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It's Quite A Hall For Redskins

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By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 3, 2008

PHOENIX - Super Bowl Saturday belonged to the Washington Redskins.

Two key members of their three Super Bowl championship teams and an assistant coach from their last two title teams were among five former NFL players voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"This is a Redskins day," shouted former Washington cornerback Darrell Green, who will be inducted into the Hall this summer along with former teammate Art Monk and former Redskins position coach Emmitt Thomas. "There's going to be a party at Redskins Park real soon."

Win or lose today in Super Bowl XLII, there will no doubt be a party in New England as well, as former Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett also was voted into the Hall, along with former Chargers and 49ers defensive end Fred Dean and former Vikings and Broncos tackle Gary Zimmerman.

The nod to Tippett came 14 years after he completed a 10-year career that, on the field, virtually mirrored that of Giants great Lawrence Taylor. Shrine voters are believed to have righted a wrong in finally voting him in, but no greater wrong was righted Saturday than the wrong seemingly done to Monk.

Monk, who ranks sixth all-time on the NFL receptions list, has long been considered the greatest eligible receiver, if not the greatest eligible player, not in the Hall of Fame. However, upon hearing the news of his entry on Saturday he said the wait was worthwhile.

"A lot of people said I should have been in already, but this is special," Monk told a media gathering by phone.

"To be going in with one of my best buddies makes it very special."

A strong contingent of the Redskins family, including owner Dan Snyder and Doug Williams, the MVP quarterback of their Super Bowl XXII team, were on hand for the announcement.

"This is a great day for the Redskins, and my heart really goes out to Art Monk, because he's waited so long to get in," Williams said. "I just have so much appreciation for him.

"A lot of people downed him because he averaged only 13 yards per catch, but people forget that that's a first down in this league. And that's what Art Monk did - he moved the sticks for you."

Green kept teams from moving those sticks. He was considered one of the greatest shutdown corners of his era, and he thanked Thomas for helping him get to the Hall of Fame.

"Along with then-Redskins defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon and, of course, Coach Joe Gibbs, Emmitt Thomas was the one who decided that I would always be matched up one-on-one with a guy," Green said.

Thomas, now an assistant coach with the Falcons, has helped shape the career of several top-level players, but it was his standout play as a cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs that earned him his place in the Hall.

Over the course of his 13-year career he intercepted 58 passes - four more than Green picked off in 20 years of play - and returned five of them for touchdowns.

"It's an honor to be voted into the Hall of Fame, and it's very special to be going in with Darrell Green and Art Monk," Thomas said.

"Both of those guys are very special to me."

Zimmerman was a five-time All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl in seven of his 12 years in the NFL. He made the NFL All-Decade Team in the 1980s and 1990s.

"I never looked at myself as this caliber of player," Zimmerman said. "I came from the era where we would have done this for free."

Dean gave a lot of the credit for his Hall of Fame nod to former 49ers coach Bill Walsh, who made him one of the first stand-up pass-rushing defensive end in the game.

"I didn't work for this honor," Dean said. "I worked for the love of the game."

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979 or rcummings@tampatrib.com.

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