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49ers’ Dean joins immortals in Hall of Fame
By Daniel Dullum February 2, 2008 |
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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Fred Dean couldn’t help getting a little choked up when got a phone call informing him he’d been selected as a new member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And hearing NFL Network’s Rich Eisen at the other end of the line had nothing to do with it. “All I can say is thank you,” Dean said by telephone to the media gathered at Super Bowl 42 headquarters at the Phoenix Convention Center. “I’m trying to get my heart in order because it’s still racing a little bit! My heart is still fluttering and I’m trying to get over this! “What I did was for the love of the game, and made everything seem worthwhile, but to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a beautiful thing. It’s the epitome of all things for me right now.” Dean, who finished his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers, was named as one of the six newest members of the Hall of Fame. Dean, who began his career with the San Diego Chargers, joined wide receiver Art Monk, cornerback Darrell Green, linebacker Andre Tippett, tackle Gary Zimmerman and cornerback Emmitt Thomas from a list of 17 finalists to join the select circle. When Dean arrived in San Francisco in 1981 after seven seasons with the Chargers, 49ers coach Bill Walsh wanted him to specialize in pass rushing. Dean responded with a team-record and NFC-leading 17 ½ sacks in 1983, besting the previous team mark of 16 established by Tommy Hart in 1976. “I think it was a combination of things,” Dean said of Walsh’s role in his becoming a Hall of Famer. “Coach Walsh made me see another side of me that I really hadn’t focused on. It was about playing the game of football in a fashion that best utilized what I could do. I want to thank him for that, and all the things he did for me, and believing in me.” Also in 1983, Dean, who was a key defensive cog in the 49ers’ Super Bowl championship teams of 1981 and 1984, tied Hart’s team record of six sacks in a game against New Orleans. “Sometimes when I think back to games I played and the sacks, at my age, I have flashbacks and I’ll think, ‘No, that’s not the game!’” Dean said. “But I go back to what Bill Walsh did for me, helping me get those sacks, it was a beautiful thing. I can’t find the words to describe it.” Thomas was this year’s veteran’s selection. He played his entire career from 1966 through 1978 in the AFL and NFL with Kansas City, where he retired as the Chiefs’ all-time inception leader with 58 picks – fifth all-time in pro football. Thomas received the call from fellow inductee Darrell Green, who played 20 seasons at cornerback for the Washington Redskins. “I feel very special to go in with Darrell,” said Thomas, who coached Green as a Redskins assistant. “When I got to Washington, I was on the offensive side, then I crossed over to the secondary with Darrell for a number of years. He was an excellent player with high character. It’s exciting to go in with him in the Class of 2008.” Thomas joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of little Bishop College in 1966 and played in two of the first four Super Bowls. He was thrilled to join so many ex-Chiefs like Len Dawson, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Jan Stenerud, Coach Hank Stram and Owner Lamar Hunt in the Hall. “I just want to say to the Hunt family, I was very happy and proud to be a Kansas City Chief,” Thomas said. “[Coaches] Tom Bettis and Hank Stram worked with me, I was there with a lot of excellent football players and good people. I had a lot of success, and we had a lot of success, but not as much as I thought we should have had. But I’m just happy to go in as a part of the Chiefs’ family.” Art Monk’s selection was the one that had people wondering why it didn’t happen sooner. Monk played 14 of his 16 seasons with the Washington Redskins and caught 940 passes, including 106 in 1984. Monk is second behind Jerry Rice on pro football’s all-time pass reception list. Tippett spent his entire 12-season career with New England and racked up 100 sacks, 17 fumble recoveries, five consecutive Pro Bowl selections, and was a five-time all-AFC selection. Zimmerman, who started out with the Los Angeles Express of the USFL, starred for Minnesota and Denver from 1986-97. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Zimmerman was selected to the NFL’s all-Decade teams for the 1980s and 1990s and started at left tackle for the Broncos in their Super Bowl 32 win over Green Bay. The final selections were difficult choices from an outstanding field of finalists. Those not making the cut included ex-Raiders punter Ray Guy, former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, wide receivers Cris Carter and Andre Reed; defensive end Richard Dent, linebackers Randy Gradishar and Derrick Thomas; guards Russ Grimm, Bob Kuechenberg and Randall McDaniel; and halfback/defensive back Marshall Goldberg. Goldberg’s case is a sad one that underlines the backlog of pioneer players yet to be recognized. A two-way standout for the Chicago Cardinals from 1939-48 (missing 1944-45 due to Navy duty in World War II), Goldberg was an outstanding collegiate star at Pittsburgh whose signing with the lowly Cardinals gave the NFL a much-needed publicity boost. Goldberg’s numbers don’t look good compared to the stats accumulated today, but when he retired after the 1948 season, he was the Cards’ all-time leader in yards rushing and interceptions and a star on their 1947 NFL championship team – the last Cardinals team to win a title. Routinely pitted against the opposition’s top receiver, Goldberg developed a reputation for consistently shutting down Hall of Fame receiver Don Hutson of Green Bay. Goldberg is considered by historians to be the first prominent pro player to play on defense only, which he did in the 1948 season. He passed away on April 3, 2006 at age 88. Guy has his backers as well, and it was a mild surprise that the Raiders’ punter didn’t make the cut. Guy was the first punter ever taken with a first-round draft choice and was a legitimate weapon for the Raiders throughout his career. Many thought Kuechenberg or Grimm would make it as well. The Hall of Fame could remedy this by expanding the limit of inductees from six to eight or nine. Until that happens, there’s still plenty of deserving players who will be recognized for years to come. |
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