CANTON, Ohio — During his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech Saturday, Richard Dent said he “wanted to be someone special my mother and father and brothers could look up to.
” Dent accomplished that and so much more during a 15-year career mostly spent with the Bears where he wowed fans on the lakefront and wreaked havoc in opposing backfields.
Dent finished his career with 137½ sacks, third all-time when he retired behind Reggie White and Bruce Smith, and was the MVP of the 1986 Super Bowl. Those Bears epitomized the Monsters of the Midway.
He had 10 or more sacks in eight seasons, and was also a strong defender of the run, which impressed teammates like offensive guard Tom Thayer, who always appreciated the fact that Dent was a three-down player.
“Buddy Ryan challenged Richard Dent,” Thayer said. “Buddy said, ‘Make sure that you can stop the run, or else you’re not going to play in my defense,’ and then Richard Dent lived up to everything that was required of him on the field.”
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RICHARD DENT: His ‘wildest dream’
CANTON, OH — Dreaming big came naturally to Richard Dent.
“I grew up in a town where a man always said, ‘I have a dream,’ and that man was Martin Luther King,” Dent said. “And as a kid growing up at that time, listening to him, all I could do is dream. I wanted to be someone special that my mother and my father and my family looked up to.”
That kid from Atlanta exceeded his dreams.
Saturday night, he stood as a man inside Fawcett Stadium and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Not in my wildest dream did I think I’d be here,” the 50-year-old Dent said as he looked back on his unlikely path, first to college and then to becoming an NFL superstar with the powerful Chicago Bears of the mid-1980s.
“None of us get anywhere by ourselves,” Dent said, as he thanked dozens of family, friends, teammates and coaches for helping him along his journey. Men such as high school coach, William Lester, and his Tennessee State defensive coordinator, Joe Gilliam, played a huge part in him becoming an NFL player.
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Showing posts with label 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame. Show all posts
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Shannon Sharpe's Speech At 2011 Hall Of Fame Enshrinement: Escaping Glennville
Atlanta, GA - The 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame class includes three players of particular local interest: Atlanta Falcons star Deion Sanders (Florida State University), Atlanta native Richard Dent (Tennessee State University) of the Bears and Shannon Sharpe of the Broncos and Ravens, who grew up in south Georgia's Tattnall County and played at Savannah State University, where he was one of the best players in SIAC history.
Sharpe looked ready to cry before even taking the podium, and had already spoken through a cracking voice while being interviewed before the event even began. He made it through his speech without breaking, and it will likely go down as the highlight of the night.
Thank you everyone. The people from the Hall tell me I only have eight to 10 minutes to do this. No chance. First, I'd like to thank the 44 men and women that deemed my play on the field worthy of this honor. Also the city of Canton and the Hall itself. Your efforts are appreciated.
I keep telling myself I'm not going to get emotional. I know that's going to happen. I'm proud and excited where my NFL journey has taken me and my family. 2121 George Halas Drive, Canton, Ohio.
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Sharpe looked ready to cry before even taking the podium, and had already spoken through a cracking voice while being interviewed before the event even began. He made it through his speech without breaking, and it will likely go down as the highlight of the night.
Thank you everyone. The people from the Hall tell me I only have eight to 10 minutes to do this. No chance. First, I'd like to thank the 44 men and women that deemed my play on the field worthy of this honor. Also the city of Canton and the Hall itself. Your efforts are appreciated.
I keep telling myself I'm not going to get emotional. I know that's going to happen. I'm proud and excited where my NFL journey has taken me and my family. 2121 George Halas Drive, Canton, Ohio.
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Saturday, August 6, 2011
Sharpe makes trip from Savannah State to Canton
Savannah, GA - The late Bill Davis’ unique recruiting pitch lured Shannon Sharpe to Savannah State back in the mid-1980s, sending him on a football journey that will culminate with his enshrinement Saturday in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Davis envisioned great things for the tall and slender kid from Glennville. But even Sharpe wasn’t absolutely convinced that his would-be coach was telling the truth.
“He said, ‘if I owned an NFL team and if I had the first pick in the draft, you’d be the first player off the board,’” said Sharpe in a telephone interview Tuesday.
With his older brother, Sterling, already shining at South Carolina and headed toward a first-round selection in the NFL draft, Shannon bit on the cheese Davis left for him. He wanted to follow Sterling into the NFL.
“When he told me that, it resonated with me,” Sharpe said. “I thought, obviously, here is a coach that thinks a lot about my ability and thinks I could add a lot to the program. It was the best choice that I could have made.”
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Induction speeches will cap whirlwind weekend for Shannon Sharpe
CANTON, Ohio — It was during lunch when Shannon Sharpe understood that what he was really doing this weekend was rushing a fraternity.
The luncheon here Friday was for Pro Football Hall of Famers only. Gold jacket attire was mandatory. Sharpe didn't wear one, nor did anyone else in his Pro Football Hall class of 2011. That would come later Friday night at the formal gold jacket ceremony.
Deacon Jones, the original sack artist and star of the Fearsome Foursome for the Los Angeles Rams, was a featured speaker. Sharpe, as a newbie, a pledge, was not allowed to speak. But it was while he sat silently at attention that he was struck by the impact of his moment.
"When you play high school, you know there's college," Sharpe said. "When you play college, there are the pros. And the pros, you graduate to the Hall of Fame. And when you get to the Hall of Fame, that's it. That's your last stop."
Slideshow: Photos of Sharpe at the Gold Jacket Presentation to the 2011 class of Enshrinees.
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Davis envisioned great things for the tall and slender kid from Glennville. But even Sharpe wasn’t absolutely convinced that his would-be coach was telling the truth.
“He said, ‘if I owned an NFL team and if I had the first pick in the draft, you’d be the first player off the board,’” said Sharpe in a telephone interview Tuesday.
