Eagles legend Dick Vermeil finally takes his place in the Hall of Fame
Finally… He’s in… In 1976, Dick Vermeil signed up to resurrect a struggling franchise from the doldrums of NFL obscurity. He knew that he’d be doing so in one of the most demanding sports cities in our great country. He knew how daunting the task was.
What did he do? He flashed that trademark smile and went to work.
The Philadelphia Eagles finished the 1975 NFL season with a 4-10 mark, one Vermeil would match in his first season as head coach. Two years later, in 1978, he led them to the NFL PLayoffs. Two years after that, he led them to their first NFC Championship Game win at Veterans Stadium and an appearance in their first-ever Super Bowl.
Ask any Eagles fan, and they’ll tell you. They could have enshrined him in Canton, Ohio’s Pro Football Hall of Fame that day. It would take the rest of the football world 42 years to figure out what Birds fans have always known.
Dick Vermeil finally takes his place among pro football’s immortals.
We’ve waited. We were patient, sort of. On February 10th of 2022, the news became official. Dick Vermeil finally takes his place among football’s immortals in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Take a look.
Congratulations to Dick Vermeil, selected to the @ProFootballHOF!#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/OkXwqjskXW
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 11, 2022
As Kurt Warner stated in his introduction, on three separate occasions, Dick was asked to turn a losing franchise into a winner. Each time, he answered the call.
First with the Eagles… he notched a 54-47 mark in seven seasons. Then, he found his way to Saint Louis and won a Super Bowl with the Rams. In his third coaching stop, he’d craft a 55 percent winning percentage in Kansas City with the Chiefs.
Trending. An all-time Eagles team for the ages. light
If you’re a casual fan, you might have been shocked by the news. Raise your hand if you don’t follow the game as closely and just assumed that he was in the Hall of Fame already. That’s okay. Don’t beat yourselves up too bad. The truth is he should have been.
We don’t have to ask ourselves ‘how much longer?’ anymore. Dick Vermeil is in the Hall! At the risk of sounding unappreciative, it’s about damn time. Next year, it’s Eric Allen’s turn.