Syracuse Football: Donovan McNabb says he should already be in HOF

Former Syracuse football QB Donovan McNabb says he should already be in the Hall of Fame. Here’s the entirety of what he said on the subject.

Donovan McNabb is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever put on a Syracuse football uniform. He played in the NFL for 13 years with three different franchises but is most recognized for his 11 years with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Which is the same team that selected Donovan with the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft out of Syracuse.

In his wildly successful football career, he accomplished a lot of things:

• Super Bowl appearance (2004).
• 5 NFC title game appearances.
• 6-time Pro Bowl selection.
• His No. 5 jersey has been retired by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Syracuse football team.
  • McNabb is one of only six players in Orange history to have their jerseys retired.
• Speaking of Syracuse, here are some of his collegiate accomplishments:
  • Big East Rookie of the Year (1995).
  • 3-time Big East Offensive Player of the Year (1996-98).
  • Big East Offensive Player of the Decade in the 1990s.
  • Listed on the Syracuse football All-Century Team.

But one thing is missing from his Hall of Fame resume, well that’s the Hall of Fame. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, McNabb was asked about the Hall of Fame:

"“Absolutely I’m a Hall of Famer, I’m not hesitating on that. My numbers speak for themselves.”"

Let’s take a look at the numbers:

• DID YOU KNOW?
  • “McNabb is just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to amass more than 30,000 passing yards, 200 passing touchdowns, 3,000 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns in his career.”
    • The first three quarterbacks to accomplish this feat are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
      • Fran Tarkenton (Class of 1986)
      • John Elway (Class of 2004)
      • Steve Young (Class of 2005)
• Donovan has 3,469 career rushing yards and that ranks sixth all-time for quarterbacks in NFL History.
• McNabb ranks 25th all-time in NFL History in passing yards (37,276) which is a better number than some other quarterbacks already in the Hall of Fame: Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Kurt Warner, and Troy Aikman.

Which seemed to be a sticking point with McNabb in his interview with TMZ Sports:

"“Obviously Super Bowl championships carry a lot of weight for a lot of people and voters. For Jim Kelly making it to the Super Bowl four times and not winning. My numbers are better than Troy Aikman, but he has Super Bowl rings. He also has played with Hall of Famers as well. So that’s the question I’ve always asked, why am I not in the Hall of Fame?”"

While McNabb may have some better numbers than some of those Hall of Famers, context is always important. For example, the NFL evolved into a passing league when McNabb was in his prime as opposed to Aikman when his career was ending.

Ultimately the NFL is about sacrifices. Troy Aikman’s career numbers may not wow you, but that’s because he sacrificed individual glory for three Super Bowl championships, I wonder if McNabb would’ve done the same?

Aikman played with the NFL’s all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith (18,355 yards). If Smith never suited up for the Cowboys, I’d imagine Troy’s numbers would look a lot different. Here is more from McNabb on the “yeah but” of his career:

"“When they look at my numbers there’s always a yeah but. They always want to start adding other stuff into it. ‘Was he an All-Pro? Was he this or that? How many Super Bowl opportunities? But, people don’t realize how hard it is to get to the NFC Championship and to get there five times, and then make it to a Super Bowl? It’s tough.”"

You can’t deny it, McNabb’s accomplishments are impressive. To get to the doorstep of the Super Bowl FIVE TIMES has rarely been accomplished in sports.

But so far it hasn’t been enough. McNabb has never been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, despite being eligible since 2017 (five years after your playing career). Do you think McNabb belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Vote in our poll below and make your voice heard!