#9 Steve Tasker | NFL Films | Top 10 Players Not in the Hall of Fame 

Notice how all the real football guys talk about how important special teams are, and it’s the radio hosts and journalists who say it isn’t.

2010 Chargers.. #1 Offense, #1 Defense, yet only 9-7 and missed the playoffs due to Special teams ranked dead last... so special teams are so important

I don't understand the argument about it being bad that kickers and special team players should get in the hall of fame. If you're considered the best at your position to ever play the game, you should be in the hall off fame.

It's no coincidence that Steve Tasker and special teams have the same initials

I cant remember a better special teams player than Tasker. There's good returners, there's good cover guys, there's good kick blockers. Tasker did it all at an extremely high level. He single handedly changed the outcome of many games every season he played. There's no doubt he should be in the hall of fame because there will never be another Steve Tasker.

Now that Morten Anderson is in there is no argument against Steve Tasker for HOF

I'm a Patriots fan from all my life and I think Steve Tasker should be in the hall of fame. Who cares if he was on special teams or not. He is 7 all pro and pro bower, he even got pro bowler MVP in 93 I think. So in my mind he should get in.

Tasker belongs in the Hall of Fame imagine if he was playing for Bill and the patriots he was the model for Wes welker and Edelman he could have easily been one of the greatest slant receivers of all time if given the true chance

4 straight Super Bowls and you're going to say a special team player didn't have a effect on that. every time the bills were down and this guy blocked a kick or punt pshhhh get him to the hall

Would like to see what they say when devin Hester retires if they give better argument because he's the best returner and arguably took his team to Super Bowl because of his return skills.

Special Teams have been waaaaaay overlooked by voters and especially sports writers who think they know everything about football just because they don't play he whole game, it took Ray Guy over 30 years to get inducted(which is criminal by the way), nevermind the fact that Marv Levy didn't play him on offense makes him even more valuable

wow all the coaches and players believed that it is a 1/3 of the game. the non-players believe it isn't

Special teams without a doubt takes the most guts

They literally had to change the rules on kicks and punts to stop players from doing what Tasker did and using the sidelines to avoid blocks. The man was so good at what he did they had to change the way the game was played because of it.

Hell yeah he should be in the Hall of Fame!!!

Tasker completely deserves to be in the HOF, and so will Matthew Slater once he retires. They're both legends, whether they had the spotlight or not.

The Bills won at least 9-10 games during those 4 Super Bowl years because of things Steve Tasker did.

These arguments against special teamers make no sense. Only reason better players aren't put on special teams is because teams don't emphasize it enough. Teams treat punt coverage as an afterthought when it should be a priority. Tasker is a hall of fame, no question

Steve tasker needs a madden card

Why he is not in the Hall of Fame is beyond me!!! The very best at Special Teams and one hell of a receiver!

When Marv Levy took over the Bills mid-season 1986, he vowed that if we don't do anything else, we're going to play good special teams. Steve Tasker definitely became the catalyst from that point on. But even more so was when Levy reshaped the coaching staff in 1987 and brought on Bruce DeHaven as special teams coach. He had a couple of field goal and punt block plays up his sleeve, especially 1990. And if you failed to account for Steve Tasker or Nate Odomes coming off the edge, it was liable to be a blocked kick for a touchdown. The Broncos and Raiders found out the hard way.

I hated the Bills. I hated Jim Kelly. Just when they were about to finally lose Tasker would block a kick or force a fumble on the run back. Suddenly the damn Bills were back in it.

I suppose because Tasker played on a unit that doesn't reward statistics all that much, and that unit itself was Special Teams, is what has held him back. I think his candidacy is gaining some momentum, so hopefully his time does come, because I feel he's deserving. He altered the outcome of many games, had to be accounted for, and left an impact, so those all sound like qualifications to me.

