Revis takes his island to the Pro Football HOF
Cowboys, S Hooker agree to extension
CANTON, Ohio — Revis Island has a new home in “Football Heaven.”
After Joe Klecko and Fireman Ed got the green-clad crowd roaring “J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!” four-time All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis took his spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
A first-ballot inductee, Revis was so dominant that opposing quarterbacks stopped throwing the ball his way. He won a Super Bowl in his only season with the New England Patriots before returning home to New York and finished his career with seven Pro Bowl selections.
“To the Jets fans, for all the boos and cheers when I was drafted 14th overall to burning my jersey when I signed with the Patriots to now being here in Canton, I guess it’s safe to say we’ve been through a lot together,” Revis said. “You expected great things out of me every single game and I accepted the challenge. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me every step of the way. You will always have a place to stay on Revis Island.”
Klecko, a fan favorite in New York, also was among nine members of the Class of 2023 that included local hero Joe Thomas who were enshrined during a four-hour ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Klecko, drafted in the sixth round in 1977, is the only player in NFL history to be selected to the Pro Bowl at three positions on the defensive line: end, tackle and nose tackle.
Thomas got the biggest ovation from hometown fans wearing orange-and-brown No. 73 jerseys. His speech had the “Dawg Pound” barking a few times. The six-time All-Pro left tackle played a record 10,363 consecutive snaps before torn triceps ended the streak and his career in 2017.
Ronde Barber, a three-time AllPro who spent all 16 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was the third cornerback inducted in this class.
Zach Thomas, the five-time All-Pro linebacker for the Miami Dolphins, kicked off the speeches. The 5-foot-11 Thomas was only the third linebacker under 6 feet to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, thanked everyone from Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson and former teammates Dan Marino and Jason Taylor to Bills, Jets and Patriots fans who “screamed” and “threw things” at him.
DeMarcus Ware, the four-time All-Pro outside linebacker, talked about growing up in a tough environment in Alabama and once having a gun held to his head when he was in college at Troy. He thanked his mother for providing for her family as a single parent and forgave his dad for not being there. A first-round pick in 2005, Ware set a franchise record with 117 sacks in nine years with the Cowboys. He got another 21 1/2 sacks in three seasons with the Broncos.
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Ken Riley was inducted three years after his death. Riley, a dual-threat quarterback at Florida A&M, was moved to defense by coach Paul Brown after he was drafted in the sixth round in 1969 and finished with 65 interceptions in 15 seasons, all with the Bengals.
Chuck Howley, the only Super Bowl MVP from a losing team, was inducted 50 years after he played his last game. The 87-year-old Howley, a five-time All-Pro linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, couldn’t attend the ceremony.
Dan Coryell, the longtime Chargers coach and architect of the dynamic “Air Coryell” passing offense, was inducted posthumously.
BEARS: Chicago signed veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis to a oneyear contract.
The 39-year-old Lewis — entering his 18th season — gives the Bears a blocking tight end to complement Cole Kmet and help protect quarterback Justin Fields. He spent the past five years with Green Bay after playing his first 12 with Jacksonville.
The 6-foot-6, 267-pound Lewis has 432 receptions for 5,084 yards and 39 touchdowns over 251 games and 221 starts. He is one of three tight ends, along with Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten, with at least 200 regular-season starts and 400 receptions.
COWBOYS: Dallas and safety Malik Hooker agreed on a $24 million, three-year contract extension.
Hooker was entering the final year of a two-year contract he signed with the Cowboys after a disappointing four-year career with Indianapolis, which drafted him 15th overall in 2017.
Hooker’s time with the Colts was marred by injuries, but he has stayed healthy since joining Dallas. Hooker has played 31 games over the past two seasons after being limited to 36 games with the Colts.
The 27-year-old tied Trevon Diggs for second on the club with three interceptions last season. Diggs, who led the NFL and tied a team record with 11 interceptions in 2021, just signed a $97 million extension.
Hooker, Donovan Wilson and Jayron Kearse have teamed to give the Cowboys their best group of safeties in years.
JAGUARS: Jacksonville offensive lineman Tyler Shatley is back at practice three days after dealing with an irregular heartbeat.
Coach Doug Pederson said Saturday that Shatley went into atrial fibrillation — a rapid heartbeat — following a hot and humid practice Wednesday.
“We got him right away, got him treated,” Pederson said. “He’s fine. He’s OK. He’s with the team. Everything’s calmed down. He’ll be out there today. He’ll be in uniform, but until he’s cleared, he’ll just work on the side and all that.”
Shatley was in full pads Saturday and doing some light work with the second-team offense. He sat out 11-on-11 drills.
The 32-year-old Shatley is Jacksonville’s longest-tenured player. He’s played in 128 games, with 45 starts, since making the roster as an undrafted rookie from Clemson in 2014.
FALCONS: Atlanta cornerback Jeff Okudah is expected to return early this season after suffering a right ankle injury in Friday’s practice.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith said Saturday the team received “very positive news” on Okudah.
“We think he has a great chance to be back in the early part of the season,” Smith said. “We feel really good for Jeff, all things considered.”
The report from Smith was good news after Okudah had to be carted off the field on Friday, unable to put weight on his foot.
The Falcons acquired Okudah, the No. 3 overall NFL draft pick in 2020, from Detroit for a fifthround draft pick as part of their offseason overhaul of the defense.
Injuries have hindered Okudah early in his career. He was limited by hamstring and shoulder injuries to nine games as a rookie with Detroit. The former Ohio State standout suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury one game into his second season.