Former Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Dick Vermeil was named as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 on Tuesday, per the PFHOF official website.
The other finalist mentioned was former Raiders legendary wide receiver Cliff Branch, who won three Super Bowls with the Silver and Black between 1972 to 1985.
Vermeil is a storied name inside Kansas City Chiefs lore and is even bigger inside Missouri pro sports as a whole. The 84-year-old manned the sidelines for both of the state’s NFL clubs as head coach from 1997-2005 following a 15-year hiatus after coaching the Philadelphia Eagles to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance in 1980.
Vermeil’s legacy inside the ‘Show-Me State’ had a rocky beginning in St. Louis over the first two seasons, finishing with an abysmal 8-23 combined record. In 1999, Vermeil’s Rams flipped the script when quarterback Kurt Warner, who was a nobody at the time, took over for an injured Trent Green and led St. Louis on an unforgettable trip to the Super Bowl, where they defeated the Tennessee Titans.
Two seasons later, Vermeil signed with Kansas City where he built an offensive powerhouse. From 2001-2005, Vermeil led the Chiefs to a combined 44-36 record, the only thing missing was the postseason success that he had with his last two franchises. The Chiefs made the playoffs once during Vermeil’s tenure and were a quick one-and-done to Peyton Manning’s Colts.
Vermeil retired from coaching for good in early 2006, but his influence around Chiefs Kingdom never left.
After a crazy and very forgettable 2012 season, Vermeil had a huge hand in urging Andy Reid to take the Chiefs’ head coaching position in early 2013. Nine seasons later, I’d have to say it worked out pretty well.
Vermeil finished his coaching career with a 120-109 record in the NFL, with a 6-5 postseason record, and was 1-1 in the Super Bowl.
According to the PFHOF’s official site, after receiving the news that he was a finalist for the Hall of Fame, Vermeil said: “I am overwhelmed [but] I’m not sure I belong there.”
