Bruce Smith was a dominant player during his 19 playing seasons with the Buffalo Bills (1985-1999) and the Washington Redskins (2000-03). His speed and strength made him one of the most feared defensive ends in the modern game. Teams routinely double, if not triple-teamed him.
The first player selected in the 1985 NFL Draft, Bruce quickly established himself as a starter on the Bills defensive line. Named the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year by the NFL Players Association, he went on to be named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1990 and 1996 and the AFC Defensive Player …read more

The Kansas City Chiefs selected linebacker Derrick Thomas as the fourth player overall in the 1989 National Football League Draft. A consensus All-America and Dick Butkus Award winner at Alabama, Derrick excelled as a pass rusher who set the school record for sacks. His pass rushing specialty continued on the professional level as he recorded 10 sacks as a rookie for the Chiefs in 1989. He also added 75 tackles that season to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Following the season, Derrick was named to the first of nine straight Pro Bowls.
No player had more sacks during the …read more

Rod Woodson did it all during his college career at Purdue. He played running back and wide receiver on offense, played cornerback and safety on defense, and returned punts and kickoffs. As a result, it was no surprise when the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted the modern-day “triple threat” star in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft.
Then-Steelers head coach Chuck Noll acknowledged Rod’s versatility by playing him at cornerback and as a kick returner, but Rod was too valuable to risk playing on both offense and defense. Rod responded by earning Pro Bowl honors in just his third season. It …read more

When Bob Hayes arrived on the pro football scene in 1965, he had already earned athletic stardom having won a pair of gold medals in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. His medal-winning performance in the 100 meters competition earned him the title “World’s Fastest Human.” But for the Dallas Cowboys, the team that drafted him in the seventh round of the 1964 NFL Draft, the question lingered, “could a track man succeed in a contact sport like pro football?” The answer came quickly as Bob’s 46 receptions for 1,003 yards led all Cowboys receivers.
Bob demonstrated time and again that …read more

The Minnesota Vikings used their first round selection (19th overall) in the 1988 NFL Draft on guard Randall McDaniel, an All-America and four-year starter from Arizona State. Randall immediately earned a starting role with the Vikings, playing in all 16 games in his rookie season, 15 of them as a starter. His efforts were recognized that year as he was selected to several all-rookie teams and named a second-team All-NFC pick.
Randall continued to excel the following season as he began a streak of 202 consecutive starts that continued through the end of his career. He also earned the first of …read more

Ralph Wilson Jr. was the man responsible for reintroducing pro football to my home base of Western New York when, as one of the original owners in the American Football League, he formed the Buffalo Bills in 1959. As the undeniable leader of the Bills, Mr. Wilson continues to play a major role among National Football League franchise owners as “the voice of reason” for his ability to tackle some of the NFL’s toughest issues.
During his tenure as owner of the Bills, Mr. Wilson has watched two of his teams capture the AFL Championship (1964-1965) and AFC titles in 1990, …read more

This is my sixth consecutive year working the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement. Familiarity sure makes things easier in terms of getting around. But it never diminishes from the excitement of attending another event. The Pro Football Hall of Fame remains one of my favorite places to visit. From my seat in the Fawcett Stadium Press Box or Media Work room—to roaming the grounds or through the Hall itself (still, the best part)—I’m continually enamored by the whole thing. I mean, nothing beats game day. But, I say the same thing every year: this is the most important event …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Defensive end Fred Dean, cornerback Darrell Green, wide receiver Art Monk, cornerback Emmitt Thomas, linebacker Andre Tippett, and tackle Gary Zimmerman make up the Class of 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinees. The final group of six was announced yesterday. I could go into great detail about how deserving these new members are. And I could go on and on about the great people who didn’t make it this year (especially Cris Carter and Paul Tagliabue). But I’m going to leave that up to you. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Wide receiver Cris Carter and cornerback Darrell Green are the only first-year eligible players to make the list of 26 semi-finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008. The Hall of Fame’s Board of Selectors chose the 26 semi-finalists from the recently announced list of 124 preliminary nominees today. The list includes one more than the required 25 nominees since there was a tie for the twenty-fifth position. Hall of Fame selection by-laws provide for the inclusion of all ties for the twenty-fifth position on the ballot.
Nominees included on the …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
After a brief struggle with the onset of several serious illnesses, Bill Willis passed away at 86 years old last night surrounded by members of his immediate family. Bill was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 1977. A true pioneer of the game, he was one of four African Americans to permanently break professional football’s “color barrier” in 1946. Along with fellow Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame teammate Marion Motley in the All-America Football Conference and the Los Angeles Rams’ Woody Strode and Kenny …read more