Les Richter will be inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame this Saturday. He will become the first Cal player to be honored in Canton. It was a long wait, nearly fifty years after his last game. It was a wait that Richter didn't make. He passed away on June 12, 2010.
Les Richter was the second overall pick in the 1952 NFL Draft by the New York Yankees. Two days later the Yankees folded. The franchise and the players were transferred to Dallas and the Texans were briefly formed. This is the franchise that eventually became the Baltimore Colts and the Indianapolis team that we know today. Richter missed all that chaos when the Los Angeles Rams traded eleven players for him in one of the biggest trades in league history. The Rams had to wait two years while Richter served in the military. When Richter finally made it to the Rams in 1954, he quickly established himself as one of the best linebackers of his era. He was selected to eight straight Pro Bowls. The only time that he didn't receive the honor was in his final season of 1962. From 1955-60, Richter was named first- or second-team All-NFL each season. Known for his rugged and punishing style of play, Richter surprisingly never missed a game during his 112 game career.
It has always been a mystery to me as to why Les Richter hadn't been inducted into the Hall of Fame. His absence, as well as that of Alex Karras, Jerry Kramer, Don Coryell and now Cris Carter, was criminal. Richter was certainly worthy. He was one of the best linebackers of his time. Perhaps, he was overshadowed by the better known Chuck Bednarik, Sam Huff and Bill George in the '50s. Richter's play and achievements were right there with those more noticed players. Instead of the football hotspots of Philadelphia, New York and Chicago, Richter played in Los Angeles. His absence is just another example of why the media should have no role in the Hall of Fame selection process. At least Les Richter finally made it to Canton. The wait was just a couple years too long.
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