Last night at the NFL Honors show, longtime Patriot from 2001-2008 Richard Seymour finally got the call to be enshrined in NFL history in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Seymour has been advertised by Patriots Nation for years now to get the nod, and rightfully so. Let’s take a look at Seymour’s legendary Hall of Fame career.

Coming out of the University of Georgia, Seymour was an All-American his senior year, and was awarded multiple SEC player of the week trophies. He was selected sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, and after familiarizing himself with the league, began his tear as a premier defensive tackle.

His rookie season in the NFL got off to a shaky start as he began his career with a leg injury. In this 2001-2002 season, Seymour started 10 games, while getting in the groove of the NFL’s fast-paced play. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots later that season, so some would see this as a great rookie season. 2002 is where Seymour took his play to the next level.

The 2002-2003 season Seymour was elected to his first Pro Bowl, and rightfully so. He had a breakthrough sophomore season, after a rocky start in the NFL riddled by injury and struggles in the starting lineup. In the next season, the Patriots shifted to a 3-4 defense and saw Seymour move to the outside taking snaps at the defensive end position. He was named a defensive captain in just his third year with the team, as he and the Patriots went on to win a second Super Bowl trophy over the Carolina Panthers. The 2004-2005 season saw a small dip in Seymour’s statistical numbers, but he was still a dominant force on one of the NFL’s best defensive lines as he was yet again named to another Pro Bowl. He was also a First-Team All Pro choice for the second straight year. The Patriots won back-to-back Super Bowls as they beat the Philadelphia Eagles to close out the season, with Seymour now a key member of the defense.

The 2005-2008 seasons were Seymour’s final tenure with the Patriots, as he earned another First-Team All Pro, two Second-Team All Pro’s, and two more Pro Bowls during this time. Seymour suffered injuries, but continued to battle through them as he helped shape a defense that was now apart of a team which was primarily led by the offense.

As Seymour was heading into final season under contract with the Patriots, he was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a first round draft pick. Although it was a shock to Seymour, he knew he still had more to prove and began to do so in his time with the Raiders.

During his time with the Raiders before his retirement in 2012, Seymour still produced at a high level as he was selected to a third Second-Team All Pro in 2011 as well as Pro Bowl appearances in 2010 and 2011.

Some of Seymour’s final career statistics and highlights:

• 3x Super Bowl Champion

• 7x Pro Bowl

• 5x All Pro Choice

• NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

• New England Patriots 50th Anniversary Team

• New England Patriots All-2000s Team

• 496 tackles, 57.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions

In 2020, we saw Richard Seymour receive his red jacket as he was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. Now, we will watch him receive his gold jacket as he enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and well deserved at that.