Bear Great Dent Now a Hall-of-Famer

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 7, 2011 3:45PM

There was some good news for Bears fans last weekend amid the Packers' Super Bowl victory, as defensive end Richard Dent, the sack machine of the '85 Bears, was finally elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dent was passed over seven previous times for enshrinement in Canton, snubs which affected Dent's pride as much as not making the Baseball Hall of Fame bothered the late Cubs great Ron Santo.

Questions abounded among Hall of Fame voters over whether Dent was a beneficiary of playing on the same line with fellow Hall-of Famer Dan Hampton and whether a football team that only won one Super Bowl (but had the talent to win more) deserved multiple Hall of Famers. Hampton, middle linebacker Mike Singletary and running back Walter Payton are the other '85 Bears in Canton. But the numbers back up Den's claim that he belonged in the Hall. Dent recorded 137.5 sacks in 150 starts for the Bears over fifteen years with the team and was one of the most talented and feared pass rushers of his era. When he retired, Dent was third all-time on the NFL sack list. His .92 sacks per game rank second to Fred Dean.

But Dent as a player wasn't the most open interview or choicest sound bite. His naked desire for HOF recognition may have also turned off some voters as much as Santo's constant reminding Cooperstown voters of his career numbers and bad winner moments as a player contributed to his not being elected to the baseball HOF. When Dent received the news of his election from his daughter, he told the Tribune, "I'm very appreciative and very happy — it was a long time coming."