Tag: Hall of Fame

Cowboys legend Drew Pearson is finally joining the Hall of Fame after being snubbed for so long

About time.

Cowboys legend Drew Pearson, now 70 years old, was a star for the Cowboys from 1973 to 1983. He was a three-time First Team All-Pro, a three-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl Champion. He was also named to the 1970’s All-Decade team.

Yet, somehow, he hadn’t been inducted into the Hall of Fame despite it having been literal decades since he’d last played. He’d been snubbed for years. Last year, he was devasted after missing it again and rightfully so.

This year, that wrong has been corrected. The legendary Cowboys wide receiver will be inducted into the Hall of Fame’s class of 2020.

He was stunned when he found out.

“I’m just stunned. I didn’t know what to expect coming here, not this, though. I’ve been waiting, you know, and finding out the vote had been in and all that. And I’m going crazy waiting and waiting….I promise I will live up to what the Hall of Fame is all about…I will live up to it the rest of my life. Now you’re giving me a chance at immortality.” 

Clearly, this really means a lot to him. As it should. Congrats to Peason. This is well deserved.

About time, NFL.

[jwplayer Q2ejkcS-q2aasYxh]

Peyton Manning elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the class of 2021.

Former University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the class of 2021.

Manning was the No. 1 overall pick by Indianapolis in the 1998 NFL draft.

The former Vol won two Super Bowls, one with the Colts and another with Denver. He appeared in the Super Bowl four times.

Feb 7, 2016; Santa Clara, CA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy after beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

During Manning’s NFL career, he totaled 71,940 passing yards, 539 passing touchdowns and 6,125 completions.

Manning played for Tennessee from 1994-97. He led the Volunteers to the 1997 Southeastern Conference championship.

“It’s a time of reflection for me, for how thankful I am for all of the people who have been a part of this journey,” Manning said. “It’s not a game or a throw that really jumps out to me that I think about. I think about the relationships with the fans, teammates, coaches, support staff and friends. Certainly, my time in Knoxville was a huge part of it.

“Throughout my entire career, I was always reminded of where I came from. When my dad was playing, in the program I always used to check to be sure that all the words were correct. … Fast forward 20 something years later, and I am in the NFL. I always checked it—whether I was an Indianapolis Colt or a Denver Bronco—and it always said ‘quarterback, 18, Peyton Manning, 6-5, 225 or 230 and it always said from the University of Tennessee, New Orleans, Louisiana.’ I always carried those places with me. Even though it’s the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I truly go in as a Colt, Bronco, Tennessee Volunteer and a Newman School graduate from New Orleans.”

[vertical-gallery id=36044]

John Lynch has great message upon finally making Hall of Fame after 8 years of waiting

Lynch was a Hall of Fame finalist for 8 straight years before finally getting the call, and it gave him some great perspective.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend John Lynch was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame after being a finalist for eight years, and his reaction — and the talk he gave after — was truly special.

When Lynch finally got the knock on his door, you can see him try to process it in real time. (Calvin Johnson had a similarly great reaction.)

What’s so cool about Lynch is that you can clearly tell he’s spent the last eight years convincing himself he doesn’t really care if he makes the Hall of Fame or not, and then can’t help but be relieved when he gets the call. But that leads to the talk he gives — he makes clear that it wasn’t going to change his life if he made it or not, but then pauses and says: “But this still feels pretty life-changing.”

It’s good perspective, but he’s honest enough to admit that, yeah, deep down this was important for him. I’m happy for the guy.

[lawrence-related id=994014]

Watch the amazing moment Calvin Johnson finds out he made the Hall of Fame

“I have tears on my face.”

One of the best traditions the NFL currently has is with regards to its Hall of Fame. While other leagues are content for a nice phone call, the NFL has gone full Publisher’s Clearinghouse with it, actually going to the players’ homes to surprise them and let them know about the honor.

It’s had great moments in the past, and this year is no different. One of my favorites of this year is when they surprised Calvin Johnson at home. You can see him go through the entire range of emotions in about sixteen seconds — first confusion why there’s a strange suited man at his door with a camera crew, followed by recognition and laughter, followed by tears, followed by sincere, beaming pride. It all happens in about 30 seconds.

Johnson was an all-time great wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, and if you ever feel like going down a rabbit hole on YouTube, just look up “Calvin Johnson best catches” and enjoy a couple hours.

Congratulations, Megatron.

[vertical-gallery id=992500]

New Orleanians Peyton Manning, Alan Faneca selected for HOF; Sam Mills overlooked again

The 2021 class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame included QB Peyton Manning and OL Alan Faneca, but overlooked Saints LB Sam Mills.