With his older brother, Sterling, already shining at South Carolina and headed toward a first-round selection in the NFL draft, Shannon bit on the cheese Davis left for him. He wanted to follow Sterling into the NFL.
“When he told me that, it resonated with me,” Sharpe said. “I thought, obviously, here is a coach that thinks a lot about my ability and thinks I could add a lot to the program. It was the best choice that I could have made.”
READ MORE
Induction speeches will cap whirlwind weekend for Shannon Sharpe
CANTON, Ohio — It was during lunch when Shannon Sharpe understood that what he was really doing this weekend was rushing a fraternity.
The luncheon here Friday was for Pro Football Hall of Famers only. Gold jacket attire was mandatory. Sharpe didn't wear one, nor did anyone else in his Pro Football Hall class of 2011. That would come later Friday night at the formal gold jacket ceremony.
Deacon Jones, the original sack artist and star of the Fearsome Foursome for the Los Angeles Rams, was a featured speaker. Sharpe, as a newbie, a pledge, was not allowed to speak. But it was while he sat silently at attention that he was struck by the impact of his moment.
"When you play high school, you know there's college," Sharpe said. "When you play college, there are the pros. And the pros, you graduate to the Hall of Fame. And when you get to the Hall of Fame, that's it. That's your last stop."
Slideshow: Photos of Sharpe at the Gold Jacket Presentation to the 2011 class of Enshrinees.
READ MORE
Tennessee State University's Richard Dent Joins Pro Football Hall Of Fame In Class Of 2011
Chicago, IL - Back in 1983, defensive end Richard Dent was an eighth-round selection out of Tennessee State by the Chicago Bears. Twenty-eight years later, Dent will find himself in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. A member of the storied mid-1980s Bears defenses, Dent made his reputation in the league by becoming a feared sack artist. His 137-1/2 career sacks have him tied for sixth all-time with 2010 Hall of Fame inductee John Randle. But that doesn't tell the whole story of Dent's dominance.
After playing in all 16 games as a rookie, Dent followed that up in 1984 with 17-1/2 sacks, third best that year. He didn't let up in 1985, leading the league with 17 sacks. He was in midst of recording double-digit sacks in eight of 10 season from 1984-93. In 1993, Dent, 33, had 12-1/2 sacks, his last great season. He would float around the league for the next four seasons to San Francisco, back to Chicago, then in Indianapolis and finally finishing things with Philadelphia.
Dent garnered a number of awards during his 15-year career. He was the 1985 Super Bowl MVP, which saw him record 1-1/2 sacks in the Bears' 46-10 romp over the Patriots. He made four Pro Bowls...
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Tennessee State star Richard Dent enters Pro Football Hall of Fame today
Excerpt:
TSU Took a Chance
The defensive coordinator at Tennessee State, Joe Gilliam happened to be teaching a graduate course in public health. One of his students was William Lester, Dent’s coach at Murphy High in Atlanta. Gilliam was also responsible for recruiting in Georgia, and one spring day, he stopped by the school. Lester put in a tape and asked what he thought.
“I said, ‘I have cornerbacks that are bigger than Richard Dent and he’s an offensive tackle. He just won’t cut it, Coach,’” Gilliam said. Lester wouldn’t take no for an answer, though, and when fall practices started, Gilliam said he showed up with Dent in tow even though there was no scholarship offer.
“He says, ‘We can’t leave him in Atlanta. He won’t make it, Coach.’ I said, ‘I can understand. He comes from a pretty rough area and all that, but I just don’t have a scholarship for him.’ He says, ‘Coach, I can’t leave him. So I brought him.’ He says, ‘You do what you can for him. I know you'll do that.’ ”
He remembers Lester telling him, “Well, you got him” and then leaving.
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VISIT: MAKEADENTFOUNDATION
VISIT: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: TSUTIGERS
After playing in all 16 games as a rookie, Dent followed that up in 1984 with 17-1/2 sacks, third best that year. He didn't let up in 1985, leading the league with 17 sacks. He was in midst of recording double-digit sacks in eight of 10 season from 1984-93. In 1993, Dent, 33, had 12-1/2 sacks, his last great season. He would float around the league for the next four seasons to San Francisco, back to Chicago, then in Indianapolis and finally finishing things with Philadelphia.
Dent garnered a number of awards during his 15-year career. He was the 1985 Super Bowl MVP, which saw him record 1-1/2 sacks in the Bears' 46-10 romp over the Patriots. He made four Pro Bowls...
READ MORE
Tennessee State star Richard Dent enters Pro Football Hall of Fame today
Excerpt:
TSU Took a Chance
The defensive coordinator at Tennessee State, Joe Gilliam happened to be teaching a graduate course in public health. One of his students was William Lester, Dent’s coach at Murphy High in Atlanta. Gilliam was also responsible for recruiting in Georgia, and one spring day, he stopped by the school. Lester put in a tape and asked what he thought.
“I said, ‘I have cornerbacks that are bigger than Richard Dent and he’s an offensive tackle. He just won’t cut it, Coach,’” Gilliam said. Lester wouldn’t take no for an answer, though, and when fall practices started, Gilliam said he showed up with Dent in tow even though there was no scholarship offer.
“He says, ‘We can’t leave him in Atlanta. He won’t make it, Coach.’ I said, ‘I can understand. He comes from a pretty rough area and all that, but I just don’t have a scholarship for him.’ He says, ‘Coach, I can’t leave him. So I brought him.’ He says, ‘You do what you can for him. I know you'll do that.’ ”
He remembers Lester telling him, “Well, you got him” and then leaving.
READ MORE
VISIT: MAKEADENTFOUNDATION
VISIT: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: TSUTIGERS
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