The following addendum must be added to Ralph Neely's qualifications to be inducted into the Pro
football Hall of Fame in Canton. Neely anchored one of the most dominating offensive lines in the history of pro football during his career with the Dallas Cowboys. In 1966, the Dallas Cowboy team ran for 2122 yards, second most in the NFL. in 1967, the Cowboy team ran for 1907 yards, 4th most in the NFL. In 1968, the Cowboys ran for 2091 yards, second most in the NFL. In 1969, the Cowboy rushing attack was ranked number one with 2276 yards. In 1970, the Cowboy rushing attack was again ranked number one with 2300 yards; in 1971, the Cowboys were ranked number three in the NFL with 2249 yards. In 1972, the Cowboy rushing attack dipped to number eight with 2124 yards but rebounded to the number four rank in 1973 with 2418 yards. In 1975, the Cowboy rushing attack remained in the top five at number five with 2432 yards. In 1976, the Cowboys rushed for 2147 yards and ranked number 10 in the NFL in terms of yards gained by rushing. In 1977, Ralph Neely's final year, the Cowboys rushed for 2369 yards and ranked number four in the NFL. In summary, while the Green Bay Packer running attack of the 1960's receives most of the press and the 1970's Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders are most popularly known for their rushing attacks, the reality is that the Dallas Cowboy consistently were in the top five and often number one for all of Ralph Neely's career. Finally, the 1960's Green Bay Packers have three offensive lineman in the Hall of Fame: Jim Ringo; Forrest Gregg and Jerry Kramer. The 1970's Oakland Raiders have four offensive lineman in Canton: Bob Brown; Gene Upshaw; Art Shell and Jim Otto. The 1970's Miami Dolphins have two hall of famers: Larry Little and Jim Langer - though Bob Kuechenberg is also deserving a gold jacket, also, and was a finalist in 2022 for nomination into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a senior candidate. The 1960's Dallas Cowboys have exactly ONE gold jacket member from their dominating offensive lines of the 1960's and 1970's - Rayfield Wright. Objectively, Ralph Neely was an integral part of one of the great offensive lines in NFL history, on par or superior to many famous offensive lines which received the media accolades; a four time All Pro and member of the 1960's all decade team. He MUST be and SHOULD be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Posted by Cosme D. Ripol on 10/27/2022 @ 14:09pm

As of 2021, in NFL history, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has enshrined seventeen offensive tackles into Canton. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Monitor for offensive tackles has listed thirteen of those offensive tackles above Ralph Neely, and four rank below Ralph Neely, to wit: Dan Dierdorf; Jimbo Covert; Jacke Slater and Winston Hill. Indeed, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Monitor ranks Ralph Neely as the eighteenth finest offensive tackle in NFL history, ranking ahead of such Hall of Fame luminary considerations as Joe Jacoby; Richmond Webb; Dick Schafrath, Mike Kenn and Matt Light. Neely is a four time first team All Pro; a member of the 1960's All Decade Team and a member of a two time winning Super Bowl Dallas Cowboy teams, who also played in five Super Bowls and in eight NFL/NFC championship games. Neely was a significant member of the Cowboy offensive line that consistently either led the NFL, or was in the top two or three team rushing attack in an era where running was the bulwark of NFL offenses from 1965-1973. While Neely's offensive line mate, Rayfield Wright, is certainly deserving of his place in Canton, Wright made only three first team all pro teams. Ditto with Art Shell, while deserving a gold jacket, only made two first team all pro teams and needed Hall of Famer Bob Brown, when Brown ended his career with the Oakland Raiders, to teach Shell how to be a dominating presence on the offensive line. Like Bob Brown, Neely taught Wright how to be a Hall of Fame offensive tackle. It is an anathema how Ralph Neely, as a member of the 1960's NFL decade team is not a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, particularly when he was a significant player in one of the great offensives in NFL history: the Dallas Cowboys of the mid and late 1960's and 1970's. Ralph Neely should be enshrined in Canton.

Posted by Cosme D. Ripol on 09/14/2021 @ 16:39pm