bookended his time with the Patriots with Super Bowl victories, and is widely regarded as one of the best nose tackles in NFL history.
Mayo, a former All-Pro linebacker for the Patriots in his own right, was asked about the Hall of Fame candidacy of his former teammate in Wilfork.
“Yeah, you know - when I came into the league in 2008, and I was Rookie of the Year, it was all because of those guys up front,” said Wilfork. “And it was, you know - it started with Vince at the nose. And honestly, like for a defensive lineman, you know, he was a dominant player, but sometimes the stats don’t do it justice.
“But he was a dominant player for a very long time, and I hope he gets in. I don’t have a vote but I hope he gets in.”
Vinatieri, Harrison and Wilfork are three of the 25 modern-era players named as semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025:
- Eric Allen, CB: Philadelphia Eagles (1988-1994), New Orleans Saints (1995-97), Oakland Raiders (1998-2001)
- Jared Allen, DE: Kansas City Chiefs (2004-07), Minnesota Vikings (2008-2013), Chicago Bears (2014-15), Carolina Panthers (2015)
- Willie Anderson, T: Cincinnati Bengals (1996-2007), Baltimore Ravens (2008)
- Anquan Boldin, WR: Arizona Cardinals (2003-09), Baltimore Ravens (2010-12), San Francisco 49ers (2013-15), Detroit Lions (2016)
- Jahri Evans, G: New Orleans Saints (2006-2016), Green Bay Packers (2017)
- Antonio Gates, TE: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2003-2018)
- James Harrison, LB: Pittsburgh Steelers (2002-2012; 2014-17) Cincinnati Bengals (2013), New England Patriots (2017)
- Rodney Harrison, S: San Diego Chargers (1994-2002), New England Patriots (2003-08)
- Torry Holt, WR: St. Louis Rams (1999-2008), Jacksonville Jaguars (2009)
- Luke Kuechly, LB: Carolina Panthers (2012-19)
- Eli Manning, QB: New York Giants (2004-2019)
- Robert Mathis, DE/LB: Indianapolis Colts (2003-2016)
- Steve Smith Sr., WR: Carolina Panthers (2001-2013), Baltimore Ravens (2014-16)
- Terrell Suggs, LB/DE: Baltimore Ravens (2003-2018), Arizona Cardinals (2019), Kansas City Chiefs (2019)
- Fred Taylor, RB: Jacksonville Jaguars (1998-2008), New England Patriots (2009-2010)
- Earl Thomas, DB: Seattle Seahawks (2010-18), Baltimore Ravens (2019)
- Adam Vinatieri, K: New England Patriots (1996-2005), Indianapolis Colts (2006-2019)
- Hines Ward, WR: Pittsburgh Steelers (1998-2011)
- Ricky Watters, RB: San Francisco 49ers (1992-94), Philadelphia Eagles (1995-97), Seattle Seahawks (1998-2001)
- Reggie Wayne, WR: Indianapolis Colts (2001-2014)
- Richmond Webb, T: Miami Dolphins (1990-2000), Cincinnati Bengals (2001-02)
- Vince Wilfork, DT: New England Patriots (2004-2014), Houston Texans (2015-16)
- Steve Wisniewski, G: Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders (1989-2001)
- Darren Woodson, S: Dallas Cowboys (1992-2003)
- Marshal Yanda, G/T: Baltimore Ravens (2007-2019)
As you can see from this list, Vinatieri, Harrison and Wilfork aren’t the only former Patriots up for induction.
Steelers legend James Harrison joined the Patriots towards the end of the 2017 season, clearly as “ring-chaser” with New England coming off a Super Bowl victory in 2016, their second in three seasons. Harrison fell just short of his mission that season, with the Patriots losing to the Eagles in Super Bowl LII.
Jaguars legend Fred Taylor spent two seasons in New England to finish out his decorated 13-year career, but it didn’t amount to much. He only played in 13 games across those two seasons, combining for 424 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Rams legend Torry Holt forgettably ended his career in a New England uniform, albeit before the 2010 season started. Holt signed a one-year deal with the team that season, only to be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury by the team in August. Two days after being added to the IR, Holt was released. Two years later, he signed a ceremonial one-day contract to retire as a member of the St. Louis Rams.
Two more names on that list of players have local ties, with Panthers legend Luke Kuechly set all sorts of records playing college football for Boston College (2009-11), and Raiders legend Steve Wisniewski being born in Rutland, VT before moving to Houston, TX for his formative years.
While the possibility of a Patriots-rich induction class remains high for Canton in 2025, it won’t include the man who owned the franchise while each of these players donned the Flying Elvis.