Raiders ever present at Pro Football Hall of Fame

CANTON, Ohio — Their busts aren’t yet in the hallowed corridors of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But Raiders legends Tom Flores and Charles Woodson are very much present at the museum.

Their faces are plastered on the side of the brick building alongside the rest of their classmates in the Hall of Fame’s class of 2021. The canvas bearing their image is rather conspicuous. Even from the edges of the spacious parking lot.

But soon, they’ll be immortalized in bronze as fixtures in football history.

Just like the rest of the Raider greats. All 26 of them.

The Raiders have a sizable presence inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame, affirming their status as one of most storied franchises in professional sports. Jerseys, helmets, Super Bowl rings and other artifacts are preserved inside the hall for football fans and tourists to admire at their convenience.

“With the Raiders going all the way back to the origins in the AFL, they are definitely one of the most storied franchises,” said Rich Desrosiers, the museum’s vice president of communications and public relations. “Several people connected to the Raiders still play such an important role in maintaining the history of the game and preserving the history, which are two things we want to do.”

Among those people is John Madden, the legendary coach and broadcaster who guided the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory, 32-14 over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. He communicates with Hall of Fame staffers every month, Desrosiers said, and still values the well being of the museum.

The Hall of Fame even has a station for visitors to play the popular video game that bears Madden’s name, though it’s currently unavailable in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

But in normal circumstances, kids and adults alike frequent the video game, eager to showcase their skills in the presence of greatness.

Former Raiders owner Al Davis presented seven Hall of Famers during their induction ceremonies, including former Chargers wide receiver Lance Alworth, whom he signed in 1962 as an assistant coach with San Diego.

The AFL’s history — with which Davis was actively involved — is featured prominently. As is his old buddy, Pete Rozelle, theformer commissioner.

Then there are the players. And there are plenty. Like offensive tackle Art Shell, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion who went on in 1989 to become the first Black head coach in pro football history.

Or Tim Brown, the Pro Bowl wide receiver who totaled 19,682 net yards from 1988 to 2004. One of his game-worn jerseys is on display like that of running back Marcus Allen, who ran for 191 yards in Super Bowl XVIII.

The list goes on on and on. But there is nothing more striking than those bronzed busts, which are housed in their own dimly lit chamber. A football fan’s sanctuary.

Madden during his Hall of Fame speech in 2006 jokingly talked about those busts, sharing a belief that’s since become lore in Canton and beyond.

“I think over in the Hall of Fame, that during the day, the people go through, they look at everything,” he said. “At night, there’s a time when they all leave. All the fans and all the visitors leave the Hall of Fame. Then there’s just the workers. Then the workers start to leave. It gets down to there’s just one person. That person turns out the light, locks the door.

“I believe that the busts talk to each other. I can’t wait for that conversation, I really can’t. … We’ll be there forever and ever and ever talking about whatever. That’s what I believe. That’s what I think is going to happen, and no one’s ever going to talk me out of that.”

Wonder what Flores and Woodson will say.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.