Ex-Broncos safety John Lynch elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2021 class

The Broncos will have two ex-players in the Professional Football Hall of Fame’s Course of 2021 soon after security John Lynch was elected to Canton in his eighth time as a finalist.

Lynch joins very first-ballot collection Peyton Manning as the twelfth and 13th ex-Broncos to get induction into Canton this calendar year. Lynch also joins one more Denver security in Canton in Steve Atwater, who was elected past calendar year.

“This is a particular day for the Denver Broncos and our enthusiasts as we rejoice the collection of two previous players— Peyton Manning and John Lynch — to the Professional Football Hall of Fame,” Broncos president Joe Ellis claimed in a statement. “We’re grateful that Peyton and John selected to devote the ultimate 4 many years of their occupations appropriate listed here in Denver, the place they the two designed a profound effect on the Broncos and our neighborhood.”

Lynch performed his very first 11 many years in Tampa Bay before ending with 4 Professional Bowl many years in Denver. The tricky-hitting defensive back again experienced 26 occupation interceptions, nine complete Professional Bowl appearances and two All-Professional selections with the Buccaneers, for whom he was a pivotal aspect of the 2002 Super Bowl championship crew. He could have been in Tampa Bay for his entire occupation, but the Buccaneers elected to go a diverse route to help you save money, leading Lynch to signal with Denver forward of 2004.

“I want to thank all my teammates of all the good teams I’ve experienced the pleasure and the honor to perform for, going back again to Torrey Pines High College (in California) and Stanford College,” Lynch claimed in a Twitter submit. “And (my good results) goes back again to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.. I performed 11 many years listed here and we went from the ‘yuks’ to entire world champs. Then the Denver Broncos acknowledged me … and (mentor) Mike Shanahan believed in me.”

“I’m humbled and I’m honored.”

The Stanford merchandise and Hinsdale, Ill., indigenous was originally chosen by the Buccaneers in the third round (No. 82 overall) of the 1993 draft. He accrued 1,059 occupation tackles, 68 passes defensed and sixteen compelled fumbles. He performed all sixteen online games in six of his seasons and at least 14 online games in twelve of his seasons.

The 49-calendar year-aged is tied for next among the safeties in league history in Professional Bowl selections — only Ken Houston of Houston/Washington has extra. Brian Dawkins and Ed Reed are just about every tied with Lynch’s nine selections for next. All those a few players are currently enshrined.

In 2006, Lynch was presented with the Bart Starr Award, which acknowledges a participant who displays superb character and management in the house, on the industry and in the neighborhood.

Just after retiring subsequent the 2007 season, Lynch served as a color analyst for FOX Athletics from 2009-sixteen before the 49ers employed him as their standard manager in February of 2017. Under Lynch’s advice, San Francisco went to the Super Bowl past season before getting rid of to the Chiefs, and he was named 2019 Govt of the Yr by the Professional Football Writers of America.

When Lynch’s election will come as somewhat of a surprise this calendar year — particularly considering the energy of the very first-ballot candidates led by Manning, cornerback Charles Woodson and large receiver Calvin Johnson — it was also somewhat of an inevitability considering his history as a finalist. Which include Lynch, ten players in league history have been named finalists at least 8 consecutive many years, with only a person participant nevertheless to be enshrined from that team.

Lynch, who discovered of his election two months back, joins Houston furthermore ex-Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey as well as Reggie White, Willie Roaf and Tony Gonzalez as Hall of Fame players with 4-furthermore Professional Bowls with multiple teams.

Lynch and Bailey were anchors of the Denver protection all through the safety’s tenure with the Broncos. Denver ranked third in scoring protection in 2005 as the crew went 13-three and reached the AFC title video game. Lynch is currently induced into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame as well as Tampa Bay’s Ring of Honor.