When you talk about former NFL star WR Andre Rison, you tend to talk about all the other things instead what he did on the field. You talk about his relationship with the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes from the group TLC and her burning down his house, you talk about some of the times he got in trouble off the field, but in reality, Rison was an outstanding player.
He won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 1996, he led the NFL in receiving touchdowns(15) in 1993, Rison was a five-time Pro Bowler, and became only the 5th wide receiver in NFL history to notch 60 touchdowns in his first six seasons in the league, but he moved around a lot. Rison played for seven teams in his 13-year career and did not always have the best reputation in the locker room.
With all that being said, Rison believes he belongs in the Hall of Fame:
“Do I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? Yeah, I scored double figures in touchdowns about four or five straight years(1990-93) and went to four or five Pro Bowls (in) straight years,”(1990-93) Rison told TMZ Sports. “I proved I can play when I was 30. I played in AFC championship games, NFC championship games; I won Super Bowls.”(Won Super Bowl with Packers in 1996)
Rison has borderline Hall of Fame numbers. He is 42nd in receiving yards(10,205). His numbers, in terms of yards, are better than Hall of Famer wide receivers like Raymond Berry, Fred Biletnikoff, Charley Taylor, Lynn Swann, Tommy McDonald and John Stallworth, but those guys played in a different era, so their numbers are not going to be the same. In terms of receiving touchdowns, Rison is 18th in receiving touchdowns(84), which is the same as Tommy McDonald, but it’s better than Biletnikoff, Taylor, Berry, Swann and Stallworth. Also, Rison has more touchdowns than Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, but Irvin did win three Super Bowls with the Cowboys.
In the end, I think Rison’s reputation is going to hurt his chances. Recently inducted Hall of Famer Terrell Owens had first ballot Hall of Fame numbers. However, Owens’ reputation was the reason he had to wait. Rison does not have T.O. numbers. Therefore, I think Rison misses the cut.
In my mind, Rison makes the Hall of Very Good.