Seymour will be the fifth Dawg inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining Charley Trippi, Fran Tarkenton, Terrell Davis, and Champ Bailey.
Seymour played for New England from 2001-08 after being drafted sixth overall and for Oakland from 2009-12. He was a 3-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots and appeared in a fourth Super Bowl. Seymour was a 7-time Pro Bowl selection and a 5-time All-Pro pick. He ended his career with 496 tackles and 57.5 sacks.
Seymour was named to the Patriots' 50th Anniversary Team, New England's All-2000s Team, and the Patriots' Hall of Fame. He was chosen for the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
"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," Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said. "As great as he was as a player, he is a Hall of Fame-caliber person as well."
At 6’ 6” 300 lbs., Seymour was a nightmare for opposing offenses when playing for the Bulldogs. A native of Gadsden, South Carolina, Seymour played a total of 41 games for the Bulldogs, starting 25.
In 1999, Seymour led the Dawgs with 74 tackles, becoming one of only two defensive linemen in Georgia history to lead the team in tackles for a season. Following his junior season, Seymour was elected as a permanent team captain by his teammates.
Seymour was a two-time All-SEC first-team selection and was named a first team All-American in 2000 by the AFCA and Walter Camp. He ended his career in Athens with a total of 233 tackles, 26 tackles-for-loss, and 10 sacks.
In 2015, he was inducted into the Georgia-Florida Game Hall of Fame and was named one of the "Legends of SEC Football." In 2018, he was inducted into the State of South Carolina Hall of Fame. He established the Richard Seymour Family Endowed Scholarship and made an additional gift to the Sanford Stadium West End Zone project.
Seymour will be enshrined into the Pro Hall along with offensive lineman Tony Boselli, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive back LeRoy Butler, defensive linemen Bryant Young, wide receiver Cliff Branch, Coach Dick Vermeil, and former NFL director of officiating Art McNally.
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