Don Trull

Don Trull never made it to Canton, though he's got plenty of hardware elsewhere. The Baylor legend earned College Football Hall of Fame induction in 2013 and was a consensus All-American in 1963, but his eight-year pro career—split between the AFL's Houston Oilers, Boston Patriots, and Edmonton Eskimos—didn't generate the sustained excellence Canton demands. Sometimes being a pioneer counts for less than posterity requires.

Trull left the gridiron decades ago and has built a genuinely interesting second act. After coaching at Arkansas in the early '70s, he opened his own construction company for 13 years, then co-founded a telecommunications business. Most recently, he's worked as commercial sales manager at End-O-Pest Termite & Pest Control in Houston, leveraging his construction knowledge to expand their commercial operations. Not exactly glamorous, but he's clearly someone who solves problems rather than chases nostalgia.

Trull's arm talent and decision-making would translate better today than his era allowed. Modern passing rules and spacing would've suited his 4,000-yard, 27-touchdown college resume nicely. But here's the thing: he threw for 3,980 yards across eight pro seasons—that's barely half a season's worth of volume by today's standards. The game's evolution helps, but his relatively modest pro production suggests ceiling limitations that rule changes can't erase.

Warren Moon laps Trull completely. Moon's 33.07 rating versus Trull's 10.92 isn't even competitive—it's generational separation. Both wore the Oilers uniform, but Moon was a Hall of Famer who dominated for 17 seasons; Trull was a capable 1960s operator whose pro career never matched his college brilliance. Moon's the franchise QB, Trull's the interesting footnote.