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

15. CB Lemar Parrish

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 included three Seniors Committee nominees in Joe Klecko, Chuck Howley and Ken Riley. There were some who certainly considered the latter an interesting decision. Yes, the ball-hawking cornerback racked up 65 interceptions (tied for fifth in NFL history) during his 15 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. Yet, Riley was never named to the Pro Bowl and finally earned All-Pro honors in his final season in 1983.

Some insist that cornerback Lemar Parrish was the better defender. The resume is certainly impressive and bears a closer look. A seventh-round pick from Lincoln University in 1970, he earned Pro Bowl invitations in his first two NFL seasons. In eight seasons with the Bengals, he picked off 25 passes and returned four of those thefts for scores. He also returned three of his 10 fumble recoveries for touchdowns.

When he wasn’t playing defense, he excelled as a return artist. Parrish took back a combined five punts (4) and kickoffs (1) for scores during his days in Cincinnati, where he was a six-time Pro Bowler. In 1978, he was part of a trade that sent him and defensive end Coy Bacon to Washington. In four seasons with his new team, there were a combined 24 takeaways, including 21 interceptions. Parrish twice earned Pro Bowl honors and was an All-Pro selection in 1979. In 1982, he played in seven games for the Bills during that strike-shortened season.