When Chuck Foreman shows up as a substitute teacher in Bloomington, his students already know plenty about him.

Some have read about him on the Internet and watched highlights of the running back starring for the Vikings during the 1970s. They often state their approval when class begins.

“They say things like, ‘Mr. Foreman, you’re the real deal,”’ said Foreman, who primarily serves as a substitute for middle and high schools.

They also sometimes ask why Foreman isn’t in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. To him, that’s long been a mystifying question.

“There’s no question I should be in the Hall of Fame, ” said Foreman, 64, who lives in Eden Prairie and also runs a commercial cleaning service. “I know I’m deserving, and I should be in there.”

One of these days, Foreman might stop being asked why there’s not a bust of him in Canton, Ohio. After years of Foreman getting little consideration for the hall, that could be changing thanks in part to a longtime Minnesota fan named Tom Moore.

Just as Foreman with the Vikings once had decorated linemen Ron Yary, Mick Tingelhoff and Ed White helping pave the way, he now has Moore. The 50-year-old, who lives in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas, is on a crusade to get Foreman into the Hall.

Along with Twin Cities resident Mike Olson, Moore began the website Vikefans.com in October 2012. About a year later, Moore, who travels plenty as a sales vice president for Dun & Bradstreet, began a project that gave him something to do during all the time spent in hotel rooms.

Moore, a Minnesota native who moved to Texas when he was 4, had became a Vikings fan when he was 8 in 1972. He remembers his mother sending away for a Foreman autographed picture in the 1970s and getting one.

Moore long had believed Foreman was worthy of the hall of fame. He decided to come up with numbers to prove it.

From the fall of 2013 until the spring of 2014, Moore estimates he spent about 300 hours putting together an elaborate 18-page document on how Foreman’s numbers stack up to greats of the game. He also produced a slick 11-minute video.

After playing for the Vikings from 1973-79 and finishing up with New England in 1980, Foreman was bypassed by the hall during his two decades as a regular candidate starting with the class of 1986. He now is eligible for consideration only by the Seniors Committee.

So Moore last year sent his spiel to the nine members of the Seniors Committee. That’s the group that last year nominated Tingelhoff, and the center was elected to the hall last January and will be inducted in August.

“Mick Tingelhoff was getting consideration and (former Vikings defensive end) Jim Marshall was getting some,” Moore said about starting his quest. “But Marshall is a little harder to get in the hall of fame because he was only a Pro Bowler (twice). We realized there were two guys who weren’t getting any consideration, Chuck Foreman and (guard) Ed White, and that if we didn’t push them, they would never get consideration.”

For now, Moore, with some help from a half-dozen volunteers, has set his sights on getting Foreman to Canton. For Foreman to be regarded as a serious candidate, Moore knows he must be looked at as a multi-purpose back, so his statistical information is geared to that.

Foreman’s career rushing total of 5,950 yards isn’t overly impressive compared to other hall of fame backs, but looking much better is the 9,106 yards he gained from scrimmage. Foreman, considered one of the best pass-catching backs in NFL history, had 350 career receptions for 3,156 yards and in 1975 led the NFL in receiving. Of his 76 career touchdowns, 53 came on the ground and 23 through the air.

Moore said the day he emailed his information, he was contacted by Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News, head of the Seniors Committee. Gosselin said the committee already was far down the road on the likelihood of nominating Tingelhoff and didn’t see much hope for Foreman for the class of 2015, but he offered some down-the-road optimism.

Gosselin said he long has been a supporter of Foreman, a five-time Pro Bowl selection. As for others on his committee, he said Moore’s research could lead to some seeing the running back in a different light.

“He needs to be discussed, and he deserves to be discussed,” Gosselin said. “I would like to see Chuck Foreman discussed because of the completeness of his game… To me, he’s the best running back not in the hall of fame. …. (Moore’s work) was very extensive, and if you’re on the fence you would think it would encourage you to become a proponent of Chuck Foreman.”

Gosselin said each year Seniors Committee members get a list of about 50 candidates and vote on them. The list is pared to 15, and those players are discussed and voted upon in August by five committee members who meet in Canton.

This will be the second year of a five-year period in which the Senior and Contributor committees alternate between being allowed one or two nominees. The Senior Committee will have two nominees for the class of 2016 who will become among 15 finalists voted upon next February by the overall 46-person committee.

Gosselin doesn’t see much hope for Foreman in the next class because it’s doubtful the Seniors Committee would want to follow Tingelhoff with a player from the same team. However, Gosselin is hopeful Foreman will be discussed extensively in upcoming years and a thorough evaluation be made of his credentials.

“I have no choice but to wait,” Foreman said. “I’ve been waiting all these years. But I don’t know what difference it makes just because a Viking got in (for 2015). I’m glad Mick is getting in, but if you’re qualified, if you have the numbers, how can you keep a guy out?”

Foreman at least is flattered to have Moore trying to spin the numbers in his favor. Foreman first heard from Moore in 2013, when a call was set up by Foreman’s son, Jay, an NFL linebacker from 1999-2006.

Foreman and Moore met for the first and only time at Vikings training camp last summer in Mankato. But they’ve developed a relationship in which they talk on the phone about once a week, sometimes not even about football.

“(Moore) did a lot of work to come up with this, and I’m grateful,” Foreman said. “(The statistics are) phenomenal. … They are guys that have more rushing yardage than me, but what difference does it make if you get 100 yards rushing a game or 100 yards rushing and receiving? Sometimes with running backs they just measure you by the rushing numbers.”

Moore pored over box scores at ProFootballReference.com for hours and hours to come up with statistics comparing Foreman as a multi-purpose back to other top backs. He compared him in some instances with all other hall of famers and other times just with backs from his era.

