Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice — the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and receiver — headline this year’s class that will be inducted today into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rice and Smith were both elected to the shrine in their first year of eligibility, and said they were pleased to go into the Hall of Fame together while leaders atop two of the NFL’s most hallowed lists.
“Nobody could write a script this perfect,” Smith said back in February, when the results of the voting were announced during Super Bowl week. “For Jerry Rice and I to go in at the same time, it’s just incredible.”
Both players are three-time Super Bowl champions, and in their careers gave teams plenty of chances to regret that they bypassed them in the NFL Draft.
Rice was the 16th selection in the 1985 draft and Smith was taken 17th in 1990. He had the luck to be drafted by a San Francisco 49ers team coming off their second Super Bowl victory.
“When I first stepped into that locker room I looked across and there was Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott, all of these Hall of Famers and I’m in the room with these guys,” Rice said. “At first it was like a deer in the headlights.”
He quickly showed he belonged. Rice built a record streak of 274 consecutive games with at least one catch, 11 straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, 22 touchdown catches in 12 games of the strike-shortened 1987 season and final totals of 1,549 receptions for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns.
Smith, who made his name in 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, rushed for 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns, and also had the most carries (4,409) for a career. In a bruising position, Smith was a force for all of his time in Dallas and almost reached 1,000 yards in the second of his two seasons in Arizona at the end of his career.
The two lead a class of seven gridiron greats, including Detroit Lions defensive back Dick LeBeau, who has been even more successful as a defensive coordinator.
Washington guard Russ Grimm — also now a top NFL assistant coach, New Orleans linebacker Rickey Jackson, Minnesota defensive tackle John Randle and Denver running back Floyd Little will also be enshrined.
This year, the ceremonies may attract a more diverse audience than usual thanks to Smith and Rice, who gained wider fame with engaging appearances on the Dancing With the Stars television show. Smith won the competition and Rice finished runner-up the season he appeared.
Smith welcomed the chance to show another side to his fans.
“I know for me, people did not get a chance to see my face or personality,” Smith said.
“When it comes to Dancing with the Stars, it’s about the personalities, who we are when we are not in uniform, and I think Dancing with the Stars gave us an opportunity to reach out in another way,” he said.
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