By: Matt
This weekend the NFL Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009 was inducted. Each member made significant contributions to both the NFL and their teams. This article profiles each of the honorees.
Derrick Thomas – As a member of the Kansas City Chief’s during the 1990’s Derrick Thomas was, arguably, the most feared linebacker in the NFL. Thomas was a nightmare for quarterbacks around the league, he set the single game record for sacks when he took down the Seattle Seahawks signal-caller 7 times. In addition to setting the record, Thomas is really the only player to challenge this record: he almost recorded and 8th sack in the game where he set the record and two years later had 6 in the 3rd quarter before being benched in the blowout victory over the Raiders. Thomas made the Pro-Bowl in 9 of his 11 seasons and was taken tragically from the NFL when, at the age of 31, he died in a car crash.
Bob Hayes – At the time of his NFL career, “Bullet” Bob Hayes was not only the fastest player in the NFL but also the fastest man alive. An Olympic gold-medal winner, Hayes was critical to the infusion of speed into football in the 1970’s. As a member of the Dallas Cowboys during the 60’s and 70’s Hayes was the teams top receiver during both of the Cowboy’s NFL Championship losses to the Packers, one of which was the legendary ice bowl, their Super Bowl 5 loss and 1971 Super Bowl Victory. Widely regarded as one of the most dangerous players in football, the delay in Hayes’ enshrinement is the result of a drug-dealing bust during his post-career life.
Bruce Smith – The defensive anchor of a Buffalo Bills team that went to 4 consecutive Super Bowls during the early 90’s, Bruce Smith is one of the greatest defensive lineman of all-time. While he was not the biggest, fastest, or strongest DE of all time, Smith is the greatest statistical pass rusher of all time, holding a record 200 career sacks. Smith was the defensive anchor of a Bills team known for its plethora of stars, a list that includes Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Cornelius Bennett. Smith is an 11-time all-pro who recorded over 10 sacks in a record 13 seasons.
Rod Woodson – One of the greatest cornerbacks of all-time, Rod Woodson is 17-year veteran who played in two Super Bowls for the Steelers and Ravens. Throughout his career Woodson was a terror too quarterbacks, often shutting down an entire half of the field and eliminating team’s best receivers. Woodson is 2nd all-time in career sacks with 71 and holds the record for interception returns for touchdowns, 12. Woodson’s lengthy career seemed unlikely in the mid 90’s when he suffered a severe knee injury that would have ended the career of a lesser player. Woodson recovered and went on to continue playing for nearly a decade.
Randall McDaniel – An elite guard, Randall McDaniel anchored the Minnesota Vikings offensive line for over a decade. A smart player, McDaniel was equally effective at blocking speed rushers as he was at blocking power rushers. McDaniel was an elite guard for his entire career, playing in 11 Pro-Bowls, making the All-Pro roster 9 times, and starting in 202 consecutive games and 13 playoff games.
Ralph Wilson Jr. – The owner of the Buffalo Bills for nearly half a century, Ralph Wilson Jr, has been one of the NFL’s greatest owners throughout his reign. The Bills have often been a competitive team with elite NFL talent. In the 70’s the Bills had OJ Simpson, one of the most prolific running backs in league history, and the 90’s Bills made it to a record 4 consecutive Super Bowls. Wilson was instrumental to the AFL-NFL merger that created the Super Bowl and helped to make football the most popular sport in America. Wilson has also preserved a good relationship with Buffalo, one of the league’s smaller markets. While Wilson has started to play games in Canada, has kept his team in Buffalo, avoiding the infamy received by former owners Art Model and Jim Irsay, who moved their teams from Cleveland and Baltimore respectively.
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