Richard Seymour will soon wear the red jacket.
The former New England Patriots defensive end has been elected to the team's Hall of Fame, beating out former teammate Mike Vrabel and former head coach Bill Parcells in a fan vote. The Patriots' HOF made the announcement Monday morning. The date and time of the 2020 Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony is to be determined.
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"Richard Seymour laid the foundation for a defense that helped propel the Patriots to three Super Bowl championships in his first four seasons in the NFL," Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said in a statement. "Richard was the consummate professional and leader, always accepting the roles he was assigned, putting team goals ahead of personal ones, and in turn, raising the game of everyone around him. Yet as great as he was as a player, he is a Hall of Fame-caliber person, as well. I couldn't be happier for Richard and the Seymour family, and I am looking forward to celebrating with them as Richard takes his rightful place in the Patriots Hall of Fame and very soon the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton."
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Seymour will be the 30th inductee into the team's Hall of Fame. He is the latest player to be elected from the Patriots' two-decade dynasty that has seen the franchise win six Super Bowl championships. He will join Drew Bledsoe, Kevin Faulk, Troy Brown, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, Matt Light and Rodney Harrison as the Patriots Hall of Fame inductees from Super Bowl-winning teams.
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Seymour was drafted No. 6 overall by the Patriots in the 2001 NFL Draft, and it didn't take long for him to emerge as one of the league's premier defensive players. He played eight seasons in New England and earned three All-Pro appearances, seven Pro Bowl selections and three Super Bowl rings.
The ex-Patriots star also was named a finalist for the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, but he was not selected on the final vote. He likely will make it into the Pro Football HOF in the future.