FORT LAUDERDALE -- Having had to wait eight rounds before the Bears drafted him out of Tennessee State back in 1983, Richard Dent knows something about patience.
But it was tested again Saturday.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame denied Dent entry into the class of 2010, the sixth time in the last seven years he had been a finalist only to get the disappointing news.
If offensive linemen were as effective at keeping Dent away as the Hall of Fame's 44-member selection board, this wouldn't be so frustrating for the man they call "The Colonel."
"I'm disappointed that the Chicago party has been delayed again,'' Dent said Saturday night. "You have to congratulate the guys who went in. I'll look for it next year."
The new class includes 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice, Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, Redskins offensive lineman Russ Grimm, Vikings defensive tackle John Randle and Saints outside linebacker Rickey Jackson. Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little went in as veterans.
Photo: Bears' Richard Dent hovers over Indianapolis Colts quarterback Mike Pagel in 1985. (Tribune file photo)
But to see the final five names this year include defensive players with lesser credentials such as Saints linebacker Rickey Jackson and Vikings defensive end John Randle has to make Dent wonder if he ever will make it. Randle finished his career with the same number of sacks as Dent - 137.5. Jackson was a terrific player but, in fairness, not considered as d
ominant at his position as Dent.
"It's tough news for Richard and it's tough news for me too because I really think he should be in there,'' Mike Ditka said. "You can't go and say the other guys don't deserve it. They deserve it too. But Richard Dent had a Hall of Fame career, no ifs, ands or buts. I don't know what the criteria is.''
When Dent retired, he was third all-time in career sacks. Research by Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders revealed that in 150 starts, Dent averaged 0.92 sacks per start. Only one defensive end in the modern era had a higher rate -- Fred Dean with 1.14 sacks per start. Dent's ratio was higher than top contemporary sack men Reggie White (0.87), Bruce Smith (0.75) and Michael Strahan (0.69).
He also made eight interceptions in his career - tied for most by a modern-era defensive lineman - broke up 60 passes and forced 38 fumbles.
There are only three players off the Bears Super Bowl XX champions: Walter Payton, Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton. Dent was favored to become the fourth given how much support he had garnered in 2009 when he had made the cut to the final 10. Dent made the final 10 again this year before being stymied.
"How a guy makes a team better is all that should matter,'' Ditka said. "It shouldn't matter if he had another Hall of Famer on the other side (Hampton) or if he had a running back on offense (Payton) that was the best-ever. It should be on what his contributions were, period, and Dent did enough to be in the Hall of Fame.''
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unbiased giants fan here, clearly dent had two monster 17+ sack seasons, and an unbelievable '85 year, but the 4 pro bowls do leave something to be desired. any reason he only went to 4? was he injured at the end of seasons and couldn't go, his sack totals are pretty impressive
Their must be someone on the H.O.F. Committee that got bitch-slapped at one time by Richard Dent. Rickey Jackson in the Hall before Richard Dent??? You have to be kidding me!!!
aircmbt on February 6, 2010 4:58 PM
How can you vote for Randle and Jackson over Dent. There is no comparison to me of how big a playmaker Dent was. I love Dan Hampton to death and I agree with his first ballot HOF induction, but Dent was the most feared person on that defense.
Wrong.
Wilbur Marshall was the most feared person on that defense by a wide, wide margin.
Hey Chad, Where did you get your education? You can't read, write, spell, comprehend or analyze the facts.
I say dent and John Schoop should be in the hall of fame!
The Hall of Fame is a sham, a joke , and should not even be considered legit anymore. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO ARGUMENT TO MADE AGAINST RICHARD DENT MAKING THE HALL. NONE.
Hey Chad - did you read the article? Or do you need some remedial reading comprehension exercises?
Dent's per game sack ratio has him as #2 all time. If Derrick Thomas got in - Richard Dent should be there.
Your points are predicated on votes. Mine is based on facts. It seems there's a Packer fan in the wood pile.
Dent is, without a doubt, a Hall of Fame player, and anyone trying to use individual stats to try and tear down his career is just further proving how little about the game they really know.
Richard Dent has become the "Ron Santo" of the Bears. Three teammates of each of their best teams went into the HOF, but, their other teams didn't win enough to warrant more HOF votes for each of them.
Anyone know the email for the hall of shame..err..fame committee members?
What the downers aren't addressing is the fact that without Dent, the '85 team would not have been as dominant as it was. The '84 and '86 teams also wouldn't have. Other teams schemed around him. These people who left those comments probably aren't even old enough to remember when he played. He was awesome and much more of a terror than Randel.
Dent ended his career as a designated pass rusher for Philly and Indy. Hall of Fame lineman should not sit the bench, they should be every-down players, a part-time guy deserves to have to wait.
Dent went to only 4 Pro Bowls and was All-Pro only twice, is that HOF materiel? Biased Da Bears fans?
When you go around during your playing career and act very arrogant towards the media, fans and other players and now you want the same people to vote you in to the HOF.
He was a good player not a Hall of Famer. Just like Santo
BearFanInLA, if you think Swilling was a better player than Jackson you know NOTHING about football. Swilling was a one trick pony. Pass rusher, allowed to do so by the fact that Jackson had the other side of the line and vaughan Johnson and Sam Mills had his pass coverage assignments. Swilling couldn't hold Rickey Jackson's OR Richard Dent's jock.
Rickey Jackson's career stats: 13 seasons, 128 sacks (plus 8 more in his rookie season when sacks were not yet an official stat), 1173 tackles, 8 interceptions, 29 fumble recoveries, 40 forced fumbles, 6 Pro Bowl appearances, missed only 2 games in his career (after being nearly killed in an automobile accident).
Richard Dent's career stats: 12 seasons 137.5 sacks ( all when sacks were official stats) 671 tackles, 8 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries, 37 fumbles forced, 4 Pro Bowl appearances.
Look at those stats without your orange and black colored glasses and tell me who the better player was? Dent was almost a one trick pony compared to Rickey Jackson who could not only rush the passer, but could play the run as well. If Rickey Jackson had played in Chicago, he'd have been called the second coming of Dick Butkus (pronounced butt kiss, which is what you're doing to Dent).
Don't get me wrong, Richard Dent is definitely Hall of Fame caliber, but to say he had better stats than Rickey Jackson is to look at only sacks and nothing else in his career. If that's how you imagine Hall of Fame credentials to be, then you're a sad sports writer.
How can you vote for Randle and Jackson over Dent. There is no comparison to me of how big a playmaker Dent was. I love Dan Hampton to death and I agree with his first ballot HOF induction, but Dent was the most feared person on that defense.
Rickey Jackson? Seriously? Swilling was better than Jackson lol
John Randle and Ricky Jackson but Dent. this is beyond a joke. The HOF needs to refine the voting procedures and get some people in there that have actually seen more then one football game in their life. What a joke!
Richard Dent aka "The Colonel" deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Somewhere Walter Payton is not happy.
What a joke the hall of fame is!!!!
Everyone else was double teamed, Dent was a sloth up the middle
WTFH? How can the board have their head so far up their rears?
a travesty, to keep Dent out of the HOF
Who votes? Cmon Trib..
Unfrickenbelievable.
Dent should have been a first ballot selection.