This weekend the Pro Football Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction ceremony and welcome in six new members to the exclusive fraternity of NFL greats. The sanctuary in Canton, Ohio, provides an opportunity for the inductees to revisit their prime and relive the best moments of their careers.
For three inductees in particular, these memories will bring them back to Texas.
Bruce Matthews
Most experts will tell you that Bruce Matthews was the greatest offensive lineman to ever strap on a helmet. His versatility, durability, and consistency were unmatched during his illustrious career. One position was not enough for him as he made starts at every spot on the offensive line.
The Houston Oilers selected Matthews as the ninth pick overall in the 1983 NFL draft, and he stayed an Oiler until the franchise died out. Matthews lived during the hay day of “luv ya blue” in which the Oilers were perennial playoff contenders and the city of Houston had the best fans in the country. He will be forever linked with the franchise, following them to Tennessee after Bud Adams broke our hearts. Matthews played with three other hall of famers in running back Earl Campbell, quarterback Warren Moon, and fellow offensive lineman Mike Munchak, and they all owe him a chunk of their success.
Bruce Matthews now lives back in the greater Houston Area coaching football for Lawrence E. Elkins High School in Missouri City.
The Numbers:
296 Games Played (NFL record for position players)
19 Seasons (NFL record for position players)
14 Pro Bowls (Ties NFL record)
1st Ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame
1 Super Bowl Appearance
1990's All Decade Team
Michael Irvin
The Dallas Cowboys of the 1990's were downright scary. The high level of talent they collected landed them three Super Bowl victories and the dynasty tag of the decade. They couldn't have done any of it without Michael Irvin.
Wide Receivers are generally regarded as flamboyant, and Michael Irvin did nothing but encourage this stereotype, but you could never shut up #88 because he was breaking records and winning Super Bowls. Irvin did, however, rebel against the common conception of weak wide receivers avoiding contact as he was the baddest, most physical receiver of his time.
After a brilliant career at the University of Miami(Fla.) Irvin was selected 11th overall in the 1988 draft by the Dallas Cowboys, where he played out his whole career and made football in Dallas relevant again after being reunited with his college coach, Jimmy Johnson, and winning three Super Bowls in Four Years. Irvin played with hall of famer Troy Aikman and all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith. Unfortunately, “the playmaker's” attitude, fur coat collection, and clashes with drugs also made him the poster boy for some of the bad boy Cowboys of that era, which also explains his unfair exclusion from first ballot selection last year.
Irvin was forced to quit playing football after a spinal injury in 1999 and now works as a commentator for ESPN.
The Numbers:
11 seasons
750 receptions (10th all time)
11,904 yards (9th all time)
5 Pro Bowls
3 Super Bowl Victories
1990's All Decade Team
Thurman Thomas
Unlike the other two, the state of Texas was not present during Thurman Thomas's pro football career. It was, however, greatly significant because Thomas learned the game of football right here at Houston's Willowridge High School and went on to share the backfield with Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State. He was drafted 40th overall in the second round by the Buffalo Bills in 1988 because a knee injury caused him to slip.
Like the previous two, Thurman Thomas was an extremely versatile player, becoming one of the first prominent pass catching running backs in the mold of Roger Craig. He was the main element to an offense that included hall of famer Jim Kelly and went to the Super Bowl four times. It seemed like he dominated every game but Super Bowls in which he had one good game out of four, the infamous Scott Norwood wide right which robbed the team of glory.
Thomas ushered a time of great running backs during the early 90's and was one of the first to be immortalized as unstoppable in video games as the best Tecmo Superbowl player this side of Bo Jackson.
The Numbers:
12 seasons
5 Pro Bowls
12,074 rushing yards (12th all time)
16,532 all-purpose yards
1991 NFL MVP
4 Super Bowl Appearances
1990's All Decade Team
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