Thread: State Your Case: Karl Mecklenburg

By Rick Gosselin

Talk of Fame Network

Versatility was a plus for Karl Mecklenburg during his NFL career with the Denver Broncos.

But what worked for him as a player is now working against him as a Hall-of-Fame candidate. Mecklenburg is one of the most difficult players in NFL history to pigeon hole into a position.

Mecklenburg wasn’t allowed to line up on the weak side his entire career and come off the edge in the pass rush like Hall-of-Famer Lawrence Taylor for 139 career sacks. He wasn’t allowed to line up on the strong side his entire career and engage tight ends and running backs in the passing game like Hall-of-Famer Ted Hendricks for 26 career interceptions.

And Mecklenburg wasn’t allowed to stand on the inside for 12 seasons and make tackle after tackle after tackle in the running game like Hall-of-Famer Mike Singletary.

Consistency in performance – and consistency at one position – puts players in the Hall of Fame.

Mecklenburg checks the box for consistency in performance but not consistency at a position. Because he didn’t have one position.

Mecklenburg was the defensive equivalent of a Swiss army knife. A multi-purpose defensive tool, he played anywhere and everywhere, from season to season, often from game to game.

“My position is strange because I played all seven front positions,” Mecklenburg told us in a Talk of Fame Network interview. “One of the challenges I face in having an opportunity of going to the Hall of Fame is that, statistically, people don’t know what to do with me.”

rest - http://www.talkoffamenetwork.com/sta...l-mecklenburg/

Meck was one-of-a-kind. The point of this piece saying it is hard to rate him against one-position players and that is holding him back from the HOF is exactly why the HOF is stupid, or at least has become so over the last 20 years or so.

from same article:

“Karl is absolutely worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Elway said. “His versatility was simply incredible and his intelligence is what made him such a great player. He was a very talented player physically, but his intelligence to play so many different positions at a high level and also being able to rush the passer the way he could made him so special. The combination of the positions he played… no one else did. His versatility was absolutely his biggest strength, and he was such a big part of getting us to those three Super Bowls.”

http://www.talkoffamenetwork.com/sta...l-mecklenburg/

I just love him!! He posts a lot of cool stuff on facebook and he corresponds with fans daily. Pretty cool.

Originally Posted by LawDog

...the HOF is stupid...

Put him you east coast elitist ****s!

Meck absolutely belogs in the HOF but Gradishar is even more deserving.

Meck so deserves this....I really hope someone is able to get through the board that being different in case made him that much more special.