Seymour Enshrined; Who's Patriots Best Hall of Famer?
NFL players don't technically enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of one team. There are, of course, player-team connections that are undeniable, even if left unspoken.
Dan Marino with the Miami Dolphins. Darrell Green with the Washington Redskins. John Elway with the Denver Broncos. Going back a ways, Lou Groza and his 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
And pretty sure a certain No. 12 in Tampa has a ways to go before the Tom Brady legacy isn't eternally tied to the New England Patriots.
Though he played his final four seasons with the Raiders, Richard Seymour essentially was enshrined into Canton last week as a member of the Pats. He had his best seasons here. Won Super Bowls here. If Hall-of-Fame busts were adorned with helmets or logos, Seymour would sport Patriots' red, blue and silver.
Seymour became the 10th Patriots representative in Canton. Some of those had strong ties to New England; others merely a cup of coffee for the Pats.
In future Canton classes, players like Darrelle Revis will go in as Patriots' one-hit wonders and Robert Kraft will enter after a life and a career solely devoted to New England.
Though it's akin to picking your favorite children, let's rank the "best" Patriots Hall of Famers according to their longevity, loyalty and legacy in New England.
10. Junior Seau - Commonly connected to the San Diego Chargers (where he played 13 seasons), the linebacker played only 38 games with New England. He spent his last four seasons with the Patriots, and had three interceptions and 3.5 sacks for the 2007 team that almost went 19-0.
9. Curtis Martin - Was productive (32 rushing touchdowns, two Pro Bowls) during his three seasons in Foxboro, but he played eight years for the Jets including leading the NFL in rushing in 2004. His 45 games as a Patriot are second-fewest of any New England Hall of Famer ahead of only Seau.
8. Randy Moss - Though he played with five NFL teams - including a record-setting 2007 with the Patriots - Moss will always first and foremost be a Minnesota Viking (eight seasons). He played only 52 games in New England, but caught an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes in '07 and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:42 remaining against the Giants in Super Bowl XLII before New York rallied to spoil the perfect season and Moss' place in history.
7. Bill Parcells - Though he coached New England for four seasons and into the 1997 Super Bowl, he stayed twice as long and won his two championships in New York for the Giants.
6. Nick Buoniconti - One of the dominating defensive stars of the 1960s Boston Patriots, the linebacker is a member of New England's 50th Anniversary Team and lives in the team's Hall of Fame. But he played just as many seasons (seven) in Miami, where he won two Super Bowls and led the Dolphins' "No-Name Defense" to a perfect season in 1972.
5. Richard Seymour - Played eight seasons and 111 games in New England, earning five All-Pro teams and winning three Super Bowls as one of the best defensive linemen of his era. Though he played his final four NFL seasons with the Raiders, he will always be a Patriot as a member of New England's Hall of Fame.
4. Mike Haynes - He was All-Pro in six of his seven seasons in New England and his No. 40 is retired in the Patriots' Hall of Fame. But he also played seven seasons for the Los Angeles Raiders, where he led the NFL in interception return yards and won a Super Bowl.
3. Ty Law - Though he played his final five seasons with other teams, the cornerback's Canton resume was crafted during his 10-season, 141-game stint in New England. He helped win three Super Bowls for the Pats, returning a Kurt Warner pass for touchdown in XXXVI and then setting up another championship by intercepting the Colts' Payton Manning three times in the 2003 AFC Championship Game.
2. Andre Tippett - A Patriot for life, the linebacker ascended to Canton after 11 seasons and 151 games in New England. The NFL's second-most dominant pass-rusher of the 1980s behind only Lawrence Taylor, he made five Pro Bowls, was co-Defensive Player of the Year and resides in the Patriots Hall of Fame as a member of the organization's 50th Anniversary Team.
1. John Hannah - A Patriot will never again wear No. 73, because of the offensive lineman's career that spanned 13 seasons and 183 games. He made nine Pro Bowls, was voted both the NFL's All-Decade Teams of the 1970s and 1980s and is charter member of the Patriots' 50th Anniversary Team and Hall of Fame.
