Edited by: Taylor N. Hall
Photo Credits: Associated Press
The 2024 NFL Hall of Fame class is packed with legends who left an incredible mark on the game. To even be elected the committee's rules requires that each player has to be thoroughly reviewed and get approval from at least 80 percent of the committee. There are three rounds of polling to decide which candidates can become an official nominee on the final list. This year, there were seven inductees: pass rushers Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers, linebackers Patrick Willis and Randy Gradishar, wide receivers Andre Johnson and Devin Hester, and defensive tackle Steve McMichael. These players have now earned their well-deserved place in Canton.
Dwight Freeney
Photo Credits: Getty Images
Dwight Freeney was a defensive end and linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts for 16 seasons. In college, he played for the Syracuse Orangemen and earned unanimous All-American honors. He was one of the most fearsome pass rushers in the league. Even though the Colts were more known for their high-powered offense in the 2000s, Freeney made a defense that was also a problem for the rest of the AFC. In his rookie season back in 2002, he had an immediate impact, recording 13 sacks and a league-leading 20 tackles for loss and nine forced fumbles. That was his first of four straight double-digit sack seasons, including an NFL-best at 16 in 2004. Freeney earned seven Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro honors throughout his career.
Julius Peppers
Photo Credits: Getty Images
Julius Peppers was a defensive end and linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers. In college, Peppers played for the North Carolina Tar Heels and had many achievements including first-team All-ACC and second-team All-American honors in his sophomore year. As a junior, he was a unanimous first-team All-ACC selection. He also won the Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, and Bill Willis Trophy, finishing tenth in Heisman Trophy voting. In 34 games, he started 33 and ranked second in UNC history with 30.5 sacks. In his rookie season with the Panthers, he won Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception in just 12 games. His rookie season was just the first of nine that he was able to record a minimum of 10 sacks. When he retired, he was fourth all-time in sacks with 159.5 and had a franchise-record of 97 in Carolina. Peppers is also the only player to record a minimum of 150 sacks and 10 interceptions (four of ten were returned for a touchdown). During his time in the NFL, he got three first-team All-Pro nods and a Pro Bowl nod.
Patrick Willis
Photo Credits: Getty Images
Patrick Willis was a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers all eight years that he was in the league. In college, Willis played for Ole Miss. As a freshman, he played in all 13 games and even won the Scholar-Athlete Award. In his sophomore year, he earned honorable mention All-SEC honors with 70 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and five sacks. As a junior, he led the SEC with 128 tackles, was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and earned first-team All-SEC and All-American honors. In 2006, he once again led the SEC in tackles and won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus Award, and Jack Lambert Trophy. He was also named a consensus first-team All-American, and in 2019, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. During his time with San Francisco, Willis earned five first-team All-Pro selections and had seven Pro Bowl appearances. In 2007, he led the NFL with 174 tackles and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He recorded over 100 tackles in six of his eight seasons. Even with his shorter career, he more than earned his spot in Canton.
Randy Gradishar
Photo Credits: Getty Images
Randy Gradishar was a linebacker for the Denver Broncos. In college, Gradishar played for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was a three-year starter. Legendary coach Woody Hayes praised him as being the best linebacker he ever coached. Gradishar led the Buckeyes with 134 tackles in his senior year alone and that helped them get a 25-6-1 record and not one but two Big Ten titles during his time there. His final game with the Buckeyes was a Rose Bowl game in which the Buckeyes won 42-21 and they capped the season with a 10-0-1 record. During that whole season, the Buckeyes’ defense only allowed 64 points. Gradishar had 320 career tackles and, at the time, ranked first in school history. He was a consensus All-American in 1972 and a unanimous pick in 1973 and finished sixth in Heisman voting. In his time with the Broncos, Gradishar led the legendary Orange Crush defense (that was the nickname for the Broncos’ 3-4 defense from 1976 to the early 1980s). On the field, the Orange Crush was made up of Tom Jackson, Lyle Alzado, Louis Wright, Billy Thompson, and Randy Gradishar. In his 10-year career with the Broncos, Gradishar had seven Pro Bowl appearances and two first-team All-Pro honors. In 1978, he won Defensive Player of the Year just after helping Denver get to their first Super Bowl. When he retired in 1983, he was the all-time leader in tackles for the Broncos with a total of 2,049. Gradishar ended his career with 19.5 sacks, 20 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries, and four defensive touchdowns.
