MAKING HISTORY
The 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is quite a group. It’s headlined by unforgettable personalities like Kurt Warner, LaDainian Tomlinson and Terrell Davis among others. Is it an all-time group though? Not entirely. If fans want to get an idea of what a truly stacked class looks like, they should start peeking ahead to 2018. Depending on how the voters sway, it could end up being one of the best ever. Three names alone will make that a reality as NBC Sports explained.
“(Ray) Lewis, the greatest defensive player of his generation, is a lock for enshrinement next year, his first year of eligibility. He’ll headline the Class of 2018.
Also eligible for the first time next year is Randy Moss. He seems like a highly likely first-ballot Hall of Fame selection, although he may not be a lock. Moss’s career numbers are comparable to those of Terrell Owens, who has been voted down repeatedly by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
Terrell Owens was a huge snub this year by the selection committee, something that almost burned down Twitter. It’s hard to imagine they justify doing it a third time next year. That means the two wide receivers that ranked #2 (Owens) and #3 (Moss) all-time could be enshrined together. Of course there is also Lewis, a 13-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion who defined the middle linebacker position for well over a decade.
CHICAGO FLAVOR
The thing is, he wasn’t the only one doing that. He had a counterpart in the NFC who was redefining it. Bears fans still remember him fondly and miss him to this day. He too will become eligible for this incredible class.
Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, former Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber, former Colts center Jeff Saturday, former Packers receiver Donald Driver, former Ravens center Matt Birk and former Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson are among the other players who will be eligible for the 2018 class. Urlacher would seem to be the best candidate in that group, but in a crowded field, all of those players may have to wait.”
Urlacher was the focal point for one of the best defensive runs in Bears history. His amazing versatility was something that was uniquely different from Lewis. He retired with 1,353 tackles, 41.5 sacks and 22 interceptions. He also scored four defensive touchdowns. An eight-time Pro Bowler and 2005 Defensive Player of the Year. It will be really hard for the Hall of Fame voters to justify keeping him out.
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At present the Bears have more names who played for their organization in Canton than any other franchise at 34. The most recent was Richard Dent, top pass rusher of the iconic 1985 defense and team all-time sack leader. Urlacher would become the 35th and the fourth-straight player to get in who played defense. A sure sign of where Chicago has buttered its bread over the pass five plus decades.
Rest assured of one thing. If he doesn’t get in, Bears fans might very well invade Ohio with torches, pitch forks and #54 jerseys.
