FCF’s First Class of Hall Of Famers: 5 Players Who Deserve a First Ballot Induction

By Zach Garrett (@zthaguru on Twitter)

The NFL Hall of Fame game kicks off this Thursday which not only marks the beginning of the NFL season, but also begins the commemoration of this year’s class of NFL Hall of Famers. Only a select few NFL players even get considered to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, much less actually be inducted. This immense honor will take place later this week, but all of the Hall of Fame talk got us thinking about what that might look like in Fan Controlled Football…

Now I know, it seems crazy to think about an FCF Hall of Fame after just two (super successful) seasons, but hey, down the line whenever Fan Controlled Football has decades of seasons under its belt, these are things we would need to think about. By no means is this an official FCF Hall of Fame list, but there are a select few players who have had a huge impact in the league, on and off the field. Some players have played multiple seasons for FCF and others just the one, but each of these guys, in my opinion, would be considered top tier FCF Hall of Fame candidates. Let’s get into it.

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Andrew Jamiel

For me, this is an unquestionable, undoubtable, and should be, unanimous decision. The 5’10 180 pound slot receiver from Stonehill College has dominated the FCF field since Day 1. Drafted by the Glacier Boyz in Season v1.0, he has stayed with the team for the entire existence of Fan Controlled Football. In his first season, he was one of four players franchised tagged by the Boyz and immediately, the fans were rewarded for their decision. Take a look at this stat line from Season v1.0:

In 6 total games: 19 rec, 241 yards, 6 TD with a 100% (5/5) point after conversion

Those numbers made him T1 in receptions, 2nd in receiving yards, and 1st in touchdowns among receivers (T1 among all skill players). You could easily make the argument that he was the best receiver in the league in FCF’s first season. The Glacier Boyz fell just short in the first ever People’s Championship to the Wild Aces on a last second touchdown by someone else on this list, but that’s for a later time.

Jamiel, along with a few other leaguemates, not only worked hard in the gym in the offseason, but also helped coaches and staff recruit and bring guys in to prepare for Season v2.0. He embraced Glacier Boyz nation and they rewarded him for it with their very first franchise tag of Season v2.0.

The Glacier Boyz struggled throughout their second season and struggled to establish a true QB1, but even with all the change, Jamiel was yet again a consistent weapon in the Glacier Boyz’ arsenal. He continued to do his thing, and even improved in his stat line: 21 rec, 323 yards, 8 TDs in 7 total games. While Season v2.0 had other wide receivers putting up big numbers, you could AGAIN, make the argument of Jamiel being among the best of the best in the receiving department in the FCF.

A true Wes Welker, Julian Edelman type with quick feet, sharp route running, and charisma that helps his teammates, owners, and fans believe in him, deserves a spot in the FCF Hall of Fame. And as of now, he has officially put the NFL on notice receiving a workout from none other than the New England Patriots via Glacier Boyz team owner Richard Sherman.

⁦@fcflio⁩ Star ⁦@AndrewJamiel⁩ finally getting a shot! Love to see it! Come on ⁦@Patriots⁩ get your next great slot WR.

Assist from Richard Sherman helps WR Andrew Jamiel get tryout with Patriots – New England Patriots Blog- ESPN https://t.co/okIHB8dif1

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) July 28, 2022

This guy has and will do big things.

Deondre Francois

The former standout quarterback from Florida State, Deondre Francois in his two seasons with Fan Controlled Football has shown more than enough to belong on the short list of candidates that should make it into the FCF Hall of Fame. Making his debut in Season v1.0, Francois found a home in the Glacier Boyz as the backup quarterback (crazy right?!) and helped lead the team to the People’s Championship with fellow FCF HOF’er Andrew Jamiel. You know the story of how that played out. Even playing in limited minutes, check out this production:

18-30, 300 yards, 10 TD passing with 10 rushes, 105 yards and 3 TD

Any backup quarterback with those kind of numbers deserves some shine. Oh, and not to mention, he finished with a QBR of 119.4 which put him 2nd among all quarterbacks. He maximized his opportunity with the minutes he got, and I think the fans in Season v2.0 knew what many hadn’t picked up during his first season.

