Herman Moore named biggest Hall of Fame snub for the Lions

On a FanSided list of biggest Hall of Fame snubs for each NFL team, Herman Moore was the guy for the Detroit Lions.

When naming all-time great Detroit Lions, especially of recent vintage, wide receiver Herman Moore may get overlooked a little since he played with Barry Sanders and came before Calvin Johnson.

But Moore set the single-season NFL record for receptions with 123 in 1995, which held up until Marvin Harrison had 143 catches in 2002. Harrison has since been passed by Michael Thomas–149 catches in 2019, and Cooper Kupp–145 catches last season. Moore still stands with the ninth-most catches in a single season (actually a tie with Davante Adams in 2021, and Wes Welker in 2009).

Moore’s prime was relatively short. But he had more than 1,150 receiving yards and at least eight touchdowns in four straight seasons (1994-1997), with over 100 catches and 1,200 yards in the last three of the four. In an era where the passing game didn’t reign, he had over 900 yards in seven straight seasons (1992-1998).

Herman Moore named biggest Hall of Fame snub for the Lions

Former Lions left tackle and current radio analyst Lomas Brown is a lingering Hall of Fame candidate, and he may get in some day. But in naming the biggest Hall of Fame snub for each NFL team, Mike Phillips of FanSided went with Moore.

"Detroit LionsNotable Hall of Fame Snub: WR Herman MooreThe Lions actually don’t have a ton of notable snubs for the Hall of Fame, a fact that may be due to the fact that the franchise has struggled to make a huge impact on the NFL since the merger. One player who should receive more consideration for Canton is Moore, who was Detroit’s top receiver throughout the 1990s.Moore was particularly dominant between 1994 and ’97, registering all four of his Pro Bowl and All-Pro appearances while racking up over 1,000 yards per season. The fact that Moore was able to be so productive in an offense headlined by future Hall-of-Famer Barry Sanders in the backfield should give him more consideration since Moore was likely ahead of his time."

Based on Pro Football Reference’s career comparison chart, even as his career wound down and his production fell, Moore has some nice comps–Bob Hayes (HOF), Isaac Bruce (HOF), Sterling Sharpe (should be HOF, and was the Packers’ snub for Phillips), Antonio Brown (HOF based on peak numbers), Cliff Branch (HOF) and Paul Warfield (HOF).

Wide receivers generally wait longer than they should to get a bust in Canton (see Art Monk, Cris Carter, etc.). But ongoing reviews of what Moore did during his prime, as someone who was indeed ahead of his time, should elevate his candidacy.

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