He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers, but was waived by the Oilers a year later. In 2000, Tasker was named to the 26-player NFL All-Time Team.
#STEVE TASKER HELMET PRO#
He was selected by his peers and coaches in the American Football Conference to play in seven Pro Bowls as a special teams player and was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1993 game. Despite his size – 5-foot-9, 181 pounds – Tasker was a vital player for the Buffalo Bills during the team’s run of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1991-94. It’s past time for the selection committee to right this wrong and give proper recognition to the best special teams player in NFL history.Widely regarded as the greatest special teams player in the history of the National Football League, Steven Jay Tasker of Leoti journeyed from small-town Kansas to the big-time spotlight of pro football. Once again, Tasker made the preliminary list for Hall of Fame candidates for 2017. In fact, one of the most likely reasons he hasn’t been inducted yet is because the Buffalo Bills had coach Marv Levy and other players like Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith and Andre Reed ahead of him for consideration from that era.
#STEVE TASKER HELMET FULL#
He likely would have had much more production as a wide receiver (51 catches for 779 receiving yards and nine touchdowns), but he was a victim of his own humility on a Super Bowl team full of egos and talented players at the wide receiver position. Furthermore, he was the only special teams player to ever win MVP of a Pro Bowl (1993). Tasker played in seven Pro Bowls, his first in 1987 (20 tackles, three forced fumbles), and then every year from 1990-95. However, here are a few factors that support his inclusion: Part of the challenge for special teams players to merit consideration for induction to the Hall of Fame is the fact that there are few measurable data points to consider compared to players at other positions. And what a history it was for the man widely considered to be the best special teams player in NFL history. They intended to bring him back, but someone had other ideas.Īs a strong believer regarding the importance of special teams, Buffalo Bills legendary coach Marv Levy snapped up Tasker immediately, and the rest is history. After playing for the Oilers for two seasons, he was placed on waivers after an injury, a risk the Oilers felt they had to take to improve their roster. He was selected by the Houston Oilers in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL draft and, despite his diminutive size, excelled as a gunner on punts and kickoffs. In fact, Tasker continues to hold the career record for kickoff return average for Northwestern (24.3). The 5-foot-9, 185-pound special teamer and wide receiver started his collegiate career at Dodge City (Kansas) Community College and went on to play for Northwestern, hoping for a better chance to play in the NFL. However, the case for Tasker is irrefutable.
It’s a tough situation because there are only two members of the Hall of Fame who played on special teams: kicker Jan Stenerud (inducted in 1991) and Raiders punter Ray Guy (2014). Tasker has been on the preliminary list since 2003 and made it to the top 25 six times: 2004, 2008-13. However, there are many who disagree and believe it’s ridiculous his bust isn’t already on display in Canton. Ask Buffalo Bills special teams legend Steve Tasker about whether he should be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he’ll probably tell you it doesn’t matter.
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