Tomorrow, the Hall of Fame Board of Selectors will meet and decide upon which of the 17 finalists will make the cut into the NFL class of 2009. Of those 17, one is the all-time great Chicago Bear Defensive End Richard Dent.
Dent has been a finalist in five of the past six years to make it into the Hall of Fame. It is beyond time that this man receives the respect that he earned on that playing field for so many years.
Dent was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 8th round (203rd overall) in 1983. He wasn't expected to accomplish much like most other 8th round selections, but he persevered. Dent primarily played the Right Defensive End position and focused on sacking the Quarterback.
He played 12 of his 15 seasons for Chicago including starting all 16 games with the 1985-86 Super Bowl Champion Bears. Most football fans regard that defense as the best ever in the NFL, and if not the best ever, it ranks at minimum in their top three. Dent anchored that defensive line and was the leader up front for that amazing defense.
Dent holds the Bears franchise-record in sacks with 124.5 sacks and had 137.5 sacks in his career. He totaled double-digit sacks in eight different seasons with the Bears including 17 in 1985, which was the highest total in the league. The only years Dent didn't reach double-digits with the Bears was 9 sacks in 1989 and 8.5 in 1992.
At the time of his retirement Dent was third all-time in sacks over his entire career.
Dent was selected to four Pro-Bowls and earned Super Bowl XX MVP honors when he recorded 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles on the world's greatest stage.
This weekend Dent needs to receive an 80 percent approval rating from the 44-member board to be elected into the Hall of Fame. In my opinion, he deserves it and should make the final cut from 17 to 7. If Dent were to make it in, he would join Walter Payton, Dan Hampton, and Mike Singletary as the fourth member of the legendary 1985 Bears team to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame.
He is a humble and great person that has been waiting for his turn too long. Good luck Mr. Dent. I am pulling for you.
