| Emmitt Smith And Jerry Rice Are NFL Hall Of Famers!!! |
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| Written by Jamila Hayman and Curt Hayman |
| Monday, 08 February 2010 09:18 |
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The two former players were the unquestioned headliners for the NFL Hall of Fame's 2010 class, which was introduced Saturday. Rice, the league's all-time leading receiver, wasn't able to keep his emotions in check after the announcement. Shortly thereafter, neither was Smith, the league's all-time leading rusher. Both men had arrived for the announcement early, and joked with each other in a holding room, knowing full well they would be chosen. But once it was official, they were individually summoned onto a stage to discuss their Hall of Fame inclusion, they both had to stop in mid-sentence on several occasions in an attempt to quell the tear drops. "You just don't know exactly how you will feel until that moment," Smith said. "Although you try to take in every second and every minute, every hour up to this time, when that opportunity comes and they call your name, you start reflecting over the people who have helped shape the foundation of who you are as a football player, who you are as a human being. "And the people who have given you the opportunity to even do some of the things that you've been able to do and provided you an opportunity to play in a sport at this level that you've played your entire life for. It's just an honor that I am able to be a blessing because people have blessed me." Rice put it more succinctly. "I'm just honored to stand up here with greatness." They were joined in the latest class with five others: •Offensive lineman Russ Grimm, part of the famed 'Hogs' unit of the Washington Redskins. •Linebacker Rickey Jackson, who played 15 seasons and had 128 career sacks for the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers. •Cornerback Dick LeBeau, better known these days as a coach but a master of interceptions in the 1960s with the Detroit Lions. •Defensive tackle John Randle, a longtime sack master with the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks. •Running back Floyd Little, a bruising but elusive rusher for the Denver Broncos who also excelled at kick returns. Little and LeBeau were elected through the senior process, which looks at great players of yore who slipped through the regular Hall of Fame screening. Among those who missed the cut were pass-rushing specialist Charles Haley, receiver Tim Brown, receiver Chris Carter and tight end Shannon Sharpe. Rice had a 20-year career, the majority of which was spent with the San Francisco 49ers and coach Bill Walsh and quarterback Joe Montana. He caught 1,549 passes for 22,895 yards and had 208 touchdowns. He played in four Super Bowls, three with the 49ers, and was voted the most valuable player of Super Bowl XXIII. For 11 consecutive seasons, he had at least 1,000 receiving yards. Smith was a mainstay of the Dallas Cowboys, along with quarterback Troy Aikman and wide receiver Michael Irvin, before finishing his career with the Arizona Cardinals. He helped lead the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins and finished his career with 18,355 rushing yards and 164 touchdowns, as well as 515 catches for 3,224 yards. He was voted the most valuable player of Super Bowl XXVII, which capped the 1993 season when he was also named league MVP. Both Rice and Smith won three Super Bowl rings. It was their first year of eligibility after five seasons of retirement. The players' official induction will be Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio. SOURCE:(ust)  To create link towards this article on your website, copy and paste the text below in your page. Preview : 
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