As an outside linebacker, Wilber Marshall brought the pain to opposing offenses for 12 NFL seasons – five of them with the Washington Redskins.
Marshall was a model of consistency during his career, especially in Washington, where he started 79 out of a possible 80 games, and never dipped below 100 tackles a season, further illustrating the dominance Marshall brought to his position.
Marshall won two world championships with the Redskins and Chicago Bears, and was voted to three Pro Bowls, yet, as Talk of Fame Network's Rick Gosselin points out in his latest article, Marshall has yet to be a semi-finalist or finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which has him stumped.
Gosselin and the rest of the Talk of Fame Network panelists have compiled a list of six "Outsiders" they feel deserve Hall of Fame consideration, and Marshall is one of the six greats to make the cut. Consequently, their latest poll asks, "Which 'Outsider' deserves the greatest consideration for Canton?"
Talk of Fame Network defines an "Outsider" as being a Hall of Fame candidate who didn't make the preliminary list of 94 candidates. Those candidates they consider "Insiders."
Once you read Gosselin's condensed breakdown of Marshall's career, you'll wonder why he's not one of those 94 candidates:
"One of the most complete linebackers of his era, Marshall could make plays on both sides of the field and on both sides of the line of scrimmage," Gosselin said. "His first year as an NFL starter was as a weakside backer with the 1985 Chicago Bears in Buddy Ryan's 46 scheme, and he won a second Super Bowl as a strongside backer on the 1991 Washington Redskins. He went to three Pro Bowls, twice as a weakside backer and once on the strongside, and his defenses ranked in the NFL's Top 10 in nine of his 12 seasons. He collected 1,020 career tackles, with 46 sacks, 24 interceptions and 24 forced fumbles."
To cast your vote for Marshall in the poll, click here.