Andre Johnson
Photo Credits: Getty Images
Andre Johnson was a wide receiver for not only the Houston Texans but also the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans. In college, he played for the University of Miami. During his time with the Hurricanes, he was co-MVP of the 2002 Rose Bowl, in which he caught two touchdowns for 199 yards and helped the Hurricanes secure a 37-17 win and their fifth national championship. Johnson ended his college career with 20 touchdowns and 92 catches for 1,831 yards, which puts him at fifth all-time at Miami. In 2014, he was inducted into the Miami Sports Hall of Fame. In his 14-year career, Johnson recorded seven seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards; three of them he had over 1,500 yards. He earned a Pro Bowl spot in his second year and, in 2006, he led the NFL in receptions with 103. Johnson led the league in both 2008 and 2009 for receiving yards and earned two All-Pro selections despite injury setbacks. At the end of his career, he was a 7-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro and retired with 12,185 yards, 1,062 receptions, and 70 touchdowns.
Devin Hester
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Devin Hester was a wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and the Seattle Seahawks. In college, he played for the University of Miami. During his time with the Hurricanes, he earned first-team All-American honors and became the first player in recent Miami history to play on offense, defense, and special teams. Hester scored six return touchdowns, two kickoffs, and four punts, a recorded blocked field goal return, rushing touchdown, receiving touchdown, and five interceptions. At the end of his time in Miami, he had 41 punt returns for 638 yards, 40 kick returns for 1,019 yards, 24 carries for 160 yards, 10 receptions for 196 yards, and five interceptions. In the NFL, Hester holds the record for the most punt-return touchdowns at 14. He also has five kickoff return touchdowns, and another return touchdown, which puts him at an unmatched 20 return touchdowns. As a receiver, he has 255 catches for 3,311 yards and 16 touchdowns. He is a three-time first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler and was also named to the NFL All-Decade Teams for the 2000s and 2010s. Hester is also the only player to return the opening kickoff in a Super Bowl for a touchdown and is the only primary return specialist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a receiver, he has 255 catches for 3,311 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Steve McMichael
Photo Credits: Getty Images
Steve McMichael was a defensive tackle for not only the Chicago Bears but also the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. McMichael’s success in his high school years got him scholarship offers from 75 schools but he ultimately chose the University of Texas at Austin. By his final year, he was a consensus first-team All-American and the defensive MVP of the 1979 Hula Bowl. He was an All-Southwest Conference selection in 1978 and 1979, team MVP in 1979, and even served as the backup placekicker in 1977. He also ended up being inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor and the College Football Hall of Fame. In the NFL, he started with the Patriots but ultimately made his mark with the Bears and was a key player on their legendary 1985 Super Bowl-winning team. He was a two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler. He totaled 847 tackles, 95 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, 13 of which were with the Bears, 17 fumble recoveries, and one interception. Per season, he recorded over 8 sacks in seven seasons which is the second-most among defensive tackles.
McMichael was diagnosed with ALS in 2021 and continues to fight the disease while he is being honored for his absolutely remarkable football career. Due to this, his wife, Misty McMichael, represented her husband at many events including the Hall of Fame Game, Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner and more. Misty and their daughter, Macy, got to unveil the HOF bust and present him with his Gold Jacket. McMichael lost his ability to speak but had made a short speech for the occasion.
Here are some notable quotes from the speech:
“Woo, hoo. I am in the Hall of Fame.”
“I played 15 years in the NFL and loved every minute and every down.”
“I don’t want ALS to be my legacy. What I did on the field; that is my legacy. Pushing myself to the limit farther than anyone could.”
This year’s NFL Hall of Fame class is a testament to the amazing talent and impact that these legends have had on the game. From electrifying return specialists to dominant pass rushers, each one of them has left an unerasable mark on the NFL and football as a whole. This year's inductees—Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers, Patrick Willis, Randy Gradishar, Andre Johnson, Devin Hester, and Steve McMichael—have now been immortalized among the greatest to ever play the game.
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