Throwback Thursday: 1950s All-Decade Team

It sure is fun to look back at the NFL's All-Decade Teams. All of the All-Decade Teams are selected by the voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team of the 1950s as well as all those that came before were selected retroactively in 1969 to mark the league's 50th anniversary.

Quarterbacks
Otto Graham
Bobby Layne
Norm Van Brocklin

Halfbacks
Frank Gifford
Ollie Matson
Hugh McElhenny
Lenny Moore

Fullbacks
Joe Perry
Alan Ameche

Ends
Raymond Berry
Tom Fears
Bobby Walston

Halfback-end
Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch

Tackles
Roosevelt Brown
Bob St. Clair

Guards
Dick Barwegan
Jim Parker
Dick Stanfel

Center
Chuck Bednarik

Kicker
Lou Groza

Defensive ends
Len Ford
Gino Marchetti

Defensive tackles
Art Donovan
Leo Nomellini
Ernie Stautner

Linebackers
Joe Fortunato
Bill George
Sam Huff
Joe Schmidt

Halfbacks
Jack Butler
Dick "Night Train" Lane

Safeties
Jack Christiansen
Yale Lary
Emlen Tunnell

It took only a glance to see that this All-Decade team is seriously flawed. No Jim Brown. How is that even possible? If the voters decided that Brown didn't play enough in the 1950s, how do they justify Jim Parker? Both Brown and Parker entered the NFL in 1957. Parker's selection is also a puzzle. He deserves to be on the team but he made it as a guard. He played tackle in the 1950s. Voters got lazy.

The Detroit Lions were well represented in the defensive backfield with Night Train, Jack Christiansen, and Yale Lary. Dick LeBeau and Lem Barney followed those football players in Detroit. The Lions had an incredible run of secondary talent.

Non-Hall of Famers on the 1950s All-Decade Team:
Alan Ameche
Bobby Walston
Dick Barwagen
Dick Stanfel
Joe Fortunato
-Stanfel has twice been a semi-finalist for the Hall of Fame

The 1951 University of San Francisco Dons is one of the greatest college football teams in history and so few people know about them. Unbeaten, untied, and not invited to a bowl game due to bigoted bowl selectors.  USF put an incredible four players on the NFL's 1950 All-Decade team. Ollie Matson, Bob St. Clair, Dick Stanfel, and Gino Marchetti.