The argument against specialists is ridiculous. If it wasn't important, we'd still have guys like Lou Graza, Sammy Baugh, and George Blanda on special teams squads. We'd still have players who are primarily playing offensive or defensive positions while *also* playing kick or punt coverage. Tom Brady has proven he's a pretty solid punter multiple time (remember that coffin corner quick kick he had against the Broncos a few years ago) - why hasn't Bellicheck saved a roster spot by making Brady a QB/Punter? NFL and college teams have specialists like Tasker for a reason. Making clutch field goals and having optimal field position still matter. As long as the rules of football include a line of scrimmage, it will continue to matter.

Man before Matthew Slater , there was Steve Tasker

He should go in the hall of fame this year. He is on the ballet. He is the best special team player ever. His son Luke was not to shabby wide out too. Love the man and his radio show. Best ever at his position. Ontario loves you baby!!!!

ST is so underrated it's insane. Hell, one of the most notorious plays in Bills history was a ST breakdown... the Music City "Miracle." Wish we had prime Tasker on that return, then it could've been the Bills instead of the Titans playing the Rams in the Super Bowl.

He should be in the hall of fame. A damn shame they won't let him in. Best player at his position ever

Tasker was tremendous!🏈

Found out my mom danced with him at his wedding! My grandpa had the connections lol

i remember how chris berman used to say "steve a tisker a tasker" doing the bills highlights on NFL primetime

NFL get your shit together he needs to be in the hall of fame

Let's not break it down by player position for HOF. Did the player dominate over their career? Watching it happen for over a decade live and now watching it again in replay, Steve Tasker was a force. Count the number of game changing plays he made all over the field. If he was on a less dominant team those plays would have been game deciding plays. Ask an Oiler fanbase if they would have liked to retain his services. Marv knew what he was doing.

With all the new safety rules pussifying the NFL great Gunners like Tasker and returners like Hester are going extinct

He always be a Hall of Famer in my eyes

You get in the Hall of Fame ultimately because of your ability to impact the results of games. You going to tell me Steve Tasker didn’t impact the result of many games?

Tasker turned many losses into wins with a forced fumble, blocked kick, etc. Go find his highlight reel! Amazing.

Found out he played rugby in college all the skills listed here are vital in Rugby especially blocking kicks and open field tackling.

On one hand you have the opinion of coaches who won Super Bowls that special teammers are an important part of the game, on the other hand you have "no name joes" claiming the opposite. Who would you believe?

Steve Tasker deserves to be a Hall of Famer.

Sick video

this is years late, but if you're ever able to pick up a copy of Marv Levy's book, it's worth the read. it's short, but filled with great nuggets. one thing that stood out to me was his love for special teams. He goes on and on about it's importance and how it's a "3-team" sport. the rules have changed in recent years to minimize ST, but his takes are fantastic and highlight how important a player like Steve Tasker was.

It took quite a long time for Ray Guy to get in the hall, but it did happen. Steve very well may get in as well eventually. He more than deserves it in my book.

All bills games in the 90's on ST, all you saw was Steve Tasker blocking a kick, barely missing a blocked kick, making a quick tackle on PR's or barely missing them, or catching punts at the 1 for the kicking team.

He was amazing ! Go Bills

These are the same dudes who just voted Devin Hester as a finalist for the HOF a month ago.

Special teams might not WIN games, but they put the rest of the team in position to do so

It's so disrespectful to say special teams aren't worthy enough to make the hall of fame no matter how good of a career they have. Adam Vinatieri better make it when the time comes. Coming from a Bills fan

Good one!

7 pro bowls and 5 first team all pro, there is nothing more to say. The NFL has recently appreciated some positions like Offensive linemen, but special teams are even more disregarded.

"special teams is not 1/3 of the game"...tell that to the 2010 chargers.

Lets Finaly Get Steven Tasker his induction ballot to canton for his hall of fame that Tasker So Rightfully Derserves he was the beast mode " kick returning and hanging tackles was relentless pursuit of smash mouth football lets Go Buffalo Bills🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

Some positions are just underrated, like Fullback, Lorenzo Neal and Daryl Johnstone deserve consideration.

Steve deserves to be in the hall of fame

Would've been a hell of slot receiver if that position was as valued back then as it is today.

