Greene , Pace make HOF

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RamBill

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For Kevin Greene, waiting for Hall of Fame to beckon was hardest part
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...g-for-hall-of-fame-to-beckon-was-hardest-part

Kevin Greene's 160 career sacks are the third most in NFL history.
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Kevin Greene's excruciating wait to land in the Pro Football Hall of Fame lasted a whopping 12 years, and he became something of an expert at dealing with the nerves that come with the annual process.

This time, Greene decided to do something a little bit different.

Greene, 53, and his wife, Tara, took his son, Gavin, and daughter, Gabrielle, to San Francisco for the week before the Super Bowl and the 2016 Hall of Fame class announcement.

"This is the first time that we've brought our children for the Super Bowl and this potential honor," said Greene, a Hall finalist for the fifth consecutive year. "The reason why we did that is Gavin is on the downhill of his senior year of high school. This is really the only time that we have; he's going to be gone to college in three or four months. So it's one of the last times we can do something like this as the whole family.

"We just said, 'Hey, let's make a weeklong vacation of it and go to Frisco and enjoy the festivities and celebrate Super Bowl 50,' and whether the Hall of Fame happens to happen, either way it's a great week in Frisco."

It's a great week that got better Saturday night when Greene was elected for induction into the Hall of Fame.

Before Saturday, Greene found himself in the unenviable spot of being all too familiar with the hurry-up-and-wait approach that goes with being on the ballot. But the former pass-rushing linebacker for the Rams, Steelers, Panthers and 49ers was optimistic about his chances.

"I have felt really good about my chances the last four to seven years. I felt good because I knew the numbers and production and longevity that I have in my corner," Greene said. "I saw other players go in before me that didn't quite have the longevity or numbers or production and I really felt good about it."

Greene rattles off the numbers with relative ease, noting that his 160 career sacks rank third all-time behind only Bruce Smith and Reggie White. He knows where his numbers stand against other Hall of Famers like Michael Strahan, Rickey Jackson and Charles Haley, all fellow pass-rushers who have gotten the call to Canton in recent years. He's also quick to note that as a linebacker, he had to do more than just rush the passer and still was able to post sack totals in line with the best defensive ends in the league.

"So I'm just scratching my noggin' about this process," Greene said. "You try to be cautiously optimistic about it but you understand the process is not perfect and there's a lot of gray area. You try not to go all in. If you go all in and you don't make it, you just freaking beat your head against the wall and you wonder why, why, why?

"In my case, I have failed to get in up to this point and I've learned how to handle that depression because you didn't make it. I've learned to just kind of move on with life. It is a little difficult but it's confusing more than anything. I end up asking myself why a lot."

Greene left his job coaching linebackers for the Green Bay Packers a couple of years ago so he could spend more time with his kids. His son is a football player and Greene wanted to help him in any way he could before he went off to college.

Although Greene said he could go back to coaching as soon as next season, his focus now is spending as much time with his family as possible. This week, the Greene family spent its days seeing the sights, visiting Alcatraz, going shopping and just hanging out.

Greene said he scheduled a massage for Saturday morning to help take his mind off the Hall of Fame vote.

"I wouldn't say this defines me," Greene said of reaching Canton. "I'm a dad. I love my son. I love my daughter. I love my wife; we've been happily married 24 years. I get into that. That's what I do. I do ask why and there's a measure of not understanding the process that I struggle with in my mind, because I have always thought it was about individual success and individual impact and what you've done to help your team achieve success and so forth."

That's not to say Greene didn't want to have a bust in the Hall.

"I think it'd be cool," Greene said. "It's kind of like I really want to win the lotto. Everybody wants to win the lotto but there's something inside you that says, 'You ain't got a rat's-ass chance of doing it.' It's kind of like that so you just say, 'OK, I didn't win this time.' You try to move on, I guess. But yeah, I want to win the lottery."

