THOUGHTS ON MCDANIEL, WOODSON & SMITH.....HOF 2009
Later this evening the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton Ohio, will enshrine 6 new members. Randall McDaniel, Rod Woodson & Bruce Smith are 3 of the all-time greats ready to join football's most exclusive club. Here's a brief thumbnail sketch of all three.
Randall McDaniel, offensive guard, Minnesota Vikings & Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Born in Phoenix Arizona, McDaniel stayed at home playing at Arizona State. He was a first round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 1988, the 19th overall pick of the draft. He quickly became a starter in week 3 of his rookie year & went on to play in 222 games, at one point, McDaniel started in 202 consecutive games. He played in 12 consecutive Pro Bowls. He had the most awkward stance in football. Early in his career he had a leg injury & was concerned he would be taken out the lineup, so he experimented with different positions for the injured leg, found one he could tolerate & went with it. After the game, two opposing players told him they kept looking at his left leg, which was almost flat on the turf, instead of watching their keys. So McDaniel never changed his weird stance. He also never showed any emotion on the field, Warren Sapp called him "the most frustrating guy I ever played against. Most guys could be rattled by trash talk, loosing their temper or concentration, but not Randall". Sapp said McDaniel never reacted to anything said to him & he didn't speak a single word to him during a game, "it was almost like he was deaf". McDaniel could maul & overpower defenders or he could finesse them out of the play, whatever it took. Very, very few offensive linemen were talented enough to have it both ways. McDaniel is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He is now a second grade teacher at Hilltop Primary in Mound Minnesota, a job he worked into while still playing for the Vikings. In 1998, he began volunteering at the school as a teacher's aid. After his retirement he knew this is what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He became a full time teacher in 2005 & is also an avid golfer. In my opinion, McDaniel is in a very select group of guards that would include John Hannah(the best I ever saw), Gene Upshaw, Bruce Mathews, Gene Hickerson & Will Shields.
Rod Woodson, cornerback, safety, kick returner & punt returner, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco Forty Niners, Baltimore Ravens & Oakland Raiders. Woodson is from Indiana & as a high schooler, not only was he a football star, but he won the state championships in the low & high hurdles both his junior & senior years. He stayed in-state to attend Purdue University & made first team all Big-10 3 consecutive seasons. Rod was drafted #1 by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 10th overall pick in the 1987 draft. Woodson became a Pro Bowl cornerback, 11 times overall, also earning the honor at safety, plus he was a feared kick & punt returner, returning 2 of each for touchdowns. Woodson played in 3 Super Bowls, 1 with Pittsburgh, 1 with Baltimore & 1 with Oakland. He is 3rd all-time in interceptions with 71, he holds the NFL record for interceptions returned for TDs with 12 & he also holds the yardage record for those returns with 1,483. He was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team in 1994, one of only five players who were still active in the league at that time. Woodson will always be considered one of the greatest athletes to ever play in the NFL. He coaches high school football in Dublin California, where his wife Nickie & their 5 children reside. Wooson would be in my top-5 cornerbacks of all-time with Deion Sanders, Darrell Green, Mike Haynes & Mel Blount.
Bruce Smith, defensive end, Buffalo Bills & Washington Redskins. Smith, like the other two, stayed in-state to attend college, going to Virginia Tech. He recorded 22 sacks in his junior season, at the time an unheard of total. He finished his career as a Hokie with 46 sacks, 71 tackles for loss & the 1984 Outland Trophy, as college football's best lineman. The Buffalo Bills drafted him #1 overall in 1985 & after a disappointing rookie season in which he kept packing on weight, Smith decided to get in shape like he'd never been. He shed over 30 pounds & the sacks started piling up until he surpassed Reggie White as the all-time leader in NFL history with 200. He made 11 consecutive Pro Bowls & was the NFL defensive player of the year twice. Smith was a member of the only team to ever play in 4 consecutive Super Bowls, unfortunately, they lost them all. In retirement, Smith owns a Red Lion Inn & helps design upscale hotels for a firm he owns in Virginia Beach. As much as I liked Howie Long, Carl Eller & Lee Roy Selmon, Bruce Smith belongs in an even more elite top-3. A threesome of Reggie White, Smith & Deacon Jones with nearly 600 sacks between them.