What he came up with includes:

— Foreman ranks second in career points per start (5.43), behind only Jim Brown, when compared to the top 20 NFL rushers in the hall of fame.

— Foreman ranks seventh in combined rushing and receiving yards per NFL start (108.41) when compared to the above 20 backs.

— Foreman ranks third in combined rushing and receiving yards per NFL start, behind only Walter Payton and O.J. Simpson, when compared to nine hall of fame backs from his era.

— Foreman ranks second behind only Payton in both receptions and receiving yards when compared to hall of fame backs from his era.

Foreman expressed surprise when he saw some of Moore’s statistics. He didn’t realize, for instance, he was the fastest player in NFL history to score 50 touchdowns.

“I look at (the statistics) and say, ‘I’m not that bad at all,”’ Foreman said with a laugh. “It’s good for the ego.”

Also surprised after seeing Moore’s numbers was Yary. The tackle made seven Pro Bowls starring for the Vikings from 1968-81.

“I knew he was pretty good, but I didn’t realize he was this good,” Yary said.

Yary believes Foreman should join him in the hall of fame. He said it should be taken into consideration that Foreman played behind a line not as good as some might think.

“I’m just telling you the truth, we had a very good offensive line, but we didn’t have a great offensive line,” Yary said.

Yary noted that Tingelhoff, who played from 1962-78 and was named to his last of six Pro Bowls in 1969, was 33 when Foreman arrived and on the downside of his career. He pointed out White was traded to San Diego after making the Pro Bowl with the Vikings from 1975-77, and Foreman said that played a role in his decline.

After making the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons and having all three of his 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 1975-77, Foreman fell off considerably. Foreman rushed for 749 yards in 1978 and just 223 as a role player during his final Minnesota season of 1979. He was traded to New England and ran for a meager 63 yards at age 30 in 1980 before retiring.

“I got my knee hurt a little bit (in 1978) and then I came back, but I wasn’t the same running back that I was,” Foreman said. “You get worn out.”

Foreman’s hall of fame detractors point to a lack of career longevity, a so-so career rushing average of 3.8 yards per carry and his lack of Super Bowl success. In three Super Bowls, Foreman carried 36 times for just 80 yards, and the Vikings lost them all while being outscored 72-27.

“The biggest part (of Foreman not in the hall) is they didn’t win a Super Bowl,” Gosselin said. “That’s been working against all the Vikings. … Of everybody in Canton, 68 percent have a Super Bowl ring. Like it or not, winning championships does come into play.”

Still, Foreman believes it should count for plenty at least getting to the big game.

“During my time, I don’t think there was a more dominant back,” Foreman said. “O.J. was unique but (his Buffalo Bills) didn’t win anything. … You’ve got to look at where a team was before and after someone got there. I think I was the last perfect piece for the Vikings. They were 7-7 (in 1972) before I got there.”

After Foreman arrived, the Vikings made the Super Bowl in three of his first four seasons. They went 45-10-1 during the regular season during that period.

“He was a great boost for us,” said hall of fame defensive end Carl Eller. “He was very dangerous and a very elusive back running and receiving. I think he should be in the hall of fame.”

Also not helping Foreman’s hall cause has been some of the huge numbers running backs have put up since he retired. The NFL went from a 14- to a 16-game regular-season schedule in 1978. The game opened up more offensively, and many teams went primarily to one back getting the great bulk of carries.

One back from Foreman’s era who recently made the hall of fame with similar statistics was Floyd Little, who played for Denver from 1967-75 and was inducted in 2010 after being a Seniors nominee. Little rushed for 6,323 yards, had 2,418 receiving yards and was a punt and kickoff return threat. But he had just one 1,000-yard rushing season, never appeared in a playoff game, and two of his five “Pro Bowl” appearances were in the AFL All-Star Game.

“I look at it that my numbers are better and I played in three Super Bowls,” Foreman said. “If (Little) is in, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be in.”

Foreman and Moore figure Little having been inducted should help Foreman’s cause. In fact, Moore gained some motivation to assist Foreman after seeing how a fan helped Little.

A man by the name of Tom Mackie, who grew up idolizing Little, sent materials on him for several years to hall of fame voters, and Mackie has received some credit for Little’s induction. Moore talked to Mackie before beginning his quest.

Moore is prepared to be patient. He realizes Tingelhoff’s induction this year makes it unlikely there will be one for Foreman in 2016.

“I think maybe five years,” Moore said of how long he realistically is willing to wait. “If he doesn’t get serious consideration by then, something is not quite right.”

In the meantime, the questions will continue to come from middle and high school students about why Foreman isn’t in the hall of fame. All he can tell them now is he doesn’t know.

Follow Chris Tomasson at twitter.com/christomasson

FOREMAN VS. THE GREATS

A look at how Chuck Foreman ranks in various categories according to statistics compiled by Tom Moore:

POINTS PER START

How Foreman ranks against hall of fame running backs in points per start:

Rank Name Points/Start

1. Jim Brown 6.41

2. Chuck Foreman 5.43

3. Marshall Faulk 5.23

4. Marcus Allen 5.18

5. Gale Sayers 4.94

YARDS PER START

How Foreman ranks against hall of fame running backs from his era in yards from scrimmage per start:

Rank Name Yards Gained/Start

1. Walter Payton 115.57

2. O.J. Simpson 115.33

3. Chuck Foreman 108.41

4. Earl Campbell 100.13

5. Floyd Little 93.99

RECEIVING YARDS

How Foreman ranks against hall of fame running backs from his era in career receiving yards:

Rank Name Receiving Yards

1. Walter Payton 4,538

2. Chuck Foreman 3,156

3. Floyd Little 2,418

4. Franco Harris 2,287

5. Leroy Kelly 2,281