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Kevin Greene

Linebacker/Defensive End
6-3, 247
Auburn
1985-1992, Los Angeles Rams; 1993-95, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1996, 1998-99, Carolina Panthers; 1997, San Francisco 49ers

• Career-high 16.5 sacks in 1988 and 1989
• Led league in sacks in 1994 and 1996
• 160.0 career sacks (3rd most in NFL history)
• Ten seasons with at least 10 sacks (3rd most in NFL history)
• Five-time Pro Bowl selection
• Three-time first-team All-Pro selection
• Member of NFL All-Decade Team of the 1990s
• Played in six conference championship games and one Super Bowl
 

RamBill

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Orlando Pace's Hall of Fame dreams started when he was young
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...lando-paces-hall-of-fame-dreams-started-young

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It's a 109-mile southeastern trip across Ohio to get from Sandusky to Canton. But the journey from high school basketball player to enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame was much longer for former St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Orlando Pace.

Pace, 40, remembers his first visit to the Hall.

"I was in high school, we were playing a basketball game in Canton and part of our trip was to go visit the Hall of Fame and take a tour," said Pace, a Sandusky native. "It was pretty cool just to see. I was obviously into football, but to see all those great players -- as a kid it seems so far-fetched that you'd have an opportunity to possibly be there. But you play this game to be great, you want to be one of the greats of the game. That's what I think all players, especially professional players strive to be there."

Pace realized that goal on Saturday night when he was elected to the Hall of Fame.


Orlando Pace, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 draft, earned seven Pro Bowl trips during his NFL career.
This was Pace's second year on the ballot after just missing the cut in 2015. He learned plenty from that first time through, acknowledging that he was nervous and made the mistake of reading and listening to everybody telling him he was a lock to be voted into the Hall.

By the time the Saturday voting process began last year, Pace was nervous and didn't have any good diversions.

He vowed not to make that mistake again and made sure to fill up his itinerary with things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area this time around. Pace said earlier this week that he and his wife, Carla, planned to spend Saturday visiting nearby Napa, California.

"Last year, being that it was the first year, I didn't know what to expect, and now I do," Pace said earlier in the week. "You can handle it a little bit better the second time with the nerves.

"You've got to find something to do during the day to keep your mind off of it."

Pace, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 draft, earned seven Pro Bowl trips, five All-Pro honors and landed a spot on the NFL's 2000s All-Decade team. He helped the Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV and return to the big stage for Super Bowl XXXVI.

He blocked for two MVPs, protecting Kurt Warner's blind side and opening holes for Marshall Faulk, as the Rams finished in the top 10 of total offense seven times and led the league in total yards, passing yards and points three straight seasons (1999-2001). Additionally, Pace was the left tackle for an offense that finished in the top five in passing yards for eight consecutive seasons.

But for all of those achievements, it's this testimonial from former teammate Isaac Bruce that might best sum up why Pace is in Canton for more than just a visit.

"A guy like Orlando Pace, there's no replacing him," Bruce said. "How do you do what you do without him there? He was the one guy we didn't want to lose to a knee injury or for two or three games. Oh no, that changes everything. So to me, he's the guy. He's the guy that you didn't want to have to replace. Thank god we didn't have to."

It's sentiment like that Pace values the most.

"That's what you play for," Pace said. "You can get your own stats or accolades, but when your peers respect you and peers say those types of things about you, that's really why you play the game, to be respected by your peers. When they hold you in that high regard, that means a lot. It means a lot to me."

And now the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton beckons a kid from Sandusky.

"Being from Ohio, having the chance to visit the Hall of Fame as a young player, you envision yourself being in that room or having your own bust. And for me, it's always been a goal of mine to do that," Pace said. "It's just the chance to close out my career by meeting that last goal, that final goal I set out for."

===========

Orlando Pace

Offensive tackle
6-7, 320
Ohio State
1997-2008, St. Louis Rams; 2009, Chicago Bears

• Selected by St. Louis first overall in 1997 draft; first offensive lineman selected first overall since 1968
• Started all 16 games seven times during his 13-season career
• Blocked for three straight NFL MVPs (QB Kurt Warner, 1999, 2001, and RB Marshall Faulk in 2000) for "Greatest Show on Turf"
• Five-time All-Pro
• Seven-time Pro Bowler 2000-06
• Pro Football Hall of Fame 2nd team All-2000s Team
• Member of Super Bowl XXXIV champions and of 1999, 2001 NFC champions
 

BuffaloRam

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One of my favorite Pace moments was when he ran Champ Bailey down from behind on a Marc Bulger pick that should have gone for 6. He was a phenomenal player in his prime - domination doesn't come close to the impact he made.
 

jap

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I remember the late Junior Seau tackled Marshall Faulk hard pushing him out of bounds by the San Diego bench, then got in Marshall's face barking trash. 'Lando Pace hustled over and shoved Junior backwards hard right in front of all Seau's teammates. None of them, Junior included, wanted to have anything to do with an irate 'Lando Pace!!!
 

