Best of the 2000s

A few weeks ago the National Football League released the All-Decade Team for the 2000s. Leading up to that announcement, Profootballhof.com took an in-depth look at each individual from the previous All-Decade teams. I found it quite interesting to examine and reflect on those teams especially after my role in helping with the 2000s team.

As part of my job here at the Hall, I was very involved in the process of determining this past decade's team. I assisted the NFL in creating the All-Decade ballot that eventually found its way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. As they have done in the past, the Hall’s Selection Committee was charged with voting on the team.

Much like the vetting process of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all players who were named to a Pro Bowl or appeared on an All-Pro or All-Conference team from a variety of media outlets were eligible for the team. As you can imagine, this resulted in a list of hundreds of viable candidates which in turn made the decision of the voters a difficult one.

In the end I think the committee did an excellent job. Congratulations are also in order to all of the members of the newest All-Decade team.

Another part of my job was researching information, writing, and proofreading content for the series on our website about the previous eight All-Decade Teams. One thing jumped out at me as I analyzed the past decade teams. Although it’s a distinct honor to be included on a NFL All-Decade Team, it is not necessarily a golden ticket to receive a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But, it sure serves as a good indicator.

Looking at the teams from to 1920s to the 1990s, 314 players and coaches were selected for the honor. Of that total, 189 men eventually found their way to into the Hall. That’s a percentage of 60%. The decade with the highest rate of Hall of Famers was the 1920s with 16 of 18 players (89%). The decade with the least amount of Hall of Famers is the 1990s (31%) but it is not fair to judge this time frame yet due to the fact that many of these players will eventually make their way Canton.

I also found it interesting to compile the colleges that the All-Decade team members attended (see the results of my research). Topping the list was the University of Southern California with 13 All-Decade team members. Second was Notre Dame with 12 and third was Alabama. Michigan and the University of Miami (FL) completed the top five with 10 each.

Not surprisingly, this list looks almost identical to our list of colleges with the most Hall of Famers. Just like the All-Decade list, Southern California stands on top with 11 Hall of Fame members and second is Notre Dame with 10. Michigan stands alone in third with eight Hall of Famers while Alabama, Ohio State and Syracuse round out the list tied at seven.

The All-Decade teams are a great way to summarize each 10-year period in the NFL’s history and serves as a barometer for how the game has changed and evolved since the league’s first season in 1920.

I found the process to be one of the more enjoyable tasks of my job. I had so much fun working on this project that I can’t wait until 2020 for next All-Decade Team!