CANTON, Ohio — John Lynch hadn’t quite given up on making the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Still, when David Baker, the hall’s president, came knocking on his door to tell Lynch that after seven years of being a finalist that Lynch had been voted in, the former safety admitted he nearly fell to his knees.
Lynch, who won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay and also starred with Denver for four seasons after 11 with the Bucs, has been inducted into the hall.
Playing both strong and free safety, Lynch was a key to the Tampa-2 defense, a “coach on the field” according to his former coach, Tony Dungy, and one of the surest tackler the NFL has seen. Now the general manager of the 49ers, Lynch made nine Pro Bowls as a player.
“What a privilege to be inducted in this brotherhood,” Lynch said. “It takes a lot of belief to get to this stage. However, belief has to be nurtured time and time again.
“One person can make a difference. I encourage each and every one of you to be that person.”
Lynch played college football at Stanford before being drafted by the Bucs as a third-round pick (82nd overall) in the 1993 NFL Draft.
With his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2021, Lynch joins a list of Buccaneers who've already been enshrined. There's defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, defensive tackle Warren Sapp, linebacker Derrick Brooks, and – of course – head coach Tony Dungy.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.