Inside Cornelius Bennett’s exclusion from the Wall of Fame

[YoloinOhio]

Bennett pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual misconduct and was sentenced by Buffalo City Judge Robert T. Russell Jr. to 60 days in jail (of which he served 36), a $1,000 fine, a $617.26 hospital bill, 100 hours of community service and anger management and substance abuse counseling.

 

Bennett wasn’t suspended or fined by the NFL after his guilty plea – an indication of how the league viewed such matters more than two decades ago – but the ramifications remain.

 

“I don't talk about that, because that's a past life, and I'll leave it at that,” Bennett told The News of his criminal conviction, which requires him to register as a sex offender. “I can't change that, man. All I can do is be a better human than I was yesterday.”

 

Whether Bennett will make the Wall of Fame remains unknown. In fact, the future of the Wall itself is unknown.

Traditionally, honorees have been chosen by a panel of team personnel and select media members. (The writer of this article is among them.) However, the committee has not met since Cookie Gilchrist was chosen as the 31st inductee in 2017.

In 2018, the team retired Thurman Thomas’ No. 34 jersey. Last year, the franchise opted to focus on the celebration of its 60th anniversary and the NFL’s 100th anniversary.

A team spokesman confirmed to The News that no committee meetings are planned, leaving it uncertain as to whether anyone will be named to the Wall of Fame in 2020 – or at any point in the future.

[Gregthekeg]

Ummmm not they are anything the same, in scope or magnitude, but wasnt/isnt OJ on the wall....?

[HOUSE]

The extra 26 cents on the hospital bill was completely uncalled for.

 

 

 

..

Edited May 15, 2020 by HOUSE

[Niagara Bill]

3 minutes ago, Gregthekeg said:

Ummmm not they are anything the same, in scope or magnitude, but wasnt/isnt OJ on the wall....?

Yes OJ and should be IMHO.

Bennett was simply one of the very top linebacker athletes of his time. A great steal by Polian.Speed, power length. BUT second in importance at LB to Talley.

[BillsPride12]

Can't read the full article.  Can anybody copy and paste it?

[RyanC883]

interesting that the Wall committee has not met in a long time.   

[Jim_Kelly_Holcomb]

18 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

Can't read the full article.  Can anybody copy and paste it?

 

That would be against the TOS.

[YoloinOhio]

31 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

Can't read the full article.  Can anybody copy and paste it?

Sorry, tried to grab some excerpts but it’s not free

[That's No Moon]

54 minutes ago, Gregthekeg said:

Ummmm not they are anything the same, in scope or magnitude, but wasnt/isnt OJ on the wall....?

True, but if OJ were not on yet, do you think he would put on today?

[BillsPride12]

27 minutes ago, Jim_Kelly_Holcomb said:

 

That would be against the TOS.

 

14 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Sorry, tried to grab some excerpts but it’s not free

Oh ok sorry I didn't even realize that violates any rules.  No worries

[C.Biscuit97]

????

 

for the record, my name is just a pun on Bennett and sea biscuit.  I was young but I remember him being slightly overrated.  Very good but should have been great especially playing with Bruce.  My young mind remembers that our defense was soft and should have been much better with the players we had.

[BillsPride12]

My thoughts on the Bennett Wall of Fame thing have always been this:

 

I'm aware of what happened and no I don't condone that by any means but I also think it's a little unfair because none of those other star players were Saints during their playing days, they just might not have gone through an actual legal case regarding some of their misdeeds to society.  From what I see nowadays Cornelius looks like he has grown up and matured just like the rest of those guys.  He was such an important piece to those Super Bowl teams...much more so than a guy like Phil Hansen(nothing against him).  It seems like such a glaring omission to not have the Biscuit recognized when you think back to those glory years.  I would imagine Lawrence Taylor is in the Giants Wall of Fame equivalent  and his off the field problems were well documented so I guess all I'm saying is give Biscuit his due.  The fact he has had to wait this long is punishment enough .  

5 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

????

 

for the record, my name is just a pun on Bennett and sea biscuit.  I was young but I remember him being slightly overrated.  Very good but should have been great especially playing with Bruce.  My young mind remembers that our defense was soft and should have been much better with the players we had.

The thing with Bennett he had a ton of hype coming out of college.  I mean being hyped up as the next Lawrence Taylor level hype so it is true that he didn't quite live up to those expectations.  But he was still a great player.  Not hall of fame great, but definitely wall of fame great.  In the 91 season when Bruce was injured most of the year Biscuit had to anchor the defensive line by himself and was AFC defensive player of the year.  

[GaryPinC]

13 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

????

 

for the record, my name is just a pun on Bennett and sea biscuit.  I was young but I remember him being slightly overrated.  Very good but should have been great especially playing with Bruce.  My young mind remembers that our defense was soft and should have been much better with the players we had.

Yeah, as many great plays as that defense could make we can thank Walt Corey for them being soft.  Saw an interview back then in the USA Today, Walt didn't believe in giving them a lot of rules, stunts, responsibilities and to me that's why we were soft.  He liked to just "line them up and let 'em play".

