On Saturday night, Alan Faneca found out that he would not be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers guard, in his second year of eligibility, was one of fifteen finalists from which a panel would choose for the game’s greatest distinction.

This year, the panel chose a number of deserving players, including former Rams and Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, who waited several years to hear his name called. Former Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, and Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, were both first-ballot selections; and deservedly so.

Controversy, however, surrounds the panel’s final two picks: former Falcons kicker Morten Andersen, and former Broncos running back Terrell Davis. The selection of Davis is speculative due to his short tenure in the NFL. Davis played for only 7 seasons, appearing for a full 16 games in those 7 only twice, and playing only 17 games in his final three. Andersen in only controversial because he’s a kicker: he deserves the honor, but is only the second-ever player who has only played as a kicker to enter the Hall.

Among the other names who were not called are former Rams and 49ers receiver Isaac Bruce, former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, and a name controversial in and of itself, Terrell Owens.

Four offensive linemen were also finalists, including Faneca, former Jaguar Tony Boselli, former Jet Kevin Mawae and one of the “Hogs”, former Redskin tackle Joe Jacoby.

None of their names were called, and it left many fans asking why.

Of course, as biased (and spoiled) Steelers fans, we want to see an entire wing dedicated to our team. We feel slighted that Faneca’s name wasn’t called for a gold jacket.

Maybe, that is a bit of the problem? Are there too many Steelers enshrined in Canton, Ohio? Did they have to wait a year, and give another team’s fan base the opportunity to see one of their own get a bust immortalized in the Hall?

That could be a reason.

Another, is the same reason Andersen’s selection was “shocking”, because kickers aren’t thought of so highly when compared to quarterbacks, etc. Personally, I don’t feel including Andersen is a stretch, as he’s the league’s all-time leading scorer, and a former six-time Pro Bowl selection… after all, I’m constantly reminding people on the Steel City Underground Podcast that kickers and punters are people too!

But what about linemen, particularly offensive linemen?

Kickers have statistics which are tracked, and while punter’s stats aren’t relative to their play all of the time, they too have numbers you can measure.

What do you measure for an offensive lineman?

You can consider the success of the backs behind them: quarterbacks which aren’t pressured or sacked, and have good seasons… or running backs that pile up yards and touchdowns. Lineman you can picture as being good, but there’s no real “bar” that’s set other than what is said by their peers; be it teammates, or the opposition which faced them.

Obviously, offensive linemen have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; and for the first time since 2011, no offensive lineman will be inducted. Orlando Pace, Will Shields, Walter Jones, Jonathan Ogden, and Willie Roaf were chosen for each year during the previous five.

And that’s why I’m surprised the Hall passed on picking a lineman this year. All four finalists were deserving of a nod, with our site leaning heavily toward Faneca as the favorite. (I’d even make the case for Mawae over Faneca as well.)

I suppose the question is over the least “sexy” pick of those who made it. As mentioned before, specialists like kickers and punters seldom enter the Hall of Fame. Like when they’re drafted, offensive lineman aren’t the most eye-popping names of those who best served their teams. Each carries with it a silent servitude, and perhaps the panel felt that it was time for a kicker, but they couldn’t have two “non-sexy” picks in the same class.

That’s a shame too, because Faneca had in fact been a dominant player during his career. Of the four linemen who were finalists, Faneca’s 9 Pro-Bowl selections were the most of peers, and his 8 All-Pro selections were only rivaled by Mawae. Faneca also won two Super Bowls and was twice named NFL Alumni Offensive Lineman of the Year (2004, 2008). He paved the way for Ben Roethlisberger‘s early start, and Jerome Bettis‘ classic end, to their careers: a true benchmark of his greatness, aside from the various accolades he acquired throughout the years.

Perhaps, the other consideration for Faneca’s “snub” may have been his wait: another Hog, Russ Grimm, finished playing in 1991, but had to wait until 2010 for his name to be called. Faneca, while a finalist, was only in his second year of consideration. Seeing how long many greats wait out for their names to be added to the immortal halls of Canton, Ohio, we could expect Faneca to possibly wait a little while longer.

However long that wait might be, I think we can all agree that Faneca will eventually make it in.