[jwplayer F57WSh1B-ThvAeFxT]

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 2021 class of inductees on Saturday night during the annual NFL Honors event, and it features several names familiar to Louisiana: quarterback Peyton Manning, who lost Super Bowl XLIV against the New Orleans Saints, and legendary LSU Tigers offensive lineman Alan Faneca. Other honorees include wide receiver Calvin Johnson, defensive back Charles Woodson, safety John Lynch, wide receiver Drew Pearson, coach Tom Flores, and contributor Bill Nunn.

Unfortunately, iconic Saints linebacker Sam Mills did not make the cut after again reaching the finalist stage. A leading member of the “Dome Patrol” defense, Mills was teammates with Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, and the late Vaughan Johnson. Mills himself passed in 2005 after helping found the Carolina Panthers as an expansion franchise, having turned to coaching after retirement as a player.

He’ll enter his 20th year of eligibility in 2021, but enshrinement may continue to elude him. He’s joined again by the great Clay Matthews as well as a list of first-time eligible players like DeMarcus Ware, Vince Wilfork, Steve Smith Sr., Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Robert Mathis, and Anquan Boldin. It’s a crowded field, and Mills’ supporters have an uphill battle ahead of them in making his case. Hopefully he gets in someday.

In the meantime, maybe the Saints can consider putting up a statue memorializing him, along with Jackson and their peers on the Dome Patrol? There’s plenty of room for it outside the Superdome.

[listicle id=35774]

Tony Boselli falls short of making 2021 Hall of Fame class

Jacksonville Jaguars legend Tony Boselli will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on day, but unfortunately that date won’t be in 2021. With this year marking his fifth time making it to the finalist tier, he fell short of making the 2021 …

Jacksonville Jaguars legend Tony Boselli will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on day, but unfortunately that date won’t be in 2021. With this year marking his fifth time making it to the finalist tier, he fell short of making the 2021 class.

Boselli was the Jags’ first ever draft selection in 1995 as he was taken second overall during the Jags’ inaugural season. He spent six seasons with the team before having a brief tenure with the Houston Texans.

While Boselli’s career was short (which is the knock against him by voters), he was named a first team All-Pro in his third, fourth, and fifth seasons (1997-99). Boselli was also voted into the Pro Bowl from his second to last seasons with the Jags (1996-2000). As a result of such dominance on the blindside, Boselli was also named to the All-Decade team for the 90s.

Boselli’s absence from the Hall-of-Fame will also leave the Jags absent from it as there are no Jags currently enshrined. That said, maybe 2022 will bring Boselli better luck, as well as Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith, who made the initial list of 130 modern-era nominees, too.

To see the full list of players who made the Hall-of-Fame class of 2021 are as follows:

DeMarcus Ware, Tony Romo headline 1st-year eligibles for 2022 Hall of Fame

The Cowboys will have three members inducted into the HoF this summer. Could more be on the way in 2022?

With the Pro Football Hall of Fame requiring candidates to be retired for at least five years before being considered for enshrinement, Saturday’s announcement for the Class of 2021 starts the clock for the next batch of eligibles. This year’s class had several easy decisions for inclusion; names such as Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson. Those three will be enshrined along with Alan Faneca and John Lynch as the modern-era enshrinees as well as former Cowboys star Drew Pearson, Bill Nunn and Tom Flores from the senior, contributor and coach committees, respectively.

Next year though, it figures to be a harder decision on the first timers, though the Cowboys have two of the more familiar names. Defensive stud DeMarcus Ware and quarterback Tony Romo are both in their first years of eligibility after retiring following the 2016 season.

Ware is a four-time First-Team All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler, who left Dallas after nine seasons to finish his career with the Denver Broncos. The move worked as Ware was a member of the 2015 world champions.

Ware’s career stats closely resemble those of Jared Allen, a first-year finalist this year, but stunted by the star-studded class. Ware has 138.5 career sacks to Allen’s 136 and has a slightly higher Career AV of 128 to Allen’s 125.

Pro-Football-Reference’s Hall of Fame Monitor ranks Ware as the ninth-best OLB, with a score of 95.33. The average Hall of Fame OLB’s score is 106.19.

Romo will have a much less likely chance of inclusion in his first year or any year. His career was hampered by injuries and a lack of postseason wins is normally a death knell for the chances of most quarterbacks in the game. His role as the league’s best and brightest color commentator could lead to an eventual induction though as an overall contributor to the game.

Still, his career was impressive with over 34,000 passing yards and a lifetime 97.1 passer rating.  Romo’s post-career ceiling is likely going to be the Cowboys Ring of Honor, an honor fans will likely see given to Ware this coming fall.