 

Part of the blame also falls on Marv Levy, despite the score of the first super bowl our defense got badly outplayed there and in the next 2 , (the entire team folded its tents in second half #4) and Levy never made the coaching change.  Definition of insanity, IMO.  Drove me crazy at the time, I'll always believe that D could have been far more elite.  Never bought the "no huddle means the defense spends more time on the field.  True to a degree, but a shut-down D is a shut-down D.

[jwhit34]

The Wall of Fame roster is kind of odd:

 

Offense: 12

Defense: 9

Special Teams: 1 (Tasker)

Coaches: 2

Admin: 3 (Wilson, Polian, McGroder)

Other: 3 (Van Miller, 12th Man, Eddie Abramoski)

War Vet: 1 (Kalsu)

 

That they have as many members who are not in for their play (I include Kalsu in the group since he played in only 14 games)as they do for defensive players is kind of odd. It is also pretty strange that the committee hasn't met in 3 years. 

 

If you look at the defensive players (B. Smith, Talley, Edgerson, Sestak, Hansen, R. James, Stratton, Saimes, Smerlas), I would say Bennett was definitely better than Hansen, probably better than Stratton and Saimes, and would get the nod over James, who had 2-3 terrific years but a short career. Bennett's best 2-3 years were as good or better than James' best 2-3 years.

 

Talley is beloved because he was the soul of the defense. They had different roles but in 9 years in Buffalo he had 52.5 sacks, 6 Ints., 22 forced fumbles and 19 fumble recoveries. In 12 years Talley had 38.5 sacks, 11 ints., 14 forced fumbles and 12 fumble recoveries. They both averaged 6 tackles a game. 

 

I think Bennett is one of the 5-6 best defensive players in Bills history. Bennett and Moulds should be the next two that go in. 

Edited May 19, 2020 by jwhit34

[JMF2006]

No one on this earth doesn`t have skeletons in their closet of some sort.

 

I think he deserves the WOF he did his time and hasn`t reoffended.

 

If the Bills had not made that trade they may not of got to 4 SB`s in row.

[BuffAlone]

50 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

????

 

for the record, my name is just a pun on Bennett and sea biscuit.  I was young but I remember him being slightly overrated.  Very good but should have been great especially playing with Bruce.  My young mind remembers that our defense was soft and should have been much better with the players we had.

he was, in fact, Great.

[BobbyC81]

56 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

My thoughts on the Bennett Wall of Fame thing have always been this:

 

I'm aware of what happened and no I don't condone that by any means but I also think it's a little unfair because none of those other star players were Saints during their playing days, they just might not have gone through an actual legal case regarding some of their misdeeds to society.  From what I see nowadays Cornelius looks like he has grown up and matured just like the rest of those guys.  He was such an important piece to those Super Bowl teams...much more so than a guy like Phil Hansen(nothing against him).  It seems like such a glaring omission to not have the Biscuit recognized when you think back to those glory years.  I would imagine Lawrence Taylor is in the Giants Wall of Fame equivalent  and his off the field problems were well documented so I guess all I'm saying is give Biscuit his due.  The fact he has had to wait this long is punishment enough .  

The thing with Bennett he had a ton of hype coming out of college.  I mean being hyped up as the next Lawrence Taylor level hype so it is true that he didn't quite live up to those expectations.  But he was still a great player.  Not hall of fame great, but definitely wall of fame great.  In the 91 season when Bruce was injured most of the year Biscuit had to anchor the defensive line by himself and was AFC defensive player of the year.  

True, Bruce had some incidents with the one I remember most being when he was drunk and fell asleep behind the wheel at a traffic light.

[JMF2006]

1 hour ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

????

 

for the record, my name is just a pun on Bennett and sea biscuit.  I was young but I remember him being slightly overrated.  Very good but should have been great especially playing with Bruce.  My young mind remembers that our defense was soft and should have been much better with the players we had.

 

With Jimbo in the hurry up K Gun the D was on the field a lot more than they should have been.

[folz]

38 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

????

 

for the record, my name is just a pun on Bennett and sea biscuit.  I was young but I remember him being slightly overrated.  Very good but should have been great especially playing with Bruce.  My young mind remembers that our defense was soft and should have been much better with the players we had.

 

I was in high school at the start of the Super Bowl years. In the offseason, some of the Bills players would travel around to high schools to play basketball against the faculty of the school for charity. I can't remember every player that came, but it was definitely Andre, Tasker (I remember being shocked that he could dunk), Cornelius, maybe Thurman, and a few others. My buddy and I got to be the announcers for the game and at one point Cornelius scored a layup and I shouted into my mic, "Biscuit for two!" And as that rang out across the PA system in the gym, Cornelius, who was running back up court, looked up at me sternly and shook his head and wagged his finger at me (as if to say, "Don't call me Biscuit"). Not sure why (thought it was his nickname), but I have never referred to him as Biscuit since. ?

 

But, Bennett is definitely Wall of Fame worthy in my opinion. He really was the final piece that put that team over the top into championship-caliber level. I guess it just depends on if the club is ok having his name up there with that past incident. I realize that it's a tough call in these times, but I would be ok with him going up on the "Wall" at this point. To err is human, to forgive, divine.

[That's No Moon]

40 minutes ago, JMF2006 said:

No one on this earth doesn`t have skeletons in their closet of some sort.

Really? I haven't sexually assaulted anyone or done jail time. Have you?

 

I say again, he was my favorite player as a kid. He doesn't deserve to be up.