Doug Flutie Band Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 (edited) right now Fred's career numbers over seven seasons are: 5,067 rushing yards, 27 rushing TD 2,086 rec yds, 6 rec TD he has only one 1,000 yard rushing season, zero 10 TD seasons, and zero pro bowls if the wall of fame is for greatness, on paper it looks like fred is missing the mark however, there is something about freddy - from his unlikely path to the nfl to his quiet professional demeanor to his toughness to his work ethic - there is something about freddy that sort of embodies the spirit of the try-hard buffalo bills nonetheless, to me, when i review the names on the bills wall of fame, as of right now fred jackson has not done enough to go up there are 27 people on the bills wall of fame currently one third of them are NFL hall of famers most all of the others are multi time pro bowlers as for the recent trends on the wall of fame, here are those inducted since 2000: 2012 Bill Polian 2011 Phil Hansen 2010 Booker Edgerson 2008 Bruce Smith 2007 Steve Tasker 2006 Andre Reed 2005 Thurman Thomas 2004 Jim Ritcher 2003 Darryl Talley 2002 Kent Hull 2000 George Saimes 2001 Fred Smerlas 2001 Jim Kelly you just can't put fred jackson in the same category as these players realistically - even though he is a very likable guy and fan favorite Edited December 27, 2013 by Noodle
boyst Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 right now Fred's career numbers over seven seasons are: 5,067 rushing yards, 27 rushing TD 2,086 rec yds, 6 rec TD he has only one 1,000 yard rushing season, zero 10 TD seasons, and zero pro bowls if the wall of fame is for greatness, on paper it looks like fred is missing the mark however, there is something about freddy - from his unlikely path to the nfl to his quiet professional demeanor to his toughness to his work ethic - there is something about freddy that sort of embodies the spirit of the try-hard buffalo bills nonetheless, to me, when i review the names on the bills wall of fame, as of right now fred jackson has not done enough to go up there are 27 people on the bills wall of fame currently one third of them are NFL hall of famers most all of the others are multi time pro bowlers as for the recent trends on the wall of fame, here are those inducted since 2000: 2012 Bill Polian 2011 Phil Hansen 2010 Booker Edgerson 2008 Bruce Smith 2007 Steve Tasker 2006 Andre Reed 2005 Thurman Thomas 2004 Jim Ritcher 2003 Darryl Talley 2002 Kent Hull 2000 George Saimes 2001 Fred Smerlas 2001 Jim Kelly you just can't put fred jackson in the same category as these players realistically - even though he is a very likable guy and fan favorite If that is the case then there is only one or two players from 2002-2012 that can be put on The Wall. Those would be Moulds and Kyle Williams. Maybe Dareus will one day be there if he continues as a Bill, or Byrd, SJ13, Alonso, or McKelvin, or Spiller, or EJ... a lot of possibilities. That means in 2024 we get to see Antowain Smith, Don Beebe or Mark Pike instead.
Doug Flutie Band Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 If that is the case then there is only one or two players from 2002-2012 that can be put on The Wall. well the era that produced the longest playoff drought in franchise history is naturally going to have fewer great players moulds and williams are good candidates, as are aaron schobel and brian moorman
Utah John Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 (edited) Absolutely yes. Jackson won't make the Hall of Fame. He might have made it if he had gotten started in the NFL younger and hadn't been hurt during his most productive seasons, when he was leading the league in yards from scrimmage. But the WOF is exactly the right place to honor him. Do you think Booker Edgerson will make the HOF? Nope, never, but he was a great Bill during the first glory years and a great example of a professional, and clearly deserved his WOF. Fred Jackson is in that category. It's not his fault the organization screwed up so many draft picks, and went cheap on quality depth players, and made bad calls on key positions, or hired cheap hack coaching staffs prior to this one. He has ALWAYS played harder than anyone on the field and found ways to get key first downs when other backs would have taken losses. He's a very good pass blocker. He plays through injuries. He took Spiller under his wing and saw his own touches go down, and never complained. What else do you want from the guy? I also think Cookie and Lou Saban belong there, but they didn't kiss Wilson's ring or other body parts so that ain't happening. Edited December 27, 2013 by Utah John
K D Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 This is an easy YES! He's the best Bill since Moulds and like Moulds he was the face of the franchise during down years. Even in his 30's he continues to amaze me. I just hope he gets the opportunity to play in some big games before his time is up. He's already one of the oldest RB's in the league. That's a position with a short shelf life
Buffalo Barbarian Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 I've often found fault with Freddie's role on the team, but his play recently has helped me to appreciate his value. His game Sunday while playing with 2 broken ribs was inspirational. Fred's not a super star but he has become the heart and soul of this organization, and I think he is deserving. not yet but a few more years of this might.
