Return men have long been the unsung heroes of the NFL, but Cleveland Browns legend Josh Cribbs believes it's time for that to change.
Cribbs recently told TMZ Sports that he believes return men like himself and Devin Hester deserve the recognition of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"You got guys that are a class of their own right there. We're in a class of our own. When you mention us, our unique talents can't be matched anywhere--in history and in the future."
Cribbs has a point, as both he and Hester earned All-Pro, Pro Bowl and All-Decade team honors during their respective careers. Cribbs is tied for second all-time with eight kick return touchdowns, and he added three punt return touchdowns. Hester has the most punt return touchdowns in NFL history at 14, and he also has five kick return touchdowns.
"The league is saying that it's not that important, even though it is," Cribbs said. "We literally changed games. Coaches literally kicked away from us."
Both Cribbs and Hester are nominees for the Hall of Fame class of 2024, and they will find out if they made the cut in February.
"We actually deserve our place because of the work we put on the field for over a decade," Cribbs added. "We were both All-Decade return specialists and we deserve our place in history."
