Out of this group, Ray Lewis is the most decorated of the bunch. The middle linebacker spent his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens, was a 13-time Pro Bowl selection, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a Super Bowl MVP. He started 227 games in his career and was credited with eight 100-tackle seasons. There were so few guys in the NFL who were as tough and intimidating as Ray Lewis. He was one of the most prepared guys on the field week in and week out. Lewis was one of those guys who most defensive players, especially linebackers, tried to model their play after. And there were so few on the defensive side of the football who hit people as hard as Ray Lewis could. The guy was flat out great, and will go down in the books as one of the best to every play linebacker in the AFC.
The other linebacker to make the hall this year was what the NFC had as equivalent, or close to it, for Ray Lewis. That person was Brian Urlacher. Urlacher was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. Brian had a rare combination of speed and deep coverage ability for a linebacker, something that no other team could find a player quite like Urlacher. His instincts and speed could erase big plays before they happened. While he wasn't as intense an individual as Lewis, Urlacher still had that killer instinct about him that helped make him great in Chicago. He was exceptionally quick for a guy of his size and when he hit you, you felt it. Urlacher drew a few comparisons in his career to another Bears linebacker legend, Mike Singletary.
The last of the defensive players to be selected to the Hall was Brian Dawkins. Dawkins played 13 of his 16 NFL season for the Eagles, was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection. Brian was a rare player to have finished a career with at least 35 interceptions and 20 sacks. He also had 36 career forced fumbles. Much like the other two defensive players to get into the hall this year, Dawkins could lay a hit on the opposition. He could hit people and they would be knocked dizzy. He also had a tendency for making a big play when it was needed, just as the forced fumbles and interception would be an indication of. Dawkins was a great player and great leader on the field, but also had a soft side off of it, doing a lot of charity work in the city of Philadelphia.
Now to the offensive side of the ball, we got two guys who knew how to snag in passes from the quarter back. First up is Randy Moss. Moss played for the 49ers, Titans and Raiders but most people will remember him for his time with the Vikings and Patriots. In 218 games, Moss caught 982 passes for 15,292 yards and scored 156 touchdowns. Moss was one of the most dominating receivers to ever play the game. He isn't quite at the level that Jerry Rice was, who's considered the greatest receiver to play football, but Moss was at a level that few others could touch. When he was on his game, Randy Moss was the very best in the sport during his prime. He had his antics sure, like fake pulling down his pants after scoring a touchdown against the Packers. More often then not, Moss let his play really do the talking. Randy's attitude changed more when he got paired up with Brady and company in New England. Randy was a vertical threat problem that virtually no defense could solve. He led the league in touchdowns with 17 as a rookie and wound up averaging 1,395 yards and 13 scores in his first six seasons.
The other standout wide receiver to get into the hall this year was Terrell Owens. Owens played one year each for the Bills and Bengals, but when people think of TO, they will remember his time with the Eagles, Cowboys and 49ers. He played in 219 games, hauling in 1,078 catches for 15,934 yards and he scored 153 touchdowns. He's had his great moments on the field, like the playoff catch with the 49ers to get a huge win over the Green Bay Packers. There was also the big plays he made on a bad ankle in the Super Bowl for the Eagles against the Patriots. He also had his antics that kind of took away from some of what he did on the field. Like pulling out the sharpie from his sock to sign a football, doing the workouts in his driveway among a group of media, and crying in the press conference over Tony Romo after a playoff loss. While he had his share of controversies over the years, no one ever questioned Owens' work ethic or excellence on the field. Owens had tremendous talent, some of which could have been better then that of Randy Moss, if he had just managed to stay out of trouble.
Congratulations to the Hall of Fame class of 2018!
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