Top 30 NFL players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

16. G Bob Kuechenberg

He was part of a Miami Dolphins franchise that went to three consecutive Super Bowls in the early 1970s. Those last two clubs hoisted Lombardi Trophies in 1972 and ’73. Don Shula’s offenses were led by relentless ground attacks and keyed by superior offensive line play.

The well-schooled blockers for Shula’s team opened holes against some of the better defensive fronts in league annals. No better example was Miami’s domination of Minnesota’s fabled “Purple People Eaters” in Super Bowl VIII. Running back Larry Csonka (the game’s MVP) totaled 145 of the Dolphins’ 196 yards on the ground that afternoon at Rice Stadium.

Shula’s unit was led by a pair of future Pro Football Hall of Famers in center Jim Langer and right guard Larry Little. So, will versatile offensive lineman Bob Kuechenberg have his own bust in Canton, Ohio, one day? He was actually a fourth-round draft choice by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1969. He passed on the NFL to play semi-pro football but signed with the Dolphins a year later. He wound up starting five games during his rookie campaign.

He would proceed to be the team’s primary left guard for most of his final 13 seasons for the franchise, with a stint at left tackle in the late 1970s. He earned Pro Bowl honors six times, including his final two seasons in 1982 and ’83, the latter quarterback Dan Marino’s rookie year, and was an All-Pro performer in 1978.