Chandler#81 Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 Yes, but I understand the nay-sayers. Is 5000 yrds enough of a reason? Is his leadership, love of the team and great work ethic enough? In each criteria, he rests right on the edge of YES. Combined, I say yes. Should he give us 2 more solid seasons, he'll be an absolute lock. As BUFTEX referenced P. Hanson, y'all know I campaign for Bobby Chandler. His contributions were right there with Freddie, but I still don't see his name up there..
coseybedaman Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 Absolutely positively yes! Numbers don't tell the full story on Freddie. Let's not also forget that the organization has been trying to replace him with younger, better running backs since he has been here. It simply never happens. Had they given him the full work load he deserved over the course of his career he would be a lock. I'd be devastated if this team doesn't let him retire as a Bill.
cage Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 (edited) This should be a vote poll. I say yes, he is what being a pro is all about. Definitely agree that this should have been a vote poll,... roughly looks like its running about 2/3 in favor. I think I'm in the No category, though I love Freddy as much as anyone. I hope he remains on the team and retires on his own terms as a Bill. With that said I also agree with a number of other posters. As the "heart and soul" of the team, his leadership hasn't effectively spread to the rest of the team nearly enough. -- He's never been to the Pro Bowl -- He's only had a single 1K season and that was only 1,062 -- He was only our leading rushing weapon for 3 seasons (Lynch was primary before and Spiller since) I looked back at our biggest games of the last 4 seasons (all losses),... when the whole season was on the line. Before 2009 Marshawn Lynch was the starter at RB -- 2012, week 14, we were 5-8, with three games to go against a weak St. Louis team... 9 rushes for 14 yd... 5 rec for 16 yds -- 2011, week 11, after 5-2 start we had lost 2 in a row to drop to 5-4 and going into Miami... we get blown out 35-8... 7 rushes for 17 yd... 5 rec for 50 yds -- 2010, week 8, season was shot early w/ 0-8 start, OT loss to Raves in wk 7, OT loss game at KC follows.... 20 rushes for 64 yd... 3 rec for 11 yds -- 2009, week 13, 4-8 coming off a strong victory over Dolphins, Jets at home, can't afford to lose any more... 13 rushes for 31 yd... 3 rec for 13 yds Perhaps I cherry-picked some games, but this is the closest I could come up with as Statement games given the Bills poor record over the last several years. I looked at the seasons progress and selected the game before looking at his stats in any of them. Freddy didn't distinguish himself in any of these games It has to be a No, though I would love to see him continue to work in the Bills organization long after he retires... Great topic for discussion! Edited December 27, 2013 by cage
machine gun kelly Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 right now Fred's career numbers over seven seasons are: 5,067 rushing yards, 27 rushing TD 2,086 rec yds, 6 rec TD he has only one 1,000 yard rushing season, zero 10 TD seasons, and zero pro bowls if the wall of fame is for greatness, on paper it looks like fred is missing the mark however, there is something about freddy - from his unlikely path to the nfl to his quiet professional demeanor to his toughness to his work ethic - there is something about freddy that sort of embodies the spirit of the try-hard buffalo bills nonetheless, to me, when i review the names on the bills wall of fame, as of right now fred jackson has not done enough to go up there are 27 people on the bills wall of fame currently one third of them are NFL hall of famers most all of the others are multi time pro bowlers as for the recent trends on the wall of fame, here are those inducted since 2000: 2012 Bill Polian 2011 Phil Hansen 2010 Booker Edgerson 2008 Bruce Smith 2007 Steve Tasker 2006 Andre Reed 2005 Thurman Thomas 2004 Jim Ritcher 2003 Darryl Talley 2002 Kent Hull 2000 George Saimes 2001 Fred Smerlas 2001 Jim Kelly you just can't put fred jackson in the same category as these players realistically - even though he is a very likable guy and fan favorite I love Freddy, but agree. He has a great attitude, has been durable in terms of delivering the tough yards, but he's not been a pro bowler. Part of that reason is Buffalo is never considered as a place with top talented players. It's a popularity contest. I'd love to see Freddy making it on our roster continuing to do what he's done this year for 2-3 years. Before people tell me his age, he wasn't in the NFL his first four to five years and guys like Walter Payton and Emmett Smith played til 36. I really want Fred to be part of our soon playoff runs. He's suffered from a talent depleted team and has been a bright spot. We're going to make it to the playoffs soon ( I really believe that), and want to see him be a part of it. If his production remains as it is now, he'll deserve to go up on the wall.
