The fourth time was the charm for Richard Seymour.
After three previous years of being a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Lower Richland product and former Georgia Bulldog All-American is part of the newest class which will have a permanent place among the NFL greats in Canton, Ohio.
A sixth-round selection in the 2001 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, Seymour spent the first eight years of his NFL career with the Patriots where he became one of the NFL’s best defensive lineman. During his tenure in Foxboro, the Patriots captured six division titles, four conference crowns and three Super Bowl championships.
The 10th Patriot to earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Seymour was named to five straight Pro Bowls with the Patriots from 2002-2006. He earned three straight First Team All-Pro awards (2003-05) and one second team honor in 2006. His five Pro Bowl berths are the most by any Patriots defensive lineman since the 1970 NFL merger. A four-time team captain, Seymour was voted to the Patriots 50th Anniversary Team in 2009 and the 2000s All-Decade Team.
Seymour would play his final four seasons with the Raiders, giving him a 12-year NFL career which will now allow him to receive the sport’s highest individual honor.
The Class of 2022 will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.