Tag: Walter Payton

51 Pro Football Hall of Famers from small schools

51 Pro Football Hall of Famers from small schools

51 Pro Football Hall of Famers from small schools

There have been a number of players from small schools that have gone on to careers as Pro Football Hall of Famers.

The route to Canton doesn’t always go through big-time college football. These players went to small schools and still found a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Great thanks to the HOF for its wonderful bio info.

Larry Allen

Getty Images

Larry Allen began his college football career at Butte Junior College in Oroville, Calif. before transferring to Sonoma State, a Division II school near San Francisco. He quickly developed a reputation as a dominant lineman and his stock rose among NFL scouts. The Dallas Cowboys used their second-round pick, 46th player overall, in 1994 on Allen, who became a 10-time Pro Bowler and seven-time All-Pro.

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Matt Suhey will introduce Bears Hall of Famer Jimbo Covert

Jimbo Covert chose former Bears running back Matt Suhey to introduce him into the Hall of Fame, as a way to also honor Walter Payton.

No one has more Hall of Famers than the Chicago Bears. And they’re going to gain two more members this year.

Offensive lineman Jimbo Covert and defensive end/linebacker Ed Sprinkle are among 10 senior inductees — all of whom last played in the NFL more than 25 years ago — that will be inducted into the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

To celebrate the league’s storied 100-year history, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will feature a special centennial class, which features 20 inductees. Ten of those are senior inductees.

“I’ve been on Cloud Nine for two weeks,” Covert told the Sun-Times. “It’s been a lot of fun. Phone calls, texts—it’s been really cool.”

Covert, the sixth overall pick the 1983 NFL Draft, was a cornerstone of a Bears offensive line that led the NFL in rushing for four consecutive seasons from 1983-1986 with all-time great Walter Payton. Covert played his entire nine-year career with the Bears, during which he was a two-time All-Pro selection, a member of the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team and a Super Bowl XX champion.

While Covert has already been involved with the creation of his Hall of Fame bust, he also made the decision to reach out to a former teammate to introduce him at his induction.

Covert chose former Bears running back Matt Suhey to introduce him, as a way to honor another teammate.

“I think it’s appropriate,” Covert said. “Him and Walter [Payton] were such good friends, and it feels like both of them are going to do it together. It’s a great thing.”

With the additions of Covert and Sprinkle, the Bears have 30 Hall of Famers, which continues to be the most in NFL history.

Cordarrelle Patterson talks Bears kick-returner legacy at Pro Bowl

The Bears have a rich legacy of kick returners in their 100-year history, and Cordarrelle Patterson is the latest.

For a franchise known for its linebackers and running backs, the Chicago Bears have a rich legacy of kick returners in their 100-year history. From George McAfee to Gale Sayers to Walter Payton to Jerry Azumah to Danieal Manning to Devin Hester, there is no NFL team with a richer history of kick returners.

Cordarrelle Patterson is the latest in a long line of successful kick returners in Chicago. But Patterson doesn’t consider himself up there with two of the greatest returners of all-time: Hester or Sayers.

“It’s a blessing, but I’m just trying to do my job,” Patterson said. “I would never be as great as Devin Hester or Gale Sayers. I just try to do my job each and every day, and it’s just an honor to play on the same field those guys played on.”

Hester and Sayers are two of the best returners in NFL history — and Hester is the greatest ever. But still, Patterson’s career as a kick returner isn’t something to turn your head at.

Patterson, who has earned three Pro Bowl nods, ranks second all-time with a 29.9-yard kickoff return average. He has seven career kick return touchdowns, which is the third most in NFL history, just one behind co-leaders Leon Washington and Josh Cribbs.

Patterson was one of the few bright spots in the Bears’ disappointing 2019 season. In his first year in Chicago, Patterson finished second in the NFL with a 29.5-yard average on 28 kickoff returns, one of which was a 102-yard touchdown against the Saints. He also led the league with 825 kick-return yards.

“There aren’t many guys who are 6-2, 6-3, 220 [pounds], run 4.3 and can cut on a dime,” Patriots special-teams standout Matthew Slater said. “God didn’t make too many of those guys.

“I think you couple that with the fact that he’s so aggressive when he gets out of there with the ball in his hands. He wants to make plays. He loves the game. He’s there for his teammates. I can’t say enough good things about him. His skillset and who he is as a person I think has led him to being arguably one of the best returners in the 100-year history of the game. I sure wish he was still with us and not with [the Bears].”

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Notre Dame Football: Tight End U Product Up for Man of the Year Award

But it’s something much bigger than football that has Kyle Rudolph in the headlines this week.

Kyle Rudolph was one of many Notre Dame tight ends in recent memory to go from playing under the golden dome to playing on Sunday.

Since his NFL career began in 2011 he’s caught more than 420 balls for over 4000 yards and 47 touchdowns. He’s been a mainstay with the Minnesota Vikings for almost a decade now and will be headed to the playoffs this January for the fourth time in his career.

But it’s something much bigger than football that has Kyle Rudolph in the headlines this week.

As successful of career as he’s had, snagging first down and touchdown receptions like they’re going out of style, Rudolph may very-well go down being remembered more for his contributions off the field, which is saying something because he’s one helluva football player, too.

Rudolph was nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for the third time in his career this past Thursday.

I have no doubt if we were to examine the nominees from all 32 teams we would find 32 inspiring stories worthy of praise.

