In addition to the Broncos’ Floyd Little, six other players were elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday:
Russ Grimm
Guard, 6-feet-3, 273 pounds 1981-91 Washington Redskins, 11 seasons, 140 games
Selected by Washington in the third round (69th overall) of 1981 draft. . . . Originally pegged to play center, he moved to left guard, where he earned a starting role as a rookie. . . . Became a steadying force on Redskins’ offensive line that earned nickname “the Hogs.”
Rickey Jackson
Linebacker, 6-2, 243 1981-93 New Orleans Saints, 1994-95 San Francisco 49ers 15 seasons, 227 games
Selected by Saints in second round (51st player overall) in 1981 draft. . . . One of key players that fueled New Orleans’ transition from perennial losers into contenders in late 1980s. . . . Made immediate impact as rookie when he led team with franchise rookie record eight sacks and was leading tackler.
Dick LeBeau
Cornerback, 6-1, 185 1959-72 Detroit Lions 14 seasons, 185 games
Senior nominee. Selected by Cleveland Browns in fifth round (58th overall) in 1959 draft. . . . Cut by Browns during rookie training camp. . . . Signed with Lions, earned place in starting lineup final six games of rookie year. . . . Didn’t miss another game until late in 1971 season.
John Randle Defensive tackle, 6-1, 290 1990-2000 Minnesota Vikings, 2001-03 Seattle Seahawks 14 seasons, 219 games
Signed by Vikings as an undrafted free agent. . . . Played in all 16 games as a rookie. . . . Recorded 137 1/2 sacks during career. . . . Had eight consecutive seasons (1992-99) with 10-plus sacks and a ninth in 2001.
Jerry Rice
Wide receiver, 6-2, 200 1985-2000 San Francisco 49ers, 2001-04 Oakland Raiders, 2004 Seattle Seahawks 20 seasons, 303 games
Selected by 49ers in first round (16th player overall) of 1985 draft. . . . Averaged 18.9 yards per catch on 49 receptions and three TDs as rookie. . . . In 1986 caught 86 passes for a league- leading 1,570 yards and led the NFL in touchdown catches with 15. . . . Marked first of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons. . . . Recorded double-digit receiving touchdowns in nine of next 10 seasons. . . . In 1987 set the NFL record for touchdown receptions in season with 22.
Emmitt Smith
Running back, 5-9, 210 1990-2002 Dallas Cowboys, 2003-04 Arizona Cardinals 15 seasons, 226 games
Selected by Dallas in first round (17th player overall) of 1990 draft. . . . Rushed for 937 yards, 11 touchdowns to earn offensive rookie of the year honors. . . . Second season rushed for league-leading 1,563 yards. . . . Won rushing crowns in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995. . . . Led NFL in rushing touchdowns three times and accumulated 277 pass receptions during that same five-season period. . . . In 1995, recorded career highs for rushing yards (1,773), rushing touchdowns (25) and receptions (62). . . . Major contributor to Cowboys’ Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, XXX victories. . . . Named first-team all-pro 1992-95. . . . In 1993, named NFL’s MVP and MVP in Super Bowl XXVIII. . . . After narrowly missing the 1,000-yard mark as rookie, embarked on a record run of 11 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards rushing. . . . Streak came to end in 2002 when he missed the 1,000-yard mark by 25 yards.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame
