Jerry Rice believes he would have been able to double his insane statistics under the current NFL rules. Harold Carmichael isn't sure if he would have ever played an NFL game.A member of the centennial cla s of 2020 set to be enshrined next month, Carmichael waited decades to finally earn the call to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The legend may not have gotten the opportunity if the current iteration of rules existed in 1971 (his rookie season)."I wondered to myself if I would have been drafted," Carmichael said in a conference call ahead of his enshrinement Tuesday. "I wondered if they were looking for those 4.2 (40-yard dash) Donnie Shell Jersey guys and I was nowhere near that."A seventh-round pick in 1971 out of Southern University, Carmichael made a name of himself in the NFL with his 6-foot-8 frame -- a nightmare for NFL defensive backs for over a decade. Carmichael owns every major receiving record in Eagles franchise history, ranking first in receptions (589), receiving yards (8,978), and touchdowns (79). He also caught a pa s in 127 consecutive games from 1972 to 1982, which was an record until Steve Largent broke it in 1986. Prior to the illegal contact rule - Stephon Tuitt Jersey - which was put in place in 1978 and restricted contact beyond five yards downfield -- Carmichael relied on other aspects of the game to survive in the NFL. Size mattered Justin Hunter Jersey in the 1970s."I had to make good with my size and put myself between the football and the defensive player and that's how I kind of got around that speed," Carmichael said. "I tried to catch anything within three yards of me and used my long arms and cut the 4.6 to 4.5 (40-yard dash time) because of my height."Carmichael's numbers certainly improved once the illegal contact rule was added, having 216 catches for 3,787 yards and 34 touchdowns from 1978 to 1981. He ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in all three categories, including having the second-most touchdown receptions in that span. The prime of Carmichael's career benefitted with the illegal contact rule, even through he credits what he learned in his early years for getting him to that point. "The way I was raised in football, intimidation was part of the game," Carmichael said. "Any type of way you could intimidate an opponent, that was a plus. If you can get in his head and slow him up even if he (the defensive back) might be faster and plays Troy Polamalu Jersey the position very well, you can get in his head so many different ways."You could either try to knock him down, blocking him, running patterns on him and scoring touchdowns -- some kind of way just to get in his head," Carmichael added.When Carmichael's NFL career ended, he was fifth in NFL history in catches, seventh all-time in yards, and tied for sixth in touchdowns. Carmichael led all NFL wide receivers in receptions (549), receiving yards (8,414), and receiving touchdowns (77) from 1973 to 1983. Under the modern NFL rules, Carmichael would have been overlooked -- similar to the years following his Hall of Fame career. Carmichael had to wait three decades to get into the Hall of Fame -- and is certainly grateful Roosevelt Nix Jersey the NFL didn't attempt to benefit offensive players when he was learning how to play in the league.
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