This is a really solid Hall of Fame class. The NFL 2023 Hall of Fame class inducted of some of the greatest players of the 2000’s and 2010’s, such as DeMarcus Ware, Darelle Revis, Joe Thomas, Ronde Barber, and Zach Thomas.
It’s kind of funny seeing some of the players I grew up watching now making it into the Hall of Fame.
DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys: 2005-13; Broncos: 2014-16), Joe Thomas (2007-17), Darelle Revis (Jets: 2007-12, 2015-16; Buccaneers: 2013; Patriots: 2014; Chiefs: 2017), Ronde Barber (Buccaneers: 1997-2012), Zach Thomas (Dolphins: 1996-2007; Cowboys: 2008), Chuck Howley (Bears: 1958-60; Cowboys: 1961-73), Joe Klecko (Jets: 1977-87; Colts: 1988), Ken Riley (Bengals: 1969-83), and coach Don Coryell (St. Louis Cardinals: 1973-77; Chargers: 1978-86) were the members to make up the class.
Now, some of these guys were a tad (actually, a whole lot) before my time, such as Howley, Riley, Coryell, and even Zach Thomas (I was just getting into football when he retired), but I remember watching the rest of these guys really well. So, at the very least, I can speak for them when I say that they are more than deserving of getting into the Hall of Fame as they shaped the way excellence and greatness was viewed by young fans like me in the 2000’s and 2010’s.
All of these players were instrumental pieces to the, respective, teams they played for, which is just a sign as to how important they were while on the field.
Ronde Barber was immense in the Buccaneers defensive backfield during the Bucs glory days of the early 2000s, Joe Thomas has been the modern-day model LT for all the young offensive linemen coming up in the league today, DeMarcus Ware was such a devastating force in the Cowboys defense and Broncos 2015 SB winning team, and Darrelle Revis has the legendary “Revis Island” nickname for a reason and was huge in the Pats 2014 SB win over Seattle.
Simply put, these were the best of the best of the 2000’s and 2010’s and were more than deserving of such an honor.
As for the older legends on this list, Zach Thomas was one of the best Dolphins defenders of all-time as he racked up 5 1st Team All-Pro nods, 7X Pro Bowl inclusions, and was a member of the Hall of Fame 2000’s All-Decade team; Chuck Howley was an equally impressive linebacker for the great Cowboys teams of the 60’s and 70’s as he racked up 6 Pro Bowls, 5 1st Team All-Pro nods, he was the MVP of Super Bowl V, and he obviously won Super Bowl V with the Cowboys.
Moreover, Joe Klecko was a brilliant defensive lineman for the New York Jets in a pretty decent 1980’s era for the team as he earned 2 1st Team All-Pro teams, 4 Pro Bowl nods, he was the UPI Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, and he was one of the bright spots on a team that made four playoff appearances during the 80’s decade (the second most in any decade for the Jets franchise).
Ken Riley was a great stalwart for the early Cincinatti Bengals teams as he played a remarkable 15 seasons (his entire NFL career) for the team as a defensive back, earning a single 3 All-Pro nods in that time. Plus, he helped the Bengals reach the classic Super Bowl XVI in 1981 against Joe Montana and the legendary 49ers dynasty.
Last, but not least, Don Coryell is the oldest member (he was born in 1924) to make this year’s selection as he started his coaching career in 1973 with the then St. Louis Cardinals when he was 49 years old. I have to admit that I don’t know too much about the man other than the fact that he earned 111 wins, had a .572 winning percentage, won Coach of the Year in 1974 with the Cardinals, and made the playoffs four times in seven seasons as the head coach of the then San Diego Chargers.
All in all, this may not be the most memorable Hall of Fame class ever as there’s no quarterback in the class, but it’s definitely one of the best classes for the “trenches positions” (ex: offensive lineman, linebacker, defensive lineman, etc.) yet.
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