The first Pro Football Hall of Famer from “The Greatest Show on Turf,” running back Marshall Faulk, played college football in the low-profile Western Athletic Conference and was traded midway through his NFL career. The (likely) next Hall of Famer, quarterback Kurt Warner, has one of the greatest stories in NFL history, leading two different teams to the Super Bowl despite a humble background that includes playing collegiately at Division I-AA Northern Iowa before stints with the Iowa Barnstormers (Arena League) and Amsterdam Admirals (NFL Europe). As for Orlando Pace? Well, he’s one of the least surprising Hall of Famers in history. The 6-foot-7, 325-pound Sandusky native was a Parade All-American (as an offensive lineman) and a USA Today High School All-American (as a defensive lineman) in 1993, became just the second true freshman to start Ohio State’s opener, was a two-time consensus All-American with the Buckeyes, was drafted No. 1 overall in 1997 by the St. Louis Rams and eventually made seven Pro Bowls in 13 years with the Rams and the Chicago Bears, winning one Super Bowl (in 2000) and playing in another (2002). After he retired, the biggest question was: Is he a first-ballot Hall of Famer,…
Continue Reading: HOF16: Orlando Pace had two decades of dominance