Tasker would’ve annihilated Butkus if he tried to return a kick 😂

Oct 2018, Packers Rams, 2 minutes to go, down by two, Aaron Rodgers about to get the ball back and drive downfield.....Ty Montgomery gets the ball, runs it out of the endzone, Rams Ramik Wilson crushes him, he fumbles, Rams recover, game over.........who says special teams aren't important?? Sports reporters? LOL. Ask the Packers if special teams arent important.....they won a super bowl because of outstanding special teams play. Tasker spent a career making game changing plays for the bills.....he shoulda been in the Hall first year he was eligible.

Huge Dolphins fan and the 3 guys I worried the most about making plays, Bruce Smith, thurman Thomas and Tasker

Guy made more game changing plays than most players on offense or defense. Guess it doesn’t matter to some people.

0:48 Sick!

"Tisker and Tasker"

Wasn’t there a longer version of this clip where somebody argued that putting a special teams player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame would be the equivalent of putting a pinch hitter in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Steve did his tasks

He could have played WR and he did once in awhile but he should be in the HOF!! Special teams is a third of the game!!

I just voted for him and Lorenzo Neal again. When you're the best at doing thankless tasks, you should be recognized.

Why is Steve Tasker not in the hall? Because Special Teams players are not cultivated the way Steve was - not respected. Teams are missing out. Special teams is NOT a third of the game, but it IS an IMPORTANT part of the game. In some cases there were star players on special teams like Ray Guy who flipped the field - Steve flipped a lot of fields in his time, even when our punters weren't that great. Devin Hester was a threat to go the distance on punt and KO returns every time he took the field on Special Teams. He was a good WR in the league as well, but his real value was on returns. Steve could play wideout with greatness too - he even had over 100 yards in the Pro Bowl one year with Jim Kelly finally getting the chance to throw him the ball. Steve shined - he was voted Pro Bowl MVP. The only Special Teams player to ever be voted so. Special Teams is not a THIRD of the game, but it is a significant part of the game, and it does have an impact on outcomes. If your guy was brought in to Kick or return kicks, or his job is to stop the return man as a gunner, he's just as important as your designated pass rush specialist. Steve showed that there were tactics, if done properly (in Special Teams), that could affect the outcomes of the games. He was the best ever at his craft of shutting down the other team's returns, and burying them deep in their own ends. The Best Ever - PUT #TaskerInTheHall!!!

greatest special teamer of all times

These days he would be a slot receiver getting nearly 100 catches a season. The bills had good receivers and a decent HE and before free agency you could hang onto a player like that.

I'm decently high up in a workplace and while yes management runs everything "You could attribute to defense and offense" without a core group you are screwed. Think back to the last time your team had terrible special teams. You don't win games with BAD special teams. I don't want to hear that it is not 1/3 of the game because it is. You can live without a good defense, you can live with bad offense, you can live with bad special teams, but you need two of the three to be a winning football team. 2015 rams, No offense mediocre defense GREAT special teams 5-16. Go back and look Special teams won all five of those games. Steve tasker deserves in the HOF. Don't put a position on the field and say they can never end up there. Basically they are saying if a FG kicker hits 63 yard FG's his entire career ever single time he's not worthy, If a punter downs a team in the 10 yard line every punt he's not worthy. It's one thing watching the the NFL and being in management I've noticed. People who watch every sport have no Idea how someone they think does something easy makes things happen in way they have no idea. I'm not saying the people lining up and blocking for the FG kicker, or punter deserve HOF spots because they can block for a FG or a punt, deserve in there. FG kickers and punters are VERY real aspects of the game, and I hold true that Oakland's high draft pick for a punter years ago was NOT a bad decision. First round QB's panning out is rare, yet a high selected punter or FG kicker normally pan out. It is 1/3 of the game, no doubt. I've watched teams with goof offenses and defenses get wrecked because of a bad special teams, yet people end up blaming it on the offense or defense at the end of the game?

