Rickey Jackson belongs in the Hall of Fame

By LES EAST

Rickey Jackson belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s as simple as that.

Jackson was one of the key members of the New Orleans Saints’ “Dome Patrol” defense of the late 1980s and early 1990s. That defense featured arguably the best linebacking group of all time – Jackson, Sam Mills, Pat Swilling, and Vaughan Johnson.

At the end of his career Jackson went to San Francisco for two seasons and won his only Super Bowl ring. In all, Jackson played 15 seasons, was selected to six Pro Bowls, was named All-Pro five times, made 136 sacks, and recovered 28 fumbles (second most all time).

So far Jackson hasn’t gotten even cursory consideration from Hall of Fame voters, and that’s ridiculous. He was one of the very best defenders of his era.

Jackson’s case is hampered by him playing on mostly bad teams for his first six seasons before Jim Finks and Jim Mora arrived in New Orleans and introduced pro football respectability to the Crescent City.

The linebackers thrived under Mora and defensive coordinator Steve Sidwell and were the centerpiece of four playoff teams (1987, 1990, 1991, and 1992), though none managed to win a game in the post-season.

Jackson’s case is further hampered by playing mostly in a small market and for a franchise of little distinction. No one whose career was spent primarily with the Saints has ever made the pro Football Hall of Fame. Finks, Hank Stram, Doug Atkins, Jimmy Taylor, and Earl Campbell are Saints alumni in the Hall of Fame, but none reached Canton because of their tenure in New Orleans.

Presumably a player whose career was best-defined by their time as a Saint will get into the Hall eventually now that Willie Roaf and Morten Andersen are eligible.

But Jackson should get there first. The selection of the 2010 class is looming. The current list of 131 candidates will be whittled to 25 semifinalists then 15 finalists, whose ultimate fate will be determined during Super Bowl week.

It’s time for the voters to take a good, long look at Jackson’s credentials because they are Hall-worthy.

If you think Jackson belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there is an online petition designed to help his cause (http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/RickyForTheHall).