Nance elected to Patriots Hall of Fame

Well, good for Nance.

Although that list of Pats running backs is pretty depressing. The all-time leaders at 45 TDs and a little over 5,000 yards? Yikes.

It says something that Curtis Martin is fourth on the list and he only played with us for 3 seasons. I mean, Michael Pittman has more rushing yards, and TJ Duckett and Thomas Jones have as many TDs than our all-timers. Wow.

Jim was one of the few stars that played for the Patriots in the late 1960's. He was athletic for a man of his size and often times it took several defenders to bring him down.
I am very happy for his family.

That's great. Long deserved.

He earned this, it's long overdue... too bad he wasn't alive to see this happen for him

good choice: surely one of the best players in our franchise history

also Antwine and Morris i hope will be in the future in the Patriots Hall Of Fame

good choice: surely one of the best players in our franchise history

also Antwine and Morris i hope will be in the future in the Patriots Hall Of Fame

I sold life insurance with Jim Nance at Sun Life of Canada in Wellesley, MA in 1975...he was a really big guy with a really big heart....I recently heard he was a heck of a wrestler, and impossible to move....he was very similar to "the bus" in Pittsburgh

For all that compare Jim N. stats to others, just remember, JN didn't have the solid teams back in 65-71 that people like Curtis M. had. I treked thru the snow at all the back yard stadiums plus Fenway, just to watch JIM NANCE!!!

Good to see Jim get credit. He carried that team, when the Patriots were trying to attract football fans like my father, who watched Giants games in the early Sixties. I'd love to have him on this team today - Tom Brady would love him.

Jim Nance was also an NCAA wrestling champion in the heavyweight division at Syracuse.

Sorry, wasn't trying to denigrate Nance at all. He's very deserving of the honor.

The article just caused me to scan the Pats rushing record books and I was startled by what I saw. Only two teams have all-time rushing leaders with fewer yards: The Texans and Panthers, neither of which has been in existence very long.

I think Nance is truly deserving, I just wish the Pats had a stronger RB tradition overall.

I remember seeing Jim carry opposing players on his back running up the line in Fenway Park. Heck of a power running back. I had the pleasure of meeting Jim and becoming friends with him in the late 70's when he owned an auto part store in Burlington. Heard many great stories about his days at Syracuse and in the pros from him. I'm very glad he is getting this honor. I'm sure he's looking down from heaven with a smile on his face. He deserves the honor. Rachel, if you are reading this, my daughter's name is also Rachel. I'm sure you are proud of your Dad. God bless you big #35.

This was the right decision by the voters.

I, for one, can say that I am very happy that Nance has made it into our HOF, albeit posthumously. (sp.) I will always remember watching him perform and his bruising running abilities.

I met Nance, and his wife, one evening up at his apartment in Mattapan. He had these two huge, white poodles. (not the miniature kind)

I was there on business getting him to appear at a sports engagement, which he did for free, no charge cause it was for kids.

Congrats to Nance and the Nance family.

Jim Nance...the Syracuse Orangeman. Congrats to a great guy and an excellent selection to the Patriots Hall of Fame.

IT IS ABOUT TIME....

Jim Nance was one of the best big backs of all time. I saw him play and can compare him to many others I have seen play over the years. Except for one year his career was spent on an especially weak team and the one year the Patriots were not weak he was essentially the offensive half of the team. His effectiveness and his career were cut short by injuries. If he had been on a decent team and not suffered such seriuos injuries I beleive he would be considered for a seat in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He had amazing power but unlike most big backs he had the ability to get up to some real speed. This last aspect separated him from some other excellent big backs like Larry Czonka back then and Jerome Bettis more recently. I recall watching him late in his career take a run outside and then outrun DBs on his way to a 53 yard TD run (this against the Jets).

What a shame he did not have the supporting cast that so many great runners have had. He would have been remembered by more than the few fans that saw him play for a team that was essentially homeless until after he had to retire.

When Jim Nance played I lived in the Midwest, was a NFL/NFC fan and watched few AFL/AFC games back then. I still knew who Jim Nance was and what a great back he was. Much deserved, its hard for me to believe he wasn't already in the Pats Hall of Fame.

Jim Nance was the heart and soul of a mediocre Patriots team that overachieved in the late 60s. He was an NCAA wrestling champ and a legacy to the great ranks of running backs Sycacuse U developed. It's about bloody time that the Pats recognize great players that labored in obscurity during those exciting and pre-expansion years. The AFL ruled here in NE during those days and Jim Nance was one of those players that made it so. God Bless you Jim, you are missed.

As a boy I would run home from school with my books tucked under my arm zigging and zagging pretending I was Jim Nance on his way to the goal line. He's the main reason I became a Pats fan.

On another note, the town I grew up in of 22,000 was 99.9% white and athletes such as Jim Nance began the process of breaking some of those invisible barriers and beliefs of that time. I've read it wasn't easy for many of these athletes, Bill Russell was not welcomed with open arms by a suburb north of Boston, it's hard to imagine. So on another level beyond the playing field athletics and athletes such as Nance touched my heart and opened me up to the possibility of world beyond what I knew.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write these notes, they mean so much to me and my family. I never got a chance to see my dad play so your vivid memories, anecdotes, statistical references and colored opinions have allowed me to relive his impressive career. I AM reading all of the feedback and it makes me feels so great to have my father remembered not only for being a stand out athlete but more importantly, for being a stand out man with a big heart. As many of you have said, this is long overdue and I too wish he were her to accept this honor for himself. He was a humble man and an incredible athlete and I will do everything I can to honor him in accepting this on his behalf. He IS missed, so much. But thanks to you, his memory lives strong!

Again, thank you all!

For two years, Jim Nance was not only the best back in the AFL, he was the best running back in football. The combination of power and speed was simply unmatched at the time, as the Pats season ticket holder mentions above. It's hard to fathom now how hard he ran and how feared he was, as he bulled his way through the line or around the ends and broke away from the pack. Richly deserved if belated.