Richard Seymour Elected to Hall of Fame

The class includes offensive tackle Tony Boselli, safety LeRoy Butler, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive tackle Bryant Young, wide receiver Cliff Branch, Super Bowl-winning head coach Dick Vermeil, and Art McNally, the former NFL director of officiating. Seymour was a versatile player who could play as a defensive end or a tackle and was elected to the Patriots Hall of Fame last season. He will get his bust in Canton and receive his gold jacket. But, first, let"s look back at his career. 

Early Life and College Career 

Seymour was born in Gadsden, South Carolina, and played his college football at Georgia. He played in Athens from 1997 to 2000. While with the Bulldogs, the defensive line he was a part of had four future first-round picks in defensive tackle Marcus Stroud (Buffalo Bills) defensive end Charles Grant (New Orleans Saints) defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan (Saints), as well as Seymour himself. 

For his college career, he played in 41 games while starting 25. He had 223 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 25.5 tackles for a loss, and 35 quarterback pressures. He was a first-team All-SEC selection his junior and senior seasons and an All-American in 2000. 

Patriots Career

Seymour was drafted by the Patriots with the sixth overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft and signed a six-year contract worth $14.3 million. He appeared in 13 games for the Patriots across his rookie season, starting ten. Moreover, Seymour finished with 44 tackles and three sacks while recovering a fumble. He put an exclamation point to his rookie campaign when he helped lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl XXXVI victory over the St. Louis Rams 20-17, shutting down the Greatest Show On Turf in the process.

He spent the first eight seasons of his career in Foxborough. He won three Super Bowl Championships, was named first-team All-Pro three times (2003-2005), and was a five-time Pro Bowler. He finished with 357 tackles, 39 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions with the Patriots. 

Departure From New England 

Seymour was in the final year of his deal and sought an extension when the Patriots traded him to the Oakland Raiders a few days before the 2009 season began. They received a first-round pick in return.

He initially refused to report to the Raiders but eventually did and had a productive season, starting all 16 games and recording 47 tackles and four sacks. After that, Seymour would play four seasons with the Raiders and record 139 tackles and 18.5 sacks. Finally, he would retire after the 2012 season.

The Raiders voided the remaining year of his contract, and he became a free agent. Seymour would retire after becoming a free agent. Many teams were interested in signing him, and it looked like he would be joining the Atlanta Falcons. However, he did not receive a contract and ultimately retired. For his career, he registered 498 tackles, 57.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions.

After Football

Seymour retired in 2013 after a twelve-year professional career. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, a three-time Super Bowl champion, and was also selected to the NFL"s 2000"s All-Decade team. In addition, he was enshrined in the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2020.

Furthermore, Seymour is an avid poker player and has played at the World Series of Poker. His best finish in the WSOP was in 2019, when he finished 131st out of 8,569 entrants and won $59,295. His total career earnings in poker are $638,293.  

Seymour will now get ready to be enshrined in Canton. He becomes the tenth player who has played for the Patriots and was elected to the Hall of Fame. That list includes John Hannah, Mike Haynes, Andre Tippett, Curtis Martin, Junior Seau, Randy Moss, and Ty Law.  

He had to wait a few years to get the call, but Richard Seymour is now in the Hall of Fame. His bust and gold jacket await.

Thank you for reading my Richard Seymour Elected To Hall of Fame article. For more NFL content, follow me on Twitter @JuiceSportsGuy and @OTH_Football.

main image credit

Embed from Getty Images