Beerball Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 I've often found fault with Freddie's role on the team, but his play recently has helped me to appreciate his value. His game Sunday while playing with 2 broken ribs was inspirational. Fred's not a super star but he has become the heart and soul of this organization, and I think he is deserving. What fault have you found with his role on the team? Inspirational leader. Never ducks questions. Always plays balls out. I have issues with how he's been used, but no fault with how he performs. Funny, to me, how each new coach had to be convinced that this UFA had anything to offer. To answer your question...yes, IMO, he is deserving.
bobobonators Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 (edited) The last decade + has been an abomination. Freddy is probably as close to deserving of that honor as I can think of when looking at all the garbage we've had on this roster over the last decade. But just b/c he's been one of our most consistent and better players during this horrible stretch doesn't mean that he's worthy of being put next to LEGITIMATE Bills all-time greats. I just don't see Freddy's numbers stacking up. He has been with the bills 7 seasons now, and has only played in 16 games in three of those seasons. If he plays this weekend, this will be only the 4th time in 7 seasons that he plays 16 games. Aside from 1-2 seasons, he has never been the feature back. In other words, he's never carried a full work load for an entire season. His high for rushing attempts in a season is 237 in 2009. That's pretty low when looking at starting RB's across the league. He has averaged 160 rushing attempts per season over his Bills career. He has made the most out of each and every attempt, but 160 rushing attempts is nothing guys. He has been, and continues to be a true class act and a good football player overall. But wall of fame? I just don't see it. Edited December 27, 2013 by bobobonators
dpberr Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 I think some folks are confusing the Bills Wall of Fame with THE Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. To be a member of the Wall of Fame, the HOF numbers are not a requirement. We have the 12th Man and Bob Kalsu on ours, for example. They were put on the Wall not for playing stats but incredible intangibles or contributions to the team. While there are many other examples, the Bears (Brian Piccolo) and the Cardinals (Pat Tillman) also come to mind of teams putting players on the Wall of Fame that didn't have the "stats".
bobobonators Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 (edited) DPBERR: Not speaking for others, but I'm fully aware of the distinction between the HOF and the WOF. Bringing up Pat Tillman and Brian Piccolo is way out in left field. Fred doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath. Those two players left behind a LEGACY that transcends football. Fred has not. So i respectfully disagree. Because if Fred doesn't have the stats, and surely hasn't left behind a Legacy (at least not yet), then what does he have? He played hard? That's not good enough. What "incredible intangibles" does Fred have? Not trying to be an ars... Edited December 27, 2013 by bobobonators
R2ITRich Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 DPBERR: You are right on.. Put Fred on the Wall!!!
thewildrabbit Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 If fans only knew just how valuable this player is in so many facets of the offense, It would be an unequivocal, unmistakable, indisputable, incontrovertible YES! :worthy: :worthy: FJax
Big Gun Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 Absolutely YES. He has now played for 3 head coaches, how many different offensive coordinators, not a decent QB to mention, of the many that took snaps, he has fought off TWO high 1st round picks, the team hasn't been relevant the whole time he has been here and yet here he is averaging 4.5 ypc with over 5000 yards rushing good for #3 in franchise history behind 2 all time legends not just of the Bills but of football. It's been total dysfunction since he arrived here until now with Marrone, yet he has come through and become a warhorse leader. When his career is all done and said and he has around 10k total yards from scrimmage, yes he deserves a spot on the wall.
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