This is a dumb sports question but I’ll ask it anyway.

4for4

Mario Lemieux entered the NHL 5 years after Mark Messier, but he entered the HOF 10 years before Messier.

In terms of 1st ballot HOFers………….

Is there any other type of strange occurrence like this in any sport. ? I find this very unusual.

GroceryRackPack

I'm not really a hockey guy per say...hey @MarshallFaulk28 I need your hockey trivia on this one...

thisistheshow

I'm sure there are quite a few of these that would pertain to guys entering the NFL after Tom Brady but going into the HOF well before him.

As for the example given in the OP, I had forgotten the details, but Messier began his career 5 years before Lemieux, however....Lemieux was inducted into the HOF immediately following his first retirement (in 1997). Messier ended up playing until 04, and went in 2007. Lemieux unretired and played until 05.

The above might be off a little.

Basebal21

@thisistheshow said:
I'm sure there are quite a few of these that would pertain to guys entering the NFL after Tom Brady but going into the HOF well before him.

As for the example given in the OP, I had forgotten the details, but Messier began his career 5 years before Lemieux, however....Lemieux was inducted into the HOF immediately following his first retirement (in 1997). Messier ended up playing until 04, and went in 2007. Lemieux unretired and played until 05.

The above might be off a little.

At the end of Bradys career there were players in the league that werent even born when he got into the league

craig44

ladanian tomlinson started and ended his career and entered the hof during Tommy's career.

Tabe

Calvin Johnson started high school, went to college, went to the pros, and made the HOF during Tom Brady's NFL career.

Tabe

Joey Gallo reached 100 home runs before 100 singles.

4for4

@Tabe said:
Calvin Johnson started high school, went to college, went to the pros, and made the HOF during Tom Brady's NFL career.

An interesting trivia question would be how many players made the HOF before Brady retired while starting their NFL career after him.

4for4

@thisistheshow said:
I'm sure there are quite a few of these that would pertain to guys entering the NFL after Tom Brady but going into the HOF well before him.

As for the example given in the OP, I had forgotten the details, but Messier began his career 5 years before Lemieux, however....Lemieux was inducted into the HOF immediately following his first retirement (in 1997). Messier ended up playing until 04, and went in 2007. Lemieux unretired and played until 05.

The above might be off a little.

Correct. Lemieux made the HOF in 97 before Gretzky did in 99, but Lemieux played after both retired.

Messier was 07.

daltex

Clemente and Mantle, Mays, Banks, Kaline, Aaron. Gehrig and Hornsby and possibly others. It's hard to tell first year of eligibility in the 40s.