Harris, Wright hurt over snub
Former Cowboys can't hide their pain after being rejected by Hall
12:07 AM CST on Sunday, February 1, 2004
HOUSTON – With three Cowboys among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it seemed inconceivable that voters wouldn't crack the door for at least one. But with Saturday's final cut, the 39-member Board of Selectors barred entry to all three.
Former offensive tackle Rayfield Wright, the late Bob Hayes and safety Cliff Harris were left out of the Hall. But it was Saturday's final cut – from six players to four – that was the cruelest. Wright and Hayes were the two players who didn't make the cut.
"I just feel numb right now," said Wright, who watched the announcement on TV while surrounded by friends and family in nearby Sugar Land. "It's very shocking because I felt we'd at least get one or two guys in."
Oakland offensive tackle Bob Brown, Minnesota defensive end Carl Eller, Denver quarterback John Elway and Detroit running back Barry Sanders were voted into the Hall of Fame.
The only Cowboys player inducted into the Hall of Fame in the last 10 years was defensive back Mel Renfro in 1996.
Harris, regarded as one of the most punishing defensive backs in NFL history, survived the cut from 15 to 10, but wasn't among the final six.
"It's more painful than I anticipated," Harris said. "I feel like I've let my teammates, my family and my town down."
For the first time, the nine-member Seniors Committee nominated two players to the list of 15 – Brown and Hayes. Now, the only chance for Harris and Wright to make the Hall is to be chosen by the Seniors Committee. And with the committee choosing two players, at the most, each year, Harris and Wright face long odds.
"I do know that as time continues to pass on, it puts you farther and farther back," Wright said. "Right now, I'm a little confused about exactly what happened."
Wright was the best lineman on a team that led the NFC in offense six times from 1970-79 and ranked among the top 10 teams in scoring for 10 consecutive seasons.
Hayes, referred to as "Bullet" and "World's Fastest Human" when he became a star for the Cowboys in the 1960s, averaged one touchdown every 5.2 times he caught the ball.
"I already think he should be in the Hall of Fame," said Hayes' mother, 84-year-old Mary Robinson. "A lot of people haven't done what he did, and he deserves to be in there."
In the past, Hayes' detractors talked about his legal problems and his lack of productivity in the postseason. But on Saturday afternoon, one of Hayes' former teammates didn't want to hear about any of that.
"I think it's a travesty that Bob and Rayfield and the rest of our team have been overlooked," said Harris,who was on a hunting trip in South Texas. "But the Dallas Cowboys are looked at differently – and you have to take the good and the bad."
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