Owner Jerry Jones believes the honor is a prerequisite for Cowboys players making it to the Hall of Fame and it will be interesting to see if Ware is added along with long-time safety Darren Woodson, who reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame Semifinalist round for the second time in 2021.

Other first-year eligibles in 2022 include WR Andre Johnson, WR Anquan Boldin, WR Steve Smith and DL Vince Wilfork.

[lawrence-related id=663116][listicle id=663009][lawrence-newsletter]

Meet The 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the members of their 2021 class, including Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson and Charles Woodson.

Today was “Selection Saturday” for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee. The 48 members meet annually on the Saturday before the Super Bowl to debate over the finalists, and this year there were 15 modern-era finalists, along with three additional nominees in Bill Nunn (Contributor Finalist), Tom Flores (Coach Finalist) and Drew Pearson (Senior Finalist).

Here is the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class

Calvin Johnson elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former Detroit Lions’ wide receiver Calvin Johnson has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 class.

Former Detroit Lions’ wide receiver Calvin Johnson has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 class.

In addition to the Free Press’ Dave Birkett presenting Johnson’s resume to PFHOF voters, the Lions put together a wonderful “Case for Calvin” packet, illustrating why Johnson, despite this being his first opportunity for PFHOF consideration, did enough during his career that he should be honored in Canton.

Over Johnson’s nine seasons in Detroit, he achieved several notable accomplishments. Johnson holds 11 franchise records, including receptions (731), receiving yards (11,619), receiving touchdowns (83), and most average receiving yards per game (86.1).

Some of Johnson’s league-wide accomplishments include NFL receiving yards leader (2011 and 2012), NFL receptions leader (2012), NFL receiving touchdowns leader (2008), most receiving yards in a season (1,964), most receiving yards per game in a season (122.8) • highest receiving average in a season with 100 or more receptions (16.1), and most receiving yards through regulation of a game (329), which you can relive in the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i4XkN0CXbs

Additionally, Johnson was a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, was a six-time Pro Bowl Selection, four-time All-Pro selection, three-Time AP First-Team All-Pro, and was voted the second-best player in the league in 2014:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXLcDvwV7u8

In the Lions’ Case for Calvin packet, they reached out to some of the elite cornerbacks who faced off against Johnson, to get their perspective on what makes Johnson a deserving candidate in the PFHOF.

Here is a sampling of some of those quotes:

“I will always remember him as one of the only receivers for whom we had to tweak our game plans because none of us realistically could manage him alone. Calvin changed the way teams drafted defensive backs, and his play helped revolutionize the style of play and demands expected of wide receivers forever.” — Ronde Barber

“The guy has just been an unstoppable force year-in and year-out. Every time he was on the field, you had to know where he was. Calvin is a transcending player and did a lot of great things for this League.” — Patrick Peterson

“Calvin Johnson deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because he’s a once in a lifetime, generational talent.” — Richard Sherman

“Size, speed, quickness, ball skills, physical, great hands, and he was great mentally. I remember knowing what he was going to do and still not being able to stop it because of his attributes.” — Aqib Talib

“Calvin was rare in the fact that he was one of a few guys that had his size, length, height, speed and body control to be able to put it all together and make it work. That’s how you get the name Megatron.” — Charles Woodson

“He was built like a tight end, but he could run routes just like a little guy. For a guy to be that big, it’s kind of rare. In the Madden games, you can create a player, and I’ve said this many times; he is, in my opinion, the LeBron James of football.” — Charles “Peanut Tillman

Tillman also wrote an open letter to Johnson after retirement and collaborated with NFL Films to produce the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bto008kchnk

We at Lions Wire thoroughly enjoyed every second of Calvin Johnson’s career and wish to extend our heartfelt congratulations on his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Watch: Career highlights of Hall of Famer Charles Woodson

Watch a 15-minute highlight video of new Hall of Fame DB Charles Woodson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yB0KobIel4

Former Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers defensive back Charles Woodson is now a Hall of Famer.

The nine-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro was announced as a member of the Hall of Fame Class in 2021 on Saturday.

You can relive Woodson’s incredible NFL career in the 15-minute video above. The highlight package includes all the memorable moments of the journey that led Woodson to Canton and made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Woodson was a Heisman Trophy winner and national champion at Michigan and the fourth overall pick in the 1998 draft. In the NFL, he intercepted 65 passes, forced 33 fumbles, tallied 20 sacks and scored 13 defensive touchdowns. He was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1998, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, a Super Bowl champion in 2010 and the league’s interception leader in 2009 and 2011.

[lawrence-related id=45393,26576,3457]