How can Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith reach the Hall of Fame?
15 players for the Minnesota Vikings are enshrined in Canton, Ohio, as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Adrian Peterson will be the 16th if he ever retires, which could take a while. Most of the Vikings Hall of Fame inductees are from the era that the team frequented the Super Bowl and rightfully so.
Vikings safety Harrison Smith was an All-Pro selection in 2017 and has been elected to five straight Pro Bowls. His supremacy at the safety position is as obvious to Minnesotans as snow falling in January. Smith is respected nationally, but it is difficult to adjudicate whether the praise is lavish enough.
Since joining the Vikings in 2012, Harrison Smith ranks as follows among NFL safeties:
- 1st in Sacks
- 2nd in Interceptions
- 2nd in Quarterback Hits
- 3rd in Tackles for Loss
- 3rd in Fumble Recoveries
- 4th in Touchdowns
- 6th in Tackles
- 8th in Passes Defended
These accomplishments and this pace brush the perimeter of Hall of Fame discussions, but Smith does not have a concrete path to Canton at this moment. Meaning — if he retired today, he would not be outfitted in a coveted gold jacket.
What would it take for Smith to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Let’s speculate.