Super Bowl eve kicked off with a young, linebacker-heavy Hall of Fame class:
Terrell Owens
Former six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, T.O. was one of the favorites for the induction, and it’s easy to see why. Owens had almost 16,000 career receiving yards, the second highest in league history, and over 150 receiving touchdowns, the league’s third highest ever. Owens started his career in 1996 with the 49ers, where he would eventually step in for Jerry Rice. T.O. played for the 49ers for eight years until he was traded to the Eagles in 2004. He ended his career playing for the Cowboys, Bills and Bengals.
Ray Lewis
17-year middle linebacker, 13-time Pro Bowler, and iconic Baltimore Raven, Lewis has been Defensive Player of the Year (2000 and 2003), Super Bowl MVP (XXXV), Super Bowl champion (XXXV and XLVII), and seven-time first-team All Pro. Lewis’ career boasts over 2,000 tackles, 41 quarterback sacks, 67 pass deflections and 3 touchdowns.
Randy Moss
Wide receiver and 14-season veteran Moss earned his spot in the class with the NFL single-season touchdown reception record, the single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie, and the second all-time regular season touchdown reception record at 156. Moss was drafted by the Vikings in 1998, where he played for seven seasons until he was traded to the Raiders in 2005. Soon after, Moss was traded to the Patriots in 2007. Moss ended his career playing for the Titans in 2010 and then the 49ers in 2012, retiring in 2013.
Brian Urlacher
Former 13-season linebacker, eight time Pro Bowler, first-team All-Pro, NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2005), NFL Defensive Rookie of the year (2000) and top prospect in the 2000 college draft, Urlacher started his career with the Chicago Bears as a versatile middle and outside linebacker. Urlacher played with Chicago for his entire career until he retired in 2012 with over 1,300 career tackles, 41 quarterback sacks and 22 interceptions.
Brian Dawkins
Dawkins, a former safety who played for 16 seasons, earned his spot as a 9 time Pro Bowler and 5 time first-team All-Pro. Dawkins has a career 778 tackles, 26 quarterback sacks, 37 interceptions, 36 forced fumbles and 3 touchdowns. He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 1996 draft from Clemson, where he played for 13 seasons. Dawkins ended his career after spending three seasons in Denver.
Jerry Kramer
A long awaited induction, Jerry Kramer played as an offensive lineman with the Green Bay Packers from 1958-1968. Kramer, along with the Packers, won the first two Super Bowls in NFL history. He was a three time Pro Bowler, 5 time first-team All-Pro, and Green Bay Hall of Famer. Kramer was the 39th pick in the 1958 draft from the University of Idaho, and played under Vince Lombardi in 1959.
Robert Brazile
Former linebacker “Dr. Doom” Brazile played for nine years for the former Houston Oilers. Brazile was the 6th pick in 1975, was a 7 time Pro Bowler, 5 time first-team All-Pro player, and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1975). Brazile has a career total of 13 interceptions and 201 interception yards. Because sacks did not become an NFL statistic officially until 1982, Brazile has an unofficial total of 48 career sacks and 1,281 tackles.
Bobby Beathard
Former GM Bobby Beathard was inducted after a fifty-year plus career in professional football. Beathard started his career as a scout for the Chiefs in 1963. Starting his GM career with the Redskins in 1978, Beathard has had seven teams compete in the Super Bowl, with four winning teams, as well as three AFC and three NFC championships. He was the GM for the Chargers for a decade, where San Diego made their first Super Bowl appearance. Beathard retired in 2000.