Mariano Rivera is getting in the Baseball Hall of Fame, right? The most venerated Hall in sports? And, inarguably so? Look, if you're going to talk about how vital relief pitchers, who are in the Baseball Hall Of Fame, are, then you have to give certain remarkable football special teamers the same respect as essential pieces of a championship roster. Note how nobody who derided Tasker here was a player or a coach.

I never heard of Steve Tasker but if he get in then the next special teams guy that needs to get in is DEVIN HESTER, THE BEST RETURN MAN OF ALL TIME!!!!

The Special Team GOAT

Let’s be real for a minute here... if the Bills had managed to win 2 or more of those Super Bowls, everybody right down to the guy doing the laundry in that organization would be in the HOF. F***ing haters.

"Special teams is not a 3rd of a game" Okay lets have an experiment then. You get 0 special teams in a game lets see how well you fare 1) you get no field goals 2) you cant punt (meaning if you're at your 2 yardline on 4th down you gotta go for it) 3) You cant return punts/kicks you have to fair catch the ball where ever it lands Lets see how many games you win princess.

Judging from how the packers lost in the playoffs due to their special teams. Yes special teams is important

So putting a special teams or a kicker is a slap too the Hall Of Fame?!?!? Homie please Ray Guy is the man!!!!!!! Raider Nation!!!!

Matthew Slater is in the Steve Tasker category Tasker is a hall of famer and Slater is a future hall of famer

How many games were won from what he’s done on special teams it’s prly a lot he deserves to be in the hall of fame

Ray Guy and Morten Anderson are both in the HOF.

Jessie Tuggle and Donnie Shell.

I love how all the people who are shitting on special teams players are radio and media personalities, and the coaches and players are advocating for special teams players.

No one is saying there needs to be as many ST guys in HoF as running backs or QBs or LBs , but someone who caused nightmares for opposing coaches for a decade + and won the Bills games several times on his own effort. hell his initials are ST, what more do you want? That said I can’t see a great long snapper making it, And I did use to long snap and it is nightmarish.

0:21 It's about to go down

Special teams cost the Steelers a trip to Super Bowl 36 - Patriots scored 2 touchdowns from their special teams unit......Troy Brown's punt return and Antwan Harris' blocked field goal return. So yes, special teams are still an important part of this game.

He went to 7 pro bowls, mvp one of them... as a special teams Gunner...

Hey anybody know where Dan Marino's Super Bowl Ring is? Answer: Buried in the grass lots near our stadium by Steve Tasker, Jim Kelly, and of course, Bruce et al. Everybody wants to talk about losing 4 SBs. Nobody wants to talk about the Bills team that was directly responsible for banning Dan Marino(better than Brady in every way->see NFL rules changes designed specifically to protect Brady) from the SB for all but two (Patriots 85->got destroyed by the Bears, and he had his chance and failed against Montana, also better than Brady->rules, in 83) years of his career.

Special teams is clearly important. Who kicks the ball to start a game? Who punts the ball when the offense goes 3 and out? Who returns said kicks? Who stops the returns? Who kicks field goals? Who kicks extra points? If special teams isn't a third of the game, why does it have it's own category? Also, how can it not be a third of the game, if it contributes so much to the game of football?

Some players are in the hall of fame because they were on great teams...not because they made their teams great.

As long as Mark Clayton and Duper are before the guy I’m all for him being in the Hall of Fame 😃

Great true story,book title-"Cowboy Mafia "'

Special Teams is DEFINATELY one third of the game! It's a game of inches and field position. And who helps determine that? Special Teams.

Any other player with 5x All Pros and 7x Pro Bowls would get into the Hall of Fame. Absolute crime that the greatest special teams player of all time isn't in the HoF

matthew slater is coming for his crown

Join Us on Facebook!!! Let's PUT #TaskerInTheHall!!!!!!

They should make a special wing for special teams. Bill Bates would be the best of all time.

Don't even need to watch this to know Tasker should not be in the HOF. A special teams gunner. Wow. How often was he on the field ?

If Steve Tasker gets in on special teams, so should the Chargers' Hank Bauer.

Welcome to West Herr new yooorrkkk

wrs 5`8-6`0 would make great gunners

Here after he’s a HOF semi finalist