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Seven men will be formally enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Yahoo Sports will take a relatively short look at each legend and how he reached football immortality.
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In a sport where physicality and brute force are celebrated, Dwight Freeney used speed and finesse at defensive end to disrupt offenses for over a decade.
Freeney was announced as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 in his second year of eligibility. His dominance in both his collegiate career at Syracuse and his professional career, most notably with the Indianapolis Colts, will be recognized forever in Canton.
“You try to prepare for it — the emotions and what you’re gonna feel — and you think if you had a pretty good career you have a good opportunity and chance to get there,” Freeney said. “… When you actually get that knock, you’re really flushed with emotion, and you feel a gratitude and appreciation for all those who have been able to get there.”
During his NFL career, Freeney was a seven-time Pro-Bowler and named first-team All-Pro three times. He was also a key member of the 2006 Colts team that won Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears. The defensive end was so dominant that he was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s alongside other defensive greats such as Michael Strahan, Ray Lewis, and fellow 2024 enshrinee Julius Pepper.
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And it was Freeney’s patented spin move when rushing the quarterback that helped him not only overwhelm the competition, but also become a trailblazer for the more modern pass rushers who weren’t always the biggest and strongest.
“Everyone always said I was undersized. Too small to play the position. He can’t see past the offensive tackle, he won’t be able to see the quarterback. But being a couple inches shorter, it gives you a natural leverage,” Freeney said of…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-hall-of-fame-dwight-freeney-and-his-spin-move-put-together-one-of-the-nfls-best-pass-rushing-careers-140032538.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-31 13:05:01
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