On Thursday night, news broke that former Patriots and Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2022 class. It is a well-deserved honor for the highest player Bill Belichick drafted as Patriots head coach. Seymour was a monster on the defensive line and a key piece of three Super Bowl Championship teams.
Seymour was drafted sixth overall in 2001 and immediately became a starter. He helped turn the Patriots defense, and franchise, around. New England won a Super Bowl behind great defensive play, along with the brilliance of Belichick and Tom Brady, in Seymour’s rookie season. They proceeded to win two more championships in 2003 and 2004. Seymour anchored a stout defensive line that terrorized opposing quarterbacks and bottled up some of the best rushing attacks in the game. In 2009, New England shockingly traded him to Oakland for a first round draft pick. In four seasons in Oakland, Seymour proved he still had plenty left in the tank. He made two Pro Bowls while with the Raiders and was named to the All-Pro second team in 2011.
In 12 seasons, Seymour made the All-Pro Team five times, including three times on the first team. He finished second in Defensive Player of the Year Voting in 2003 and made the Pro Bowl seven times. For a player that primarily swapped between defensive tackle and some defensive end in his career, that level of consistent excellence is remarkable. For reference, in 11 seasons J.J. Watt, the gold-standard of defensive linemen in the 21st Century, made five All-Pro Teams (all first team) and won two Defensive Player of the Year awards. Watt’s resume is more impressive award-wise, but Seymour is in the same neighborhood and has three Super Bowl wins to Watt’s zero.
Ernie Adams, the former Do-It-All advisor for the Patriots, summed it up best: “When Seymour was on his game, he was unblockable.”
Seymour had 62 sacks, 10 fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles in the regular season and playoffs. He also had 96 tackles for loss. This is all while teams were game planning to stop him and double-teaming him regularly.
Voting Richard Seymour into the Hall of Fame is an easy decision. Playing a position that is not known for glamour or gaudy numbers, Seymour made a massive impact week in and week out. Is not an exaggeration to say that the Patriots may have one less Super Bowl win if not for Seymour. His stop late in the 2001 Divisional Round on 3rd and 1 against Oakland is one of the key plays of that game and his consistent greatness helped the New England defense shut down playoff opponents. With his selection to the Hall of Fame, Seymour is given the recognition he earned throughout a great 12-year NFL career.