PHOENIX — Late linebacker Junior Seau, a standout for his hometown San Diego Chargers and later a respected veteran and Super Bowl participant with the New England Patriots, led an eight-member class elected Saturday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Seau was joined by running back Jerome Bettis, wide receiver Tim Brown, defensive lineman Charles Haley, offensive linemen Will Shields and Mick Tingelhoff, and front-office architects Ron Wolf and Bill Polian.
Seau was widely regarded as the one automatic selection in this year’s class. Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said during the week that he could not imagine a Hall of Fame without Seau, who was in his first year of eligibility.
“It’s obviously got to happen,” Belichick said.
Seau was a 12-time Pro Bowl selection during a career that included stints with the Chargers, Miami Dolphins and Patriots. He was named to the all-decade team of the 1990s and was the NFL’s defensive player of the year in 1992.
“The one word that comes to me when I think of Junior in life and football [is] passion,” Belichick said.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said during the week that he had “no doubt” that Seau would be elected.
“He was a phenomenal player, teammate, friend,” Brady said. “His attitude was infectious.”
Seau died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in May 2012 at age 43.
“This is a huge honor for our family,” said Seau’s son, Tyler. “It’s definitely with a heavy heart because it should be him.”
Bettis was a six-time Pro Bowl selection for the Los Angeles and St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. He is the sixth-leading rusher in NFL history with 13,662 yards and ended his career in glorious fashion with a Super Bowl triumph with the Steelers to cap the 2005 season.
Brown has the sixth-most receiving yards in NFL history with 14,934. He played for the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay and also was a game-breaking return man.
Haley was a ferocious pass rusher and is the only five-time Super Bowl winner in NFL history. He had three of those victories with Dallas and two with San Francisco. He recorded 100.5 career sacks.
Shields reached 12 straight Pro Bowls as a guard for the Kansas City Chiefs and never missed a game in 14 seasons.
Tingelhoff, a center, never missed a game in 17 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and was named all-NFL or all-pro seven times.
Wolf built Super Bowl teams with the Raiders and Packers and was perhaps best known for making the trade that got quarterback Brett Favre to Green Bay. He also was in the front offices of Tampa Bay and the Jets.
Polian was a six-time NFL executive of the year with Buffalo, Carolina and Indianapolis.