Dagonet

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Would have been nice if Bruce, Warner and Pace could have been part of the same class. Next year Bruce and Warner will go in together.

Maybe Warner but not Bruce. Bruce will be a year or 4.. :(
 

Dagonet

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He wasn't a Ram, But I'm Glad Stabler got in!! With his passing away this year he may have gotten lost in the shuffle in years to come!!

The Snake was a damn good QB.. Just saying..
 

Dagonet

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To OP and KG...

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
 

PowayRamFan

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I remember the late Junior Seau tackled Marshall Faulk hard pushing him out of bounds by the San Diego bench, then got in Marshall's face barking trash. 'Lando Pace hustled over and shoved Junior backwards hard right in front of all Seau's teammates. None of them, Junior included, wanted to have anything to do with an irate 'Lando Pace!!!
If he had Juniors respect, he had everyone's, because Seau was a true life badass and everyone that knew him figured that out quick. Be in a room ten minutes with JS and you would know who the Alpha Male was in that room, no matter the company.
Stoked Orlando got in, but it wasn't exactly a shocker. No brainer, really.
 
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LACHAMP46

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Owens should have gotten in before Harrison. There's no way the #2 all-time in yards and #5 in TDs shouldn't be a first ballot HoFer.
My thoughts exactly....curious as to the criteria? If not TO, then who is a 1st ballot HOF'er? Looking at Larry Fitz, no way he should be 1st ballot if TO isn't....
 

DaveFan'51

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You would think after the 45-17 spanking the Pack suffered at the hands of the Special K-led Horns, that Kurt would be boosted over the likes of Favre. But no, no!, no!, the voters had to be swayed by inconsequential things like a player's entire career output.

Our special reporter, ProBowler Johnny Hekker, weighs in:

"Damn it! If Kurt got in, everyone knows I'm a shoe-in once I retire since I am rivaling Special K for lifetime Horns' passer rating. Has there been a dual passer/punter threat like me since the heyday of Slingin' Sammy Baugh?"
HEK YES!!! HEKKER on the 1st ballot!! Give 'um Hek Hekker!!
 

DaveFan'51

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My thoughts exactly....curious as to the criteria? If not TO, then who is a 1st ballot HOF'er? Looking at Larry Fitz, no way he should be 1st ballot if TO isn't....
So why no BRUUUCE on the 1st Ballot!?! JMO BUT I think Bruce is every-bit as good as TO!!
 

Faceplant

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Congrats to Pace and Greene!! I can't stand Dungy and no way he deserves to be in before Kurt. Not sure he deserves it at all.
 

LACHAMP46

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So why no BRUUUCE on the 1st Ballot!?! JMO BUT I think Bruce is every-bit as good as TO!!
He is....but the #'s say different...TO did Randy Moss type things...the big RB type wr...the run after catch monster that we all seek as number 1's......that can win one on one battles for the ball....Bruce was a tactician....TO was a beast....I still remember Bruce diving to the ground to avoid getting hit after making a catch...and really, that bothers me....
 

Ram65

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"I have felt really good about my chances the last four to seven years. I felt good because I knew the numbers and production and longevity that I have in my corner," Greene said. "I saw other players go in before me that didn't quite have the longevity or numbers or production and I really felt good about it."

"So I'm just scratching my noggin' about this process," Greene said.

Took way too long for Greene. Mr intensity was a favorite Ram of mine.

OP is a well deserved great player for the Rams. Unsung star for TGSOT Rams. Kurt and Bruce next year. At some time Holt should get in too.