San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Pro Football Hall of Fame makes welcome calls
John Lynch: 49ers GM, ninetime Pro Bowl safety, finally gets in
John Lynch, one of the hardesthitting defensive backs of his era, finally barged into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Lynch, 49, the 49ers general manager and Stanford alum who was a ninetime Pro Bowl safety during a 15year career spent with the Buccaneers and Broncos, was elected to the Hall of Fame on Saturday in his eighth straight year as a finalist.
Lynch is one of 10 players in NFL history to be a finalist for eight consecutive years. With Lynch’s election, Dolphins guard Bob Kuechenberg is the only player among that group not in the Hall of Fame.
Lynch discovered he’d finally broken through on Jan. 24. Hall of Fame president David Baker knocked on the door of his house in San Diego and delivered the longawaited news.
Lynch’s initial reaction, via video from the 49ers: “Oh, my gosh. … Are you serious, David?”
Later, Lynch, surrounded by friends and family in his front yard, acknowledged how meaningful the honor was.
“I thought I always had great perspective that, you know what, I gave it all I had on the field and whether I made it or not, it wouldn’t matter,” Lynch said. “It’s not going to change my life. But, my gosh, this feels lifechanging right now. That’s unbelievable.”
Lynch waited despite a stellar bio. His nine Pro Bowl seasons tie him with Brian Dawkins and Ed Reed for second most by a safety in NFL history. Only Ken Houston (12) has more. Dawkins, Reed and Houston, along with Steve Atwater and Troy Polamalu, who both had eight Pro Bowl seasons, are all in the Hall.
Lynch is now in their company after a career in which he was a firstteam AllPro in two seasons, had three 100tackle seasons and totaled 26 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles and 13 sacks. Lynch is in the ring of honor for both the Buccaneers and Broncos and is one of seven players in NFL history to have at least four Pro Bowl seasons for multiple teams.
Lynch was part of Tampa Bay’s defense, which is regarded as among the best in NFL history, that led the Buccaneers to a 4821 Super Bowl win over the Raiders in January 2003. “Opponents knew him as a smart and physically intimidating player, while his coaches and teammates knew him to be a tremendous leader,” 49ers CEO Jed York said in a statement. “Over the last four years, John’s leadership has been instrumental in building a sustainable championship culture here with the 49ers.”
Lynch is among the flood of safeties to gain entry to the Hall after the position was underrepresented in Canton. There were just seven pure safeties in the Hall before 2017, but Lynch is among eight who have been elected since. The group includes Kenny Easley (2017), Dawkins (2018), Reed (2019), Johnny Robinson (2019), Polamalu (2020), Atwater (2020) and Cliff Harris (2020).