The Bored Ape Football Club, with the first pick of the first draft, selected Francois, and throughout the season, we all got to see why he was selected where he was. He led Bored Ape FC to a 5-0 record and clinched a playoff spot before playing minimal minutes in the final two games of the season to prepare for the playoffs. Even though BAFC ended up falling short to the Zappers in The People’s Championship, Francois was the key factor and key playmaker for the Apes all season long. His quickness and agility mixed with his accuracy and ability to dot up receivers made him as efficient as any QB in the league.

There is definitely a spot for him waiting in the FCF Hall of Fame, and with more seasons to come, who knows what more he will do to add to his legacy.

Ladarius Galloway

Ladarius Galloway (G-way) might be the first player on this list some people could have an issue with. To me, he is a certified (Shoulda Been) Star and worthy of an induction into the FCF Hall of Fame. Let me ask this question: have you ever seen a running back with the shiftiness of Lesean McCoy and the power of Adrian Peterson? That’s right, I just compared him to two of the great running backs the NFL has seen, but if you haven’t seen this dude play in person, you would see what I mean.

Starting in Season v1.0, G-way immediately turned heads as the starting super back with the Wild Aces, making highlight after highlight, week in and week out. He was hurdling defenders, running guys over, and breaking ankles en route to the end zone. He was by far the best running back in the league during Season v1.0, and possibly the best player in the entire league regardless of position. His numbers weren’t too showy: 32 rushes, 239 yards, 4 TD, but he stepped up in the biggest moments when he needed to most. Gway was a part of the first ever People’s Championship team and was a huge reason why they got there in the first place.

Season v2.0 came around, and G-way was immediately tagged by the newly revamped Shoulda Been Stars. One of the most engaged fanbases in the league knew what they had, and there was no way they were letting him walk into the draft. However, here’s where I might lose some people. Galloway unfortunately did not complete Season v2.0 as he had to step away from the team due to personal reasons, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t show out while during his time in his second season. Have you seen this play? If not, check it out because it’s one of the more insane pass completions in the history of football.

Who knows where the Stars end up with a fully healthy and lethal Ladarius Galloway, but unfortunately for us, we’ll never know. Even with just one and a half(ish) seasons under his belt, I think if you take his entire body of work, G-way has done more than enough to show the fans and the hypothetical FCF HOF committee he deserves a spot in this class of Hall of Famers.

Ed Crouch

To me, this is another no brainer FCF Hall of Fame pick. His resume includes some accolades that are hard to beat, and with a few things going differently, Crouch may have gone back-to-back. Outside of the what ifs, here’s why he deserves a spot.

Crouch joined with Fan Controlled Football back in Season v1.0 and hopped around a bit before landing a pivotal role with the Wild Aces as a backup quarterback. They had already established Jackson ‘Jerdy’ Erdmann as their primary QB, but as we saw this year, Crouch was the guy who posed a threat through the air and on the ground. Remember that game winning touchdown I mentioned earlier? Yeah that was this guy. With no time left on the clock, Ed Crouch rolled to the left, and from 3 yards out, punched it in the end zone to win the People’s Championship. It was enough to earn him the People’s Championship MVP trophy, and only one other guy can say he’s done that.

He had an alright Season v1.0 with 11-19, 158 yards, 3 TD, with 13 rushes, 113 yards and 4 TD, but Season v2.0 is where he blossomed into a true number 1 option. The newly formed Knights of Degen selected Crouch with the second overall pick, and from there, he put on a show. He lead the Knights to a 4-3 record and barely lost out on a playoff spot to 8OKI, but to me, that doesn’t take away anything he did this season.

Crouch finished 2nd in the Linqto OPOY vote with 39-69, 673 yds, 13 TD, 5 Int passing and 42 carries, 242 yds, 10 TD rushing. In 7 games, this is a crazy stat line and shows that he was the clear leader of the offense. Like Francois, he could use both his feet and his arm to make plays, and his decision making was next-level compared to the competition.

If this doesn’t get you into the Hall of Fame, then I’m not sure what does. Crouch has the skills, the stats, and the awards to show, and it’s not hard to see how he got here. A well-deserved and well-respected member of the FCF joins its Hall of Fame.

