Getty Former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil will finally be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Class of 2022.
Dick Vermeil helped create “Invincible” memories in Philadelphia. He coached the “Greatest Show on Turf” in St. Louis. And now he’s headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
The legendary figure was elected to the Class of 2022 on Thursday night in a prime-time broadcast during NFL Honors. He’s tentatively slated to receive his gold jacket and bronze bust on Saturday, August 6. Vermeil spent 15 seasons patrolling the sidelines for three different NFL organizations, including the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs.
He earned Coach of the Year honors twice while becoming one of only two head coaches to take two different franchises to the Super Bowl. Vermeil’s Eagles got there in 1980; his Rams won it all in 1999.
“I’m the byproduct of the efforts of many great people. It’s a great feeling,” Vermeil told Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro. “I can’t tell you how many text messages I’ve gotten, but it is rewarding to know and have it reconfirmed how many people appreciated my approach to coaching no matter how hard I worked. That’s very gratifying and I’m very grateful.”
Vermeil was known to wear his emotions on his sleeve, often breaking down in tears during press conferences. He loved his players and the relationships they forged. The 85-year-old needed to take time away from football and retired after the 1982 season due to “burnout.”
“To me, coaching was always relationship building,” Vermeil told KSDK in St. Louis. “The better relationship you had with people, the better the contribution they made to you and the better contribution I could make to them. Because you trusted each other and you didn’t pull any punches.”
BREAKING: Eight enshrinees are headed to Canton this August as a part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2022
More on the newest members ➡️ t.co/1VHxa5OwYG
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Eagles Twitter Congratulates Vermeil
Eagles Twitter was quick to give out pats on the back to one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. Everyone was sending him kudos on social media, including fellow Hall of Famers Brian Dawkins and Harold Carmichael. Ditto for legendary radio broadcaster Merrill Reese.
Congratulations to Dick Vermeil on officially being elected into the NFL Hall of Fame. I never met a coach who’s players stayed connected to him long after their playing days. I am honored to call him a close friend.
Congratulations to Coach Dick Vermeil. Soooo Happy for you. You earned the right to be there. It’s an honor being on the same team again.
Jason Kelce Falls Short for Man of the Year
Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce was one of 32 finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. He came up short as the honor went to Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth. The 40-year-old became the first offensive lineman to win the award since 2011 and the first Rams player to ever win it. It rewards those who display “outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on it,” per Pro Football Talk.
Meanwhile, Kelce caught up with NBC Sports’ John Clark and revisited his possible retirement plans. The 34-year-old still hasn’t made a final decision on his future. Kelce will take a few weeks off and evaluate everything.
“Everybody wants to know, including me,” Kelce told Clark, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I’m still trying to figure that out. I just think it comes down to, I definitely want to play. It just comes down to whether or not I think I can dedicate myself to doing it the right way and the way it needs to be done. If I can do that, I’ll play. If I can’t, that will be it.”
“Everyone wants to know including me”
“Right after the playoff game, if I’m being really honest, I thought, ‘Is that really going to be my last game? Do I really want that to be my last game?’”
🎧Listen to podcast with Jason Kelce on retiring decision🔽
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