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'I Did Enough!' Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware Always 'Destined for Greatness'

Cowboys legend DeMarcus Ware is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023. ... and Jerry Jones always figured it might happen.

It didn’t take long for Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys to know they had something special in DeMarcus Ware.

“We knew from the first moment he stepped on the practice field that DeMarcus was destined for greatness,” Jones said earlier this week from the site of the Super Bowl.

That greatness was immortalized with Ware’s election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Cowboys’ all-time leader in sacks received the honor in his second year of eligibility and will enter in a summer ceremony in Canton.

"I did enough!'' Ware said via social media.

Said Jones: “I couldn’t be more proud of – and happy for – DeMarcus Ware for this well-deserved recognition. “His approach to the game, on and off the field, embodied all the traits it takes to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a ferocious pass rusher on the field and a true leader and role model in the locker room and in the community.”

Ware finished his career with 138.5 sacks (117 with the Cowboys), seven All-Pro selections (four first-team), nine Pro Bowls honors, two sack titles (2008, 2010), a Super Bowl win with the Denver Broncos and a spot on the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.

The 2023 class also included linebacker Zach Thomas, who spent his final season with the Cowboys, and Cowboys legend Chuck Howley as a senior candidate. Darren Woodson again this year fell just short.

“I’m in THIS club,” Ware posted on Twitter, referring to the Hall of Fame.

Ware played the first nine seasons of his 12-year career with the Cowboys. The first-round pick from Troy in 2005 (11th overall) is currently ninth on the NFL career sack list.

After spending three seasons with Denver, Ware signed a ceremonial contract to retire as a Cowboy. Ware's impact on the franchise is unquestioned.

“The extra effort and time that he put in at practice to teach and help our offensive line be the best they could be was extraordinary and yet another example of the total team commitment he had and how it consumed him,” Jones said. “DeMarcus earned this very rare and special place in NFL history every single day of his career, and it is truly wonderful that he will now be recognized in the Hall.”


You can follow Art Garcia on Twitter @ArtGarcia92.

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