Football: The Uknowns of the Hall of Fame Class of 2010

The newest class of football greats was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame during Super Bowl weekend. Of the seven players that made it, everybody knows the top two, Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice, the two most prolific scorers in NFL history.

But what about the other five?

So you're not confused come the Hall of Fame game this summer, here is a little bit on each of the nondescript members of the 2010 Hall of Fame class.

Rickey Jackson - Linebacker

Jackson is probably one of the happiest players to make the class. He was a member of the New Orleans Saints for 14 seasons, so he got to watch his team bring home the Super Bowl that his "Aints" never could during his 1981-1993 stint in New Orleans. In just his rookie season, Jackson led the Saints in tackles and sacks (8), which got him in the Pro Bowl in just his first year. Jackson would go on to earn 5 more trips to Hawaii. Jackson's career as both a run stopper and a pass rusher, may have led the way for the multitude of hybrid defensive players that play both Defensive end and linebacker. In total, Jackson finished his career with 128 sacks, 8 interceptions and 1,173 tackles. He will go down in history as one of the transition players for the Saints, and his 4 All-Pro selections in 15 seasons are a testament to that.

Russ Grimm - Guard

Grimm played 11 seasons for the Washington Redskins from 1981-1991. He was one of the original hogs, and even started for the team in his rookie season. He paved the way for a lot of the running backs, as well as for the Redskins multiple trips to the Super Bowl. Grimm appeared in 4 Super Bowls in total, and was selected to the Pro Bowl 4 times, all consecutively from 1983 to 1986. Grimm's inclusion in the Hall of Fame is something most people think was well over due, and just as he paved the way for running backs, he may have paved the way for some of his "Hogs" teammates to make the Hall of Fame as well.

Floyd Little - Running Back

The oldest member of the 2010 Hall of Fame class is Floyd Little who did all of his damage from 1967 to 1975 in 9 seasons with the Denver Broncos. Little was also the highest drafted player of this year's inductees, going 6^th overall in 1967. Little dominated the ground game in 1971 when he won the NFL's rushing title that year. Little also amassed nearly 9,000 yards from scrimmage during his career, for an average of 75 yards per game, and that doesn't even include his multiple return duties.

John Randle - Defensive Tackle

What can you say about Randle that he hasn't already said about himself? Probably known more for what he said before the snap than what he did after it, Randle was one of the most prolific trash-talkers in NFL history. Don't be fooled though, Randle's bark was still bigger than his bite. Randle recorded 137.5 sacks during his 14-year career. In 11 seasons with the Vikings, and in 3 seasons with the Seahawks, Randle made All-Pro conference teams 7 times, and was on the All-Pro team 6 times. He was also a 7-time Pro Bowler and the catalyst behind many of those Vikings defenses in the late 90's. Randle's best year came in 1997, when he had 71 tackles and 15.5 sacks.

Dick LeBeau - Cornerback

You may know LeBeau for his unbelievable zone blitzes and ill-contrived pass coverages, but during his playing days, he was one of the best cornerbacks to ever play the game. LeBeau played 14 seasons with the Detroit Lions, and during that time he amassed 62 interceptions, which rank 8^th all time. LeBeau made the Pro Bowl 3 times, and his best season came near the end of his career in 1970, when he recorded 9 interceptions to lead the entire league.