Richard Dent, Welcome to Canton!!!
Written by The Go-To-Man Mattie T. on February 6, 2011
BMSRadioChicago.com congratulates former Chicago Bears defensive end & Super Bowl XX MVP Richard Dent, who was elected into the 2011 Football Hall of Fame on Saturday evening!
The Atlanta, GA native was drafted in the 8th round (203rd overall pick) in the 1983 NFL Draft & made an immediate impact, as he totaled 34.5 sacks between the 1984 & ’85 season.
Dent’s best season came during Chicago’s Super Bowl-winning 1985 campaign, as he led the NFL with 17 sacks. He went on to have a dominant performance in their playoff win over the New York Giants, as he had 7 tackles, 3.5 sacks & 2 forced fumbles.
Dent saved his best work for Super Bowl XX, as he had 2 tackles, 2 sacks & forced 2 fumbles during Chicago’s 46-10 rout over the New England Patriots.
He remained in Chicago until 1993 & received a Super Bowl ring with the San Francisco 49ers the following year, despite being injured for most of the season.
At the time of his retirement, Dent’s 137.5 sacks ranked 3rd in NFL history, trailing only Reggie White & Bruce Smith.
Dent received the game call while golfing in Las Vegas, and was finally relieved to be part of Football’s ultimate enshrinement:
“I didn’t have a lot of recognition for my career, things like defensive player of the year, but this is the ultimate recognition. I’m very appreciative and very happy — it was a long time coming. When you start a career, you never think about the Hall of Fame. Watching a guy like Walter Payton for many years, he would always say, ‘Don’t do what I say, do what I do.’ If you can do your thing the way he did his, there is a possibility you could be in the Hall of Fame. I’m so thankful to look at a guy like him, and many other guys I played with.”
