Pro Football Hall-of-Fame voters this month fill out ballots for the NFL’s 2010-19 all decade team, and maybe you’re thinking: “Yeah, well, so what?” So it’s an election that’s more important for some positions than others.

And offensive line is one of those positions.

If you played center, guard or center and are a modern-era candidate (meaning someone who played most of his career after 1960) but were not all-decade, the message from Canton is pretty clear: You need not apply.

Think I’m exaggerating? Afraid not. There are 43 offensive linemen in the Hall who played the bulk of their careers within the past 60 years … or from 1960 and beyond. Of that group, only six are not all-decade picks. OK, that’s 14 percent, and not all that bad … except that three of them were All-AFL choices (Ron Mix, Jim Otto and Billy Shaw) and exempt from NFL all-decade teams.

That leaves us with three Hall of Famers, which takes our percentage down to seven … except that one of those three (center Mick Tingelhoff) was a senior inductee. Which means that of all the offensive linemen who were modern-era candidates and who played the majority of their NFL careers after 1960 ... but were not all-decade selections ... only two made it to Canton.

Former Rams’ tackle Jackie Slater and guard Tom Mack.

Slater not only made it; he was a first-ballot choice. But he’s the exception. Guys like Chris Hinton, Lomas Brown, Mike Kenn, George Kunz and Reuben Brown are more the rule – decorated offensive linemen who weren’t named to all-decade teams and who now wonder when/if Canton ever calls. As Tingelhoff demonstrated, it’s still possible as a senior … but the wait can be long.

It took Tingelhoff 37 years after retirement to be enshrined.

I mention that because the Hall just welcomed former wide receiver Isaac Bruce to the Class of 2020. No doubt, he’s deserving. But he was not an all-decade choice. Nor was safety John Lynch, who’s been a Hall-of-Fame finalist the past seven years, including four as a Top-10 finisher. Lynch was named to nine Pro Bowls, more than any safety other than Ken Houston (12). But so was Reuben Brown, and you know how many times he’s been a Hall-of-Fame finalist?

Zilch.

Kunz was named to eight Pro Bowls, Hinton and Lomas Brown to seven and Kenn to five. Know how many times they’ve been Hall-of-Fame finalists? The same number as Brown. Worse, only Hinton and Kenn have been semifinalists … a total of four times together.

By contrast, four of the last five modern-era quarterbacks enshrined in Canton weren’t all-decade picks.

But even if you were all-decade, offensive linemen have an uphill climb. Jimbo Covert is a first-team 1980s’ all-decade tackle, yet it took a special election of the Hall’s Centennial Class committee to get him to Canton this year. Moreover, there are eight members of second-team offenses from the 1980s’ and ‘90s’ all-decade squads not in Canton, and all but two are offensive linemen.

Heck, guard Alan Faneca was a nine-time Pro Bowler, eight-time All-Pro, 2000s’ all-decade first teamer and Super Bowl champion, and he’s still not in Canton. He will be, and, in all likelihood, it’ll be next year. But he’s been passed over five times. Name a wide receiver, running back or quarterback with those credentials that would wait five or six years to be elected.

You can’t.

A friend of mine once told me that all-decade accolades aren’t the big deal that some of us make them out to be, and maybe he’s right. But not when it comes to offensive linemen.

Follow on Twitter @ClarkJudgeTOF