Mitch Kidd

The first (and only) guy on this list to only have a single season of work to show, but if you caught ANY of Season v2.0, this man was surely a talking point. Mitch Kidd deserves a spot in the FCF Hall of Fame, and I don’t care what anyone says. Let me walk you through 8OKI’s season this season and let me know your thoughts afterwards:

• Drafted 3rd overall in the first draft of the season; immediately franchise tagged

• Week 1: leads 8OKI to a last second win on an incredible pass. Read more about that here, trust me it doesn’t disappoint.

• Week 3: a huge come from behind win in overtime lead by Kidd after being down 16 with 0:44 seconds left to play. Read more about that game here. Again, it doesn’t disappoint.

• Weeks 6 & 7: Kidd leads 8OKI to back to back wins to bring the team to a tiebreaker with the Knights of Degen and defeats Ed Crouch and Co. in the Playoff Showdown to advance to the playoffs.

• Playoff Game: Kidd leads 8OKI on yet another huge comeback only to lose in the last second of the game after a failed Hail Mary attempt to Bored Ape FC.

That’s a roller coaster of a season, and if you didn’t notice the trend, a HUGE reason 8OKI got as far as they did was because of #4. Yes, 8OKI had one of the more stacked wide receiver rooms, but Kidd brought out the best in them. Joseph Boykin finished as a top WR in the league, and other guys like WR Patrick Smith and WR Malik Elion had incredible seasons because of Kidd’s masterful ability to spread the already shortened field and knowledge of the game.

And I forgot to mention, he was the Linqto OPOY with 54-104, 800 yards, 18 TD, 5 Int, passing and 25 car, 71 yds, 2 TD rushing. These stats are in a word: WILD. This guy took his team as far as they could, and in my book, that was more than enough to earn a spot in the FCF Hall of Fame.

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Honorable Mentions

I know, I know, I only said 5, BUT here are a couple of guys who, with a little convincing, could make their way into the first class of FCF Hall of Famers.

Johnny Manziel

Is this a hot take? Maybe. But, you can’t argue that when he’s on the field (and knows what plays he’s running) he can still get the job done at an elite level. Johnny moved into more of a player/coaching role in Season v2.0, but contributed when his team needed him. The Heisman winner finished the season with 87 passing yards 1 TD and a rushing TD, and was a contributor in the playoff game that got the Zappers into the People’s Championship, which they eventually won. A championship ring never hurts the Hall of Fame conversation.

Manziel was also a huge part of Season v1.0 and was the franchise quarterback for the Zappers going 14-27 with 133 yards and 1 TD. I know, his stats aren’t flashy, but he was a big reason Josh Gordon came to the FCF in Season v1.0. He was a leader for his team and helped develop his WR1, Travis Toivonen on his way to the NFL. He also had one of the best highlights of Season v1.0 on his very first play from scrimmage:

Say what you want, but Manziel has definitely left his mark on this league. I know this one could go either way, but I believe Johnny has done enough to earn him a spot in the FCF Hall of Fame at some point, regardless of which class.

Jordus Smith

For 2 seasons now, FCF fans have heard the name Jordus ‘Cheatcode’ Smith, but until Season v2.0, he was just another player. His numbers in his first season weren’t all that impressive, but he was still a contributor with 7 receptions, 125 yards and 1 touchdown.

Many people clearly slept on Cheatcode in the offseason, because he came out in Season v2.0 firing. The Beasts’ eventual franchise wide receiver exploded onto the scene in his second season and found chemistry with his quarterback Alphonso Howard. The Deebo Samuel of the FCF finished his season with 18 receptions, 455 yds and 9 TDs, and 6 rushes, 71 yards and 4 TD. This means that 54% of the time Smith touched the ball, no matter how he got it, he scored a touchdown. A weapon like that deserves some serious recognition, and he did with a top 3 finish in the Linqto OPOY vote.

There is a case to be made here for Cheatcode to be inducted in the first class of the FCF Hall of Fame, but with a lackluster Season v1.0, it’s hard to give him the nod. But with high praise from Terrell Owens, Todd Gurley, and other former stud NFL players, one could be convinced based on this season alone that he deserves a spot.

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There it is fans, the first ever class of Fan Controlled Football Hall of Fame inductees. These guys have done more than enough to deserve recognition for their outstanding play, and rightfully so, should be rewarded. There are plenty of other guys who have been involved with the league that could make cases to be included in here, but personally, I think I nailed it.

Let us know in the comments where we got it wrong, where we got it right, and everything in between. And as always, Power to the Fans!