During the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend earlier this month, Hall of Fame guard Billy Shaw of the Buffalo Bills was asked what former AFL players should be enshrined in Canton.

After suggesting a couple of his former Buffalo teammates, Shaw, unprompted, named an opponent without any hesitation:

Safety Johnny Robinson.

But Robinson, a member of the all-time all-AFL team with the Dallas Texans and Chiefs, and former Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor were passed over by the Hall of Fame Seniors Committee on Tuesday.

Cornerback Dick LeBeau and running back Floyd Little were nominated as finalists for the Class of 2010. LeBeau is a shoo-in to be elected. Little has a chance.

There has been a major groundswell of support for LeBeau, who has spent the last 50 years in football _ 14 as a star cornerback for the Detroit Lions and 36 as a coach. LeBeau intercepted a Lions franchise-record 62 passes, which ranked third all-time in NFL history at the time of his retirement following the 1972 season and still ranks seventh all-time today.

As a coach, LeBeau is credited with devising the zone blitz, and he was defensive coordinator for the last two Super Bowl-champion Pittsburgh Steelers teams.

Little was a darn good running back for some terrible Denver Broncos teams.

Little, a five-time Pro Bowl pick, amassed more than 12,000 all-purpose yards during his career from 1967 to 1975. In all, he gained 6,323 yards on 1,641 career carries and scored 43 touchdowns. He added 215 receptions for 2,418 yards and 9 TDs. In 1971, he became the first player in Broncos history to rush for 1,000 yards when he won the NFL’s rushing crown.

But it’s a shame Robinson and Taylor (not to mention guard Ed Budde, another member of the all-time all-AFL team) keep getting overlooked.

Robinson played both halfback and safety, and his 43 interceptions ranked third in AFL history. He led the AFL with 10 interceptions in 1966 and led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 1970. And he played an integral role on two Super Bowl teams, including the Super Bowl IV champions.

And Taylor, who authored the game-breaking, signature touchdown catch in Super Bowl IV, was one of the first of his kind at wide receiver and his combination of size and speed was the prototype for the next generation of receivers.

While Len Dawson is certainly deserving of his place in Canton, I’ve always wondered who the voters thought Dawson was throwing to. The Chiefs were built on defense, running and kicking, but when Dawson needed a big completion, Taylor was his go-to target.

It’s understandable that another Chiefs player won’t be headed to Canton in 2010 because cornerback Emmitt Thomas was nominated by the Seniors Committee and inducted in 2008, and linebacker Derrick Thomas finally was enshrined in 2009.

But hopefully Robinson and Taylor receive their well-deserved honor one day while they can enjoy it.