But since this websites name is Fighting Irish Wire, why don’t we take a look at exactly what Rudolph has done to again earn a nominee.

Here is the video the Vikings came up with last season. Honestly if he didn’t win it after this I don’t know how he ever will but it’s that good so take the seven or so minutes and watch this:

Then here is the video they used this year – clearly an incredible job using his platform to better the cause for the less fortunate.

Every nominee will receive up to $50,000 for a charity of their choice will the eventual winner will receive $250,000 to go to their desired charity.

For information on all 32 nominees you can check out the NFL website who has compiled all of the information.

The winner will be announced at the NFL Awards Show on the eve of Super Bowl LIV.

Mike Evans nominated for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has been named a nominee for this year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without their star wide receiver Mike Evans for the rest of the year due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 14’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Fortunately, Evans hasn’t just been making a difference on the field this season. He’s been doing great work off it, too, which is why he is the Bucs’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

See the list of full nominees above. The award will be presented at the annual NFL Honors on the eve of Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

For what it’s worth, Evans appreciated the love his fellow teammate Shaq Barrett showed him on Twitter.

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Malcolm Jenkins named the Eagles’ nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year

Malcolm Jenkins named the Eagles’ nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year

NFL award season is starting and the NFL just announced this year’s nominees for The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide/

The award honors players who have not only exhibited excellence on-the-field but whose passion to impact lives extends beyond the game. Chris Long was the previous nominee and winner for the Eagles and in 2019, safety and team captain, Malcolm Jenkins is the Philadelphia Eagles’ Walter Payton, Man of the Year Award nominee for the 2019 season, according to an official announcement from the NFL.

“Winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for me would be a huge honor and a way to acknowledge the work of everyone else who has allowed The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation to be what it is,” Jenkins told PhiladelphiaEagles.com. “And that’s every volunteer, every person that we’ve been able to engage within the community, every partner, every sponsor, my wonderful board, who has been with us from the beginning, allowing us to operate in four different states.”

Jenkins was previously nominated during the 2017 season but did not win. Long was the winner for the 2018 season.
A
ll 32 nominees will receive a donation of up to $50,000 in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.

This season’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner will be announced during NFL Honors on February 1, the night before Super Bowl LIV.

Panthers nominate Cam Newton for Walter Payton Man of the Year

The Carolina Panthers have named quarterback Cam Newton their nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for 2019.

The Carolina Panthers have named quarterback Cam Newton their nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for 2019. In honor of the deceased Chicago Bears legendary running back, the award was established to honor the community service work of players around the NFL.

Newton has never gotten much attention for his charities and other forms of community outreach. From youth football programs to educational grants, Newton’s foundation has done a great deal of good since its inception in 2012. It’s past time Cam got some national media recognition in this area.

Last year, former Eagles defensive end Chris Long earned the honor. Linebacker Thomas Davis won the award for the Panthers in 2014.

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Bears legends Walter Payton, Gale Sayers named to NFL 100’s All-Time Team

Two Hall of Fame Bears running backs were named to the NFL’s All-Time Team.

As the NFL continues its celebration of its centennial season, they’re continuing to honor some of the greatest moments and players of the last 100 years.

It’s no surprise that two Chicago Bears — Walter Payton and Gale Sayers — were named to the team, considering their two of the best to ever play the game. But two other Bears Hall of Fame running backs, Bronko Nagurski and Red Grange, didn’t make the list.

Payton was among two running backs named unanimously to the All-Time team (Jim Brown was the other). Both Payton and Sayers also made the 75th edition of the All-Time list.

The 10 other running backs named to the NFL’s All-Time Team included Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, Dutch Clark, Erick Dickerson, Lenny Moore, Marion Motley, Barry Sanders, O.J. Simpson, Emmitt Smith and Steve Van Buren.

Where do 1985 Bears rank among NFL’s greatest teams?

NFL Network continued its countdown of the greatest teams in league history, and the 1985 Bears landed just outside the top spot.

NFL Network continued its countdown of the 100 greatest teams in NFL history. The Chicago Bears had nine teams that made the list from Nos. 31-100.

When discussing the greatest teams of all time, you can’t leave out the 1985 Bears, who 34 years later are still revered for their sheer dominance.

The ’85 Bears were a team of destiny. They had the most dominant defense in NFL history, as well as arguably the best running back of all time, Walter Payton.

The Bears were near perfect (minus a loss to the Miami Dolphins) and continued that show of dominance in the postseason with back-to-back shutouts of the New York Giants (21-0) and Los Angeles Rams (24-0) before destroying the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.

Many consider them to be the greatest NFL team of all time. But not NFL Network, which ranked the ’85 Bears as the second-greatest team in league history.

The only team that ranked ahead of them on the list? The 1972 Miami Dolphins, who remain the only undefeated team in NFL history.

But when discussing the greatest teams in history, it’s not just about the stats. It’s about the impact.

And you can’t deny the impact of the ’85 Bears.

Who knows what could’ve been if Buddy Ryan had stayed as defensive coordinator in Chicago? Or if Jim McMahon had stayed healthy? Who knows what this group of guys could have accomplished in another one, two, three seasons? What if?

But that’s what made this team so special. For one moment, they shone brighter than any star in the galaxy. And then that light was gone. But that team’s impact has never faded.

For the ’85 Bears, it’s not about what could’ve been, it’s about what was accomplished. And boy, did they leave their mark.

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