The Hall of Very Good’s Fourth Class: Alstott, Parrish, Russell
These guys may be on Canton’s doorsteps, mere yards away from entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They may have had short or shortened careers for one reason or another. But one thing’s for sure, they left impacts on the game that deserve recognition. Introducing: The “Hall of Very Good.”
Note: The research for these articles was completed independently and the selected players have zero connection to the Professional Football Researchers Association.
- Requirements for Entry: Must be Retired
- Must NOT Currently be a Member of the Pro Football HOF
- Must Have a Story to Tell
- Must Have 2+ Pro Bowls/All-Pros
- Legacy Picks Must Have Completed Their Careers Before 2000
The Fourth Class of Modern Era Inductees:
“The A-Train” Mike Alstott – Fullback
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-2007)
In recent football history, the fullback position has been found few and far between, but not on Mike Alstott’s watch. When addressing survival, defenders who dared to attempt to tackle him had more trouble than his position. He thrived, applying his brute force every time he touched the rock and earning every letter of his nickname “The A-Train” with every bonecrushing blow he delivered. Combining this power with incredibly surprising balance and finesse, the second-rounder out of Purdue spent all twelve of his NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as one of the most iconic power runners the league has ever seen.
Lining up at a terrifying 6’1” and 248 pounds, Alstott made you feel every single pound with a violent blend of momentum and leverage that made arm tackles, any tackle attempt for that matter, virtually useless. In six of his first seven seasons, the Bucs Ring of Honor member produced 750+ yards from scrimmage and two double-digit touchdown seasons in a world where the defenses knew exactly what was coming and still couldn’t stop it.
Accolades followed. Alstott earned six Pro Bowl selections and three First-Team All-Pro honors (one Second-Team selection), a rare résumé for a player at his position. Contributing as a reliable receiver and short-yardage nightmare, he finished his career with 71 total touchdowns, a franchise record until Mike Evans came around and one of the highest marks ever for a fullback. This versatility made him a centerpiece of Tampa Bay’s offense. However, Alstott’s impact went beyond the stat sheet. Under the leadership of Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden, he was the tone-setter for a Buccaneers team built on toughness and physicality, perfectly complementing a historically dominant defense.
His willingness to embrace contact and do the dirty work helped pave the way for Tampa Bay’s rise, culminating in a Super Bowl XXXVII championship, the franchise’s first. Coaches trusted him. Teammates fed off him. Fans adored him. The opposition feared him. As the NFL shifted toward speed and space, the fullback position faded, but, to this day, Alstott remains as its gold standard. He wasn’t just one of the best fullbacks of his era… He was the benchmark by which all others were measured. The Hall of Fame, and most of the NFL, may have moved on from fullbacks, but the Hall of Very Good hasn’t, and Mike Alstott’s legacy will bulldoze straight through its doors.
“Speed and Sixes” Lemar Parrish – Cornerback/Return Specialist
- Cincinnati Bengals (1970-1977)
- Washington Redskins (1978-1981)
- Buffalo Bills (1982)
Before the term “ball hawk” became commonplace in the NFL, Lemar Parrish lived out its definition. After the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Parrish in the seventh round out of Lincoln University of Missouri, where he set the school’s record for longest punt return (a 95-yard score) and would have his No. 20 retired, Parrish would become one of the most dangerous defensive backs of the 1970s. He was a blur in the secondary with track speed and elite instinct that was capable of changing games in an instant. Whether he was locking down receivers, baiting quarterbacks, or flipping the field on special teams Parrish brought electricity every time he was around the ball.
