One word describes the 2008 NFL Hall of Fame class the best, consistency. All the players in this class were consistent, reliable players. They weren’t necessarily the best at their positions, but if you had a start a team with one of these guys, you wouldn’t be disappointed.
Just look at the guys that are being enshrined. Four of the six enshrinees are defensive players, and one of the offensive players is a tackle. When is the last class in recent memory with only one skill position player being enshrined? You’d have to go back seven years ago when wide receiver Lynn Swann was inducted in 2001.
Even though this website looks at “the now” going on in football, I figured this would be a good time to honor the past by looking back at the careers of the 2008 Hall of Fame class.
Fred Dean (DE: 1975-1985)
Dean started his career in 1975 with the San Diego Chargers, and his mixture of speed and strength immediately made him a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. During his rookie season, Dean had 7 sacks, 93 total tackles, and 4 fumble recoveries. Even though the Chargers of the early-70’s and 80’s are remembered for their prolific offense, Dean became the cornerstone of their defense and helped them establish a fair balance on both sides of the ball. He had 9 sacks in 1979 and 10.5 in 1980 when the Chargers won back-to-back division titles.
However, Dean is most associated with the San Francisco 49ers and was considered the final piece to their championship puzzle. When he was traded there during the 1981 season, Dean contributed 12 sacks in 11 games en route to a Super Bowl victory. He continued to shine during the last 4 seasons he played in San Francisco, which included a career high 17.5 sacks in 1983 and another Super Bowl ring in 1984.
Dean retired following the 1985 season. He was named to 4 Pro-Bowls and was All-Pro twice in his career. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, if sacks would have become an official NFL statistic before 1982, Dean’s career sack total would stand near 100.
Darrell Green (CB: 1983-2002)
Green was drafted out of small Texas A&I with the 28th overall pick in the 1983 Draft. During his rookie season, Green amassed 109 total tackles and 2 interceptions en route to be runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
His speed and awareness made him one of the top corners in the league. During his 20 seasons in the league, he recorded at least 1 pick in 19 of those seasons. The only year he did not record an interception was in his last season in 2002. Green played in 4 NFC Championship games and 3 Super Bowls, winning 2 of them in 1987 and 1991.
Even though he played 20 seasons in the NFL, Green never lost his speed and kept his moniker as the “Fastest Man in the NFL.” He record 54 interceptions for 621 yards and 6 touchdowns in his entire career. During the post season, he added 2 additional touchdowns on interception returns. He amassed 5 interceptions in a season three times in his career. Green was a 7 time Pro-Bowler and was named All-Pro four times. He played with the Redskins his entire career.
Art Monk (WR: 1980-1995)
Monk’s induction into the Hall of Fame has been long overdue. “The complete package” stood at 6′3″ 210 lbs and was one of the first wide receivers to make plays by using his size and strength. As his Head Coach Joe Gibbs said, “He’s big, he’s strong, he’s intelligent, he has everything.”
During his rookie year in 1980, he set a Redskins’ rookie record 58 receptions and was a unanimous All-Rookie selection. Monk was an important part of the dominant Redskins teams of the 1980’s and early 1990’s. During his 14 seasons with the Redskins, he was part of three Super Bowl winning teams in 1982, 1987, and 1991 and was only on three losing Redskins’ teams. His best season came in 1984 when Monk had a career-high 106 catches for 1,372 yards. During that season, he caught 8 or more passes in six games and had five games of 100 yards.
Monk went All-Pro in 1984 and 1985 and was a Pro-Bowler three times. His 940 career receptions rank sixth all-time, and his 12,721 receiving yards rank eleventh all-time. Monk retired after the 1995 season. He had spent his last two seasons playing for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles respectively.
Emmitt Thomas (CB: 1966-1978)
Thomas became a key component on the Kansas City Chiefs during his rookie season in 1966. Although the undrafted free agent did not have an interception that season, Thomas helped the Chiefs earn a birth to the first ever Super Bowl by picking off Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Jack Kemp en route to a 31-7 victory.
Following that season, Thomas became a staple at the cornerback position in pro-football. In 1969, he led the AFL with 9 interceptions and had 2 picks against the Raiders in the 1969 AFL Championship Game. Thomas followed that performance up with an interception against the Minnesota Vikings in a 23-7 victory in Super Bowl IV. In 1974, he had a career year by picking off 12 passes and scoring two of them for touchdowns. Thomas’s 12 interceptions were two off of the NFL record.
Thomas, who spent all 13 season with the Chiefs, went All-AFL/AFC five times in his career and was named to 5 Pro-Bowls. His 58 interceptions rank 9th all-time.
Andre Tippett (LB: 1982-1993)
Tippett was often called the “Lawrence Taylor of the AFC.” Both were dominant pass-rushing linebackers and wore the number 56. In fact, former Steelers running back Merril Hoge said that the game plans for both Taylor and Tippett but that Tippett received less acclaim because Taylor was in the bigger market. Had the New England Patriots been as good as they are these days, maybe L.T. would have been called the “Andre Tippett of the NFC.”
In his second season in 1983, Tippett earned a spot as a starting linebacker and never looked back. During that season he had 8.5 sacks, and then followed the year up with a then Patriots’ record 18.5 sacks in 1984. In 1985, 16.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles helped catapult the Patriots into the franchises first ever Super Bowl. His contributions that season earned him the AFC Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Tippett’s dominance continued, but in 1989, he missed the entire season with a shoulder injury. Although he began to slow down, Tippett still remained a solid player until his retirement in 1993. He was both a five time All-Pro and Pro-Bowler.
Gary Zimmerman (OT: 1986-1997)
Offensive lineman rarely get the respect they deserve. They receive no awards for their accomplishments. However, whenever a team has a great quarterback or good rushing, you know something has to be anchoring the offensive line. During his career with both the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos, many players have thanked Gary Zimmerman for being a dominant offensive tackle.
Zimmerman played for the LA Express of the USFL until the league folded in 1986. He joined the Minnesota Vikings, who held his NFL draft rights, and automatically became staple on their offensive line. Zimmerman anchored offensive lines with both the Vikings and Broncos that would yielded passing games which led their conferences in passing. In 1991, his adept blocking helped the Vikings run-game lead the NFC in rushing. Zimmerman was traded to the Broncos in 1993, and his blocking ability was much obliged by quarterback John Elway. The Broncos led the NFL in total combined yards in both 1996 and 1997 and also led the NFL in rushing in 1996.
Following the Broncos’ first Super Bowl winning season in 1997, Zimmerman retired. He played in 169 consecutive games over his 184 career games and was named to 7 Pro-Bowls. Zimmerman also was named All-Pro 8 times in his 12-year career.
