Why is Mike Alstott not in the Hall of Fame?
Lily Fisher
Published Feb 25, 2026
Mike Alstott is an American former professional football player.
He played as a fullback in the National Football League for 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Born in Joliet, Illinois, Alstott played collegiate football at Purdue from 1992 to 1995.
He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft and stayed with the team until 2007.
Following his retirement in early 2008, Alstott started coaching Pop Warner and Rec league ball. He then served as the head coach for the Northside Christian Mustangs in St. Petersburg, Florida from 2012 to 2022.
Due to his accomplishments in Tampa Bay, Alstott was inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium in October 2015.
Why is Mike Alstott not in the Hall of Fame?
Mike Alstott is not in the Hall of Fame because the Hall of Fame does not recognize the fullback position.
Even though he rushed for 5,088 yards and had over 2,000 receiving yards he will likely be looked at as merely a fullback and therefore not worthy of induction.
The last fullback to get enshrined into the Hall of Fame was Larry Csonka in 1987.