2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees Announced

Richard Dent, who played defensive end for the Chicago Bears from 1983 to 1993, and again in 1995, will watch his former team play in Super Bowl XLI on Sunday. Last time the Bears made the big game, they won big -- 46-10, over the New England Patriots -- and Dent was named Super Bowl XX MVP.

That was 21 years ago. No defensive lineman has won it since.

But for Richard Dent, a four-time Pro Bowl player who was among 17 top candidates to be selected for pro football's highest honor this weekend, that Super Bowl MVP and the accompanying ring will remain the crowning moments of his 15-year career. Dent was not among the half-dozen NFL greats tapped this weekend to be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, during Hall of Fame Weekend this coming August.

Six golden Hall of Fame Jackets will be tailored and fitted instead for Gene Hickerson, Michael Irvin, Bruce Matthews, Charlie Sanders, Thurman Thomas, and Roger Wehrli -- the Class of 2007.

Gene Hickerson. Gene Hickerson played his entire 15-year career (1958-1973, missing 1961 with a broken leg) as an offensive lineman with the Cleveland Browns. Hickerson was arguably the greatest guard to ever play the game. Before he joined the NFL, the league had only ever seen seven rushers reach the 1,000-yard plateau in a single season; yet, redefining how the game was played, the Cleveland Browns featured a 1,000-yard running back in nine of Gene Hickerson's first ten seasons. Hickerson blocked for three future Hall of Fame running backs -- Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, and Leroy Kelly. He played in six straight Pro Bowls from 1966 through1971 and was a key member of the 1964 Browns squad that defeated the Baltimore Colts for the NFL Championship.

Michael Irvin. Michael Irvin had a stellar, 12-year career (1988-1999) as a wide receiver with the Dallas Cowboys. It began with a 65-yard touchdown reception in his rookie debut with the Cowboys and would end with Irvin making 750 career grabs for 11,904 total yards. Michael Irvin holds the NFL record for most 100-yard games by a wide receiver in a single season (11) and is tied for first all-time with the most consecutive games with 100 or more receiving yards (7) -- both marks set in 1995. He helped lead the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories (1992, '93, and '95) and played in five straight Pro Bowls during the 1990s.

Bruce Mathews. Bruce Mathews was an offensive line standout during an amazing 19 NFL seasons with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1983-2001). Mathews retired in 2001 having played in more games (296) than any other player in NFL history. His 14 Pro Bowl selections from 1988 through 2001 set another professional football record, tied only by fellow Hall of Famer, Merlin Olsen. Durable to the end, Bruce Mathews played guard, center and tackle, and he was a key member of the 1999 AFC Champion Tennessee Titans team that narrowly lost Super Bowl XXXIV to the St. Louis Rams.

Charlie Sanders. Charlie Sanders enjoyed a 10-year career (1968-1977) as a tight end for the Detroit Lions. His 40 receptions for 533 yards earned Sanders a trip to the Pro Bowl during his rookie season, and he would retire as the Lions all-time leading receiver with 336 grabs. He played in seven Pro Bowls, having led or tied to lead the Detroit Lions in receptions for six of his ten seasons. Despite these efforts, the Lions did not win one single Division Championship, much less play for the NFC title, while Charlie Sanders was on the team's roster.

Thurman Thomas. Thurman Thomas starred out of the Buffalo Bills backfield from 1988 through 1999 before ending his 13-year career with the Miami Dolphins in 2000. Thomas played in four straight Super Bowls with Buffalo (1990-1993), without a ring to show for it. He led the NFL a record four consecutive seasons in most yards from scrimmage (1989-1992), and his 12,074 career rushing yards were good enough to place Thurman Thomas ninth on the all-time NFL rushing list when he retired following the 2000 season. Thomas played in five straight Pro Bowls (1990-1994) and - despite never winning the big game - he holds the NFL records for most consecutive playoff games with a touchdown (nine in a row from 1992 through 1998) and most combined postseason yards (2,124) for a running back.

Roger Wehrli. Roger Wehrli spent his entire 14-year career (1969-1982) with the St. Louis Cardinals as a cornerback. Wehrli had three "pics" his rookie season, and he would tally 40 interceptions before retiring from the NFL. Two were returned for touchdowns. With a nose for the ball, Roger Wehrli added another 19 fumble recoveries during his Cardinal career, which remains a franchise record to this day. He played in seven Pro Bowls and was an important part of the St. Louis Cardinals team that won the NFC East in 1974 and '75, but could not advance to the Conference Championship.

What is notable about all six of the above Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinees is, with the exception of Thurman Thomas's final season in Miami, each spent their entire professional football careers with a single NFL franchise. (Bruce Mathews played for two teams, the Oilers and the Titans, but this was by virtue of a franchise jumping from Houston to Tenessee rather than a trade or contract dispute.)

Perhaps if Richard Dent had spent his entire career -- and not merely the bulk of it -- in Chicago, then maybe he would be celebrating more than a Bears Super Bowl on Sunday ...

Source: http://www.profootballhof.com/hall/story.jsp?story_id=2309