The Bengals 40th and 50th Anniversary Team member entered the league in 1970 and wasted no time making an impact, snagging five interceptions, recovering one fumble, 482 yards returning kickoffs, scoring two touchdowns (one kickoff return and one blocked field goal return), and returning 16 kickoffs for 482 yards, a whopping 30.1 yards per return average. In 1974, the Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor member set a franchise record with an NFL-leading 18.8 yards per punt return average. He followed that with a career that spanned 13 seasons and included eight Pro Bowl selections, three First-Team All-Pro selections, and two Second-Team All-Pro selections, an extraordinary total for a cornerback in an era that included Hall of Famers such as Mike Haynes, Mel Blount, and Ken Riley. Cincinnati finished this career with productive marks: 47 interceptions, 15th all-time at the time of his retirement, 13 fumble recoveries, and leaving the Bengals as the team’s all-time leader in punt return yards, a franchise record holder for punt return yards in a season, and the franchise’s all-time leader in touchdowns scored by “return or recovery” with 13 (four on punt returns, four on interception returns, three on fumble returns, one on a kickoff return, and one on a blocked field goal return).
He was also the only player in franchise history ever to score two “return or recovery” touchdowns in a single game, but he didn’t just do it once… he accomplished this feat three times. This is what separated Parrish from his peers: his versatility. He wasn’t just a shutdown corner. He was also one of the league’s most dangerous return men. He was a constant threat to score from just about anywhere on the field with his speed forcing offenses to play cautiously, knowing one mistake could turn into six points the other way. Parrish spent the prime of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he became the face of the defense and a cornerstone of the franchise’s rise in the 1970s.
Later, he brought that same playmaking ability to Washington, where he would earn two of his First-Team All-Pros and Pro Bowls. Parrish retired as one of just 20 defensive backs with eight or more Pro Bowls. His eight Pro Bowl selections are tied with the likes of Deion Sanders, Patrick Peterson, Larry Wilson, Troy Polumalu, and Paul Krause, and are more than the likes of Darrelle Revis, Mel Blount, Ronde Barber, Darrell Green, and Jimmy Johnson. He was dynamic, fearless, and always around the football. Lemar Parrish defined what it meant to be a true playmaker in the secondary. He may not have a bust in Canton just yet, but Lemar Parrish’s speed, swagger, and game-breaking ability earn him a deserved place in the Hall of Very Good.
Legacy Player: “The Glue in the Steel Curtain” Andy Russell – Linebacker
- Pittsburgh Steelers (1963, 1966-1976)
Championship teams are built on stars, but dynasties are sustained by leaders. Nicknamed “The Horse” in high school for his power, Andy Russell was exactly that for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Never missing a game in high school or at Mizzou, the 16th-Round draft pick became a two-time Super Bowl champion and the emotional backbone of the legendary Steel Curtain defense. The Missouri Sports Hall of Famer was the steady presence who kept one of the most dominant units in NFL history operating at its peak. A seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro, Russell lined up at linebacker during a golden era of defense-heavy football. While teammates like Jack Lambert, Mean Joe Greene, and Jack Ham often grabbed headlines, Russell was made Pro Bowls before these heroes even arrived in the Steel City, even taking time to mentor Ham. Russell’s football intelligence was as valuable as his toughness, diagnosing plays before they developed and consistently putting himself in the right position to make stops. Though tackling statistics weren’t officially tracked during much of his career, his impact was undeniable on film and in results. The Steelers’ defense ranked among the league’s best year after year, and Russell was there for it all.
The 1971 team MVP won two Super Bowls and was voted team captain for a whole decade during Pittsburgh’s rise to NFL powerhouse. His durability and consistency helped set the standard for linebacker play throughout the 1970s, but Russell never chased the attention or individual accolades, he chased wins and team success. And he earned them. The Hall of Fame already spotlights many stars of the Steel Curtain, but the Hall of Very Good proudly honors one of the key men who helped hold it all together: Welcome, Andy Russell!
Congratulations to these players!
Our fourth class of inductees may not have gold jackets yet, but their legacies are firmly cemented in NFL history. Physical, versatile, and championship-tested, Mike Alstott, Lemar Parrish, and Andy Russell each defined toughness, leadership, and playmaking in their own eras. The Hall of Fame may not have called, but the Hall of Very Good just did. Welcome.
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