Sure, he may be a little biased.
But it doesn’t mean Bill Cowher is wrong.
Speaking to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, Cowher believes Alan Faneca should get into the Hall of Fame on his first try. Faneca was named a Hall of Fame finalist on January 7th, one of 15 finalists, with the inductees announced this Saturday night on “NFL Honors,” airing on CBS from 9-11 PM.
For Cowher, the plan was simple. Run behind 66.
“We knew if we ran left we ran behind him, if we ran right we pulled him. We always found a way to make sure he was at the point of attack when we ran a running play,” he told Varley.
To be worthy of a Hall of Fame bid, you have to be one of the greats. Potentially change the position. To his old head coach, Faneca checks those boxes.
“The guard position, he almost redefined it…He was a staple, he was a constant. He set the tone. He was a quiet leader on our football team. Without a doubt he was the heart and soul of the offensive line.”
The accolades followed his performance. Seven Pro Bowls, six All-Pro teams, an All-Decade nomination, and a Super Bowl ring, highlighted by his famous lead block on Willie Parker’s 75 yard touchdown run.
Cowher doesn’t have a vote but there is surely some influence at play. And you can bet Ed Bouchette, who is on the electing committee, will make a strong case for Faneca.
