Rice, Smith Elevate 2010 Hall of Fame Class

It's tough to argue against the class of 2010, with two of the greatest players in the history of the league sharing center stage.

Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith were both first-ballot Hall of Famers, which should have been a surprise to nobody after each man retired in 2005 as the all-time yardage leader at his position.

Rice amassed 22,895 yards in his 20 NFL seasons to become the all-time leader by a longshot; Isaac Bruce is second on the list with 15,208 yards. Rice is also the NFL's career leader with 1,549 receptions (Marvin Harrison is second on the list at 1,102); has the most 1,000-yard-plus seasons in history (14); has the most receiving yards gained in a single season (1,848); the most seasons with at least 50 receptions (17); and the most games with 100 or more receiving yards (76).

Smith covered 18,355 yards to become the league's all-time leading rusher, breaking Walter Payton's mark of 16,726 yards. He also has the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history with 164; the most 1,000-yard rushing seasons (11); most consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 rushing yards (11); most games with at least 100 rushing yards (78); and the most career rushing attempts (4,939).

For having played different positions, these guys sure had a lot in common in their football careers. They each won three Super Bowl titles and each rose to the pinnacle of their position. Heck, they even both spent part of their early retirement competing on the TV show "Dancing With the Stars" (Smith won the contest in 2006; Rice finished runner-up earlier that year).

The "Dancing With the Stars" title was one of few records Smith achieved that Rice did not.

Consider these statistical categories, in which Rice is the NFL's all-time leader and Smith is second:

Total touchdowns
Rice: 208
Smith: 175

Yards from scrimmage
Rice: 23,540
Smith: 21,579

Playoff touchdowns
Rice: 22
Smith: 21

Monday Night Football touchdowns
Rice: 36
Smith: 24

Monday Night Football yards from scrimmage
Rice: 4,116
Smith: 2,836

The rest of the 2010 Hall of Fame class included DT John Randle, RB Floyd Little, CB Dick LeBeau, LB Rickey Jackson and G Russ Grimm.

Sources:
History, NFL.com
NFL History - Receiving Leaders, ESPN.com
Jerry Rice. Emmitt Smith among 7 set for Hall of Fame induction, Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2010, Pro Football Hall of Fame
Official Website of Jerry Rice
Official Website of Emmitt Smith