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Oakland Raiders: Tom Flores not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

By Brad Weiss

LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 22: Head coach Tom Flores of the Los Angeles Raiders and his crew stand on the side lines during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 22, 1985 in Los Angeles, California. The 49ers won 34-10. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 22: Head coach Tom Flores of the Los Angeles Raiders and his crew stand on the side lines during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 22, 1985 in Los Angeles, California. The 49ers won 34-10. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /
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In his 24th year of eligibility, Tom Flores was once again shut out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, his first year as a finalist.

Tom Flores was a trailblazer during his time in the NFL, and was the first player to ever take a snap as quarterback of the Oakland Raiders. A Super Bowl champion as a head coach, assistant coach, and player, Flores was finally named a finalist for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

Unfortunately, Flores was once again shut out for the Hall of Fame, in his 24th year of eligibility. The news was devastating for Raider Nation, who has been waiting for Flores to get the call for over two decades now, as there are very few people with his kind of resume in the history of the game.

In addition to his many honors, he was the first minority head coach to win a Super Bowl, and the first minority to be a president, and general manager. If there was ever a person who deserved to be immortalized in Canton, Ohio, it is Flores, who has handled being passed up for football’s ultimate honor with such grace.

During his time stalking the Raiders sidelines, Flores posted a .610 winning percentage, winning 83 of his 116 games, finishing with a 83-53 record. In the playoffs, Flores was just as good, winning eight of 11, including victories in Super Bowls XV and XVIII.

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While congratulations are certainly in order for those who will get to don the Gold Jacket for the rest of their lives, you have to feel bad for Flores and his family. This is a guy who personified what a professional athlete, coach, and person should be, and the fact that he will not have a bust in Canton is just heartbreaking at this point.

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