February 6, 2010
BY SEAN JENSEN Staff Reporter
Richard Dent has to keep on waiting. The former Bears defensive end was not elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday evening for
the eighth time.
This year's class hasn't been announced yet, but Dent won't be among the inductees.
According to Hall of Fame voter Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dent was eliminated in the cutdown from 10 to five, along with Cris Carter, Shannon Sharpe, Andre Reed and Cortez Kennedy.
Dent's old head coach certainly thinks he belongs.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/footb...020610.article
By David Haugh
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."
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 dominant at his position as Dent.
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.
http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com...try-again.html
"What makes any Hall of Fame football player?" Bears coach Mike Ditka said Friday night. "I think he made the game better by playing. He made our team better by winning. He made the people around him better.
"He was a force to be reckoned with every time he stepped on the field."
When he retired in 1997, Dent's 137.5 career sacks trailed only Bruce Smith (200.0) and Reggie White (198.0) among defensive ends.
But the decorated Dent - he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection - was one of only six defensive players ever to be named a Super Bowl MVP. In Super Bowl XX, Dent had three tackles, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. In the NFC Divisonal playoff game against the New York Giants, Dent had seven tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
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