Randall McDaniel, offensive guard, Minnesota Vikings & Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Born in Phoenix Arizona, McDaniel stayed at home playing at Arizona State. He was a first round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 1988, the 19th overall pick of the draft. He quickly became a starter in week 3 of his rookie year & went on to play in 222 games, at one point, McDaniel started in 202 consecutive games. He played in 12 consecutive Pro Bowls. He had the most awkward stance in football. Early in his career he had a leg injury & was concerned he would be taken out the lineup, so he experimented with different positions for the injured leg, found one he could tolerate & went with it. After the game, two opposing players told him they kept looking at his left leg, which was almost flat on the turf, instead of watching their keys. So McDaniel never changed his weird stance. He also never showed any emotion on the field, Warren Sapp called him "the most frustrating guy I ever played against. Most guys could be rattled by trash talk, loosing their temper or concentration, but not Randall". Sapp said McDaniel never reacted to anything said to him & he didn't speak a single word to him during a game, "it was almost like he was deaf". McDaniel could maul & overpower defenders or he could finesse them out of the play, whatever it took. Very, very few offensive linemen were talented enough to have it both ways. McDaniel is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He is now a second grade teacher at Hilltop Primary in Mound Minnesota, a job he worked into while still playing for the Vikings. In 1998, he began volunteering at the school as a teacher's aid. After his retirement he knew this is what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He became a full time teacher in 2005 & is also an avid golfer. In my opinion, McDaniel is in a very select group of guards that would include John Hannah(the best I ever saw), Gene Upshaw, Bruce Mathews, Gene Hickerson & Will Shields.
Rod Woodson, cornerback, safety, kick returner & punt returner, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco Forty Niners, Baltimore Ravens & Oakland Raiders. Woodson is from Indiana & as a high schooler, not only was he a football star, but he won the state championships in the low & high hurdles both his junior & senior years. He stayed in-state to attend Purdue University & made first team all Big-10 3 consecutive seasons. Rod was drafted #1 by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 10th overall pick in the 1987 draft. Woodson became a Pro Bowl cornerback, 11 times overall, also earning the honor at safety, plus he was a feared kick & punt returner, returning 2 of each for touchdowns. Woodson played in 3 Super Bowls, 1 with Pittsburgh, 1 with Baltimore & 1 with Oakland. He is 3rd all-time in interceptions with 71, he holds the NFL record for interceptions returned for TDs with 12 & he also holds the yardage record for those returns with 1,483. He was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team in 1994, one of only five players who were still active in the league at that time. Woodson will always be considered one of the greatest athletes to ever play in the NFL. He coaches high school football in Dublin California, where his wife Nickie & their 5 children reside. Wooson would be in my top-5 cornerbacks of all-time with Deion Sanders, Darrell Green, Mike Haynes & Mel Blount.
Bruce Smith, defensive end, Buffalo Bills & Washington Redskins. Smith, like the other two, stayed in-state to attend college, going to Virginia Tech. He recorded 22 sacks in his junior season, at the time an unheard of total. He finished his career as a Hokie with 46 sacks, 71 tackles for loss & the 1984 Outland Trophy, as college football's best lineman. The Buffalo Bills drafted him #1 overall in 1985 & after a disappointing rookie season in which he kept packing on weight, Smith decided to get in shape like he'd never been. He shed over 30 pounds & the sacks started piling up until he surpassed Reggie White as the all-time leader in NFL history with 200. He made 11 consecutive Pro Bowls & was the NFL defensive player of the year twice. Smith was a member of the only team to ever play in 4 consecutive Super Bowls, unfortunately, they lost them all. In retirement, Smith owns a Red Lion Inn & helps design upscale hotels for a firm he owns in Virginia Beach. As much as I liked Howie Long, Carl Eller & Lee Roy Selmon, Bruce Smith belongs in an even more elite top-3. A threesome of Reggie White, Smith & Deacon Jones with nearly 600 sacks between them.
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