PHOENIX — A long wait finally came to an end.
Don Coryell, the pioneering Chargers head coach of the late 1970s and 1980s, who revolutionized the NFL with his “Air Coryell” offense, was officially selected for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Hall announced on Thursday during the “NFL Honors” awards show.
Coryell, a finalist six other times, was voted in as a Coach/Contributor finalist by the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. He is part of a defense-heavy 2023 class that is headlined by offensive lineman Joe Thomas and lockdown cornerback Darrelle Revis, both receiving the honor in their first year of eligibility.
The rest of the new class includes return finalists DeMarcus Ware, Zach Thomas and Ronde Barber and senior candidates Joe Klecko, Chuck Howley and Ken Riley, all of whom will be inducted during a ceremony this summer in Canton, Ohio.
Coryell, who passed away on July 1, 2010, at the age of 85, spent five seasons as coach of the then-St. Louis Cardinals (1973-1977) before his nine-season run with the then-San Diego Chargers (1978-86). He finished his career with an all-time coaching record of 111-83-1, becoming the only coach in history to win 100 games at the NFL and collegiate levels (he was 104-19-2 in 11 years at San Diego State). His Chargers teams went 72-60, won four AFC West titles (three in a row from 1979-81) and played in four divisional playoff games and two AFC championship games.
“Don Coryell has had a tremendous influence on the game we know and love today,” Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a statement. “Whether it was through the coaches he mentored, the players he taught and led, the offenses he orchestrated or the defenses that were created to stop his offenses, today’s NFL is a direct reflection of Don’s mind and imagination. While it’s obviously been a long time coming, we’re grateful that his family, as well as the players he meant so much to, are now officially able to welcome him to his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and celebrate his legacy.”
Coryell’s impact on the game in San Diego was transcendent as he took advantage of rule changes that opened up the passing game in the late 1970s and put together an offense that still influences the game today. His schemes led to more use of tight ends in the passing game, dime defenses saw their first implementation to try to counter him and the “passing tree” numeric system was adopted into the mainstream.
“Don Coryell has earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Chargers Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts said of his former coach. “Simply put, Air Coryell changed the game on both sides of the ball. One cannot write the history of the National Football League without the contributions of Coach Coryell.”
Built around Fouts, Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow and Hall of Fame wide receiver Charlie Joiner, Coryell’s Chargers offense led the NFL in total offense five times, passing yards six times (ranked second once during that period) and scoring three times. Fouts led the NFL in passing yards for four straight seasons (1979-1982) and became the first player in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards in three consecutive seasons (1979-1981).
“He’s more than deserving to have this honor,” Winslow said. “You can’t say I changed the tight end position without mentioning Don Coryell’s name. I did not. I didn’t call the plays. I didn’t set up the offense. That’s Don Coryell’s offense. That’s where the credit belongs. He loved coaching. He loved seeing the success the team was having, especially when you talk about passing the football. His contribution to the game is hard to match.”
Joiner echoed those sentiments.
“Don changed the game of football as we know it,” he said. “He had an impact on both sides of the ball with his innovative and groundbreaking offenses. One only needs to look back to Don to see how offenses have developed since he came into the league. His explosive passing game changed the face of defenses. Opposing teams had to bring in extra defensive backs to try and slow down his pass offense resulting in the nickel defense and the dime defense. Somebody who can force other teams to play those kinds of defenses should be in the Hall of Fame.”
Joe Thomas’ election gave fans of the new version of the Cleveland Browns something they could finally celebrate. The six-time All-Pro offensive lineman is the first Browns Hall of Famer from the team’s inglorious expansion era.
“It’s really special for me because the franchise has endured some really tough times,” Thomas said. “But those fans are so loyal and passionate, and they still show up and it still is their identity that they’re Browns fans. It’s great for all of Browns Nation.”
Since returning to the NFL in 1999, the Browns have had two playoff berths, one playoff win and the worst record in the league – including an 0-16 season in Thomas’ last year in the NFL.
Joe Thomas and Revis were both first-round picks from the 2007 draft who took far different journeys to this ultimate honor.
Revis bounced around teams seeking his best opportunities to win and thrive financially, while Thomas never moved.
Picked third in the draft by Cleveland, Thomas stepped in as an immediate starter and never moved until a torn triceps ended his final season in 2017.
Thomas played 10,363 consecutive snaps before that injury as one of the only dependable parts on one of the NFL’s sorriest franchises.
Thomas was a Pro Bowler in all 10 healthy seasons, a first-team All-Pro six times and a second-team selection two other years. But he never even made it to the playoffs a single time with the Browns.
Revis was always moving, whether it was following top receivers from one side of the field to the other as the game’s top lockdown cornerback of his era.
Revis’ best stretch came in New York with the Jets, where he was a first-team All-Pro from 2009-11 and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2009 when he repeatedly shut down top receivers by sending them to “Revis Island.”
“I was probably the most nervous of anybody on the field,” Revis said. “You look at yourself in the mirror and say to yourself: ‘It’s either me or him.’ I had to stand up to the challenge. I took that responsibility to take on that assignment and shut them down.”
Revis spent one year in New England, helping the Patriots win the Super Bowl in the 2014 season, and also played for Tampa Bay and Kansas City, along with a second stint with the Jets.
Ware, Barber and Zach Thomas all had longer waits before getting voted into the Hall. Ware was also a finalist last year, while Barber got in on his third time at this stage and Thomas on his fourth try.
Ware was a four-time All-Pro in Dallas and then helped Denver win a Super Bowl in the 2015 season. He led the NFL in sacks twice and finished with 138½ sacks in his career.
Barber was a key cog in the Tampa-2 defensive scheme as a cornerback for the Buccaneers. He was a three-time All-Pro, led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2001 and won a Super Bowl the next season.
“I didn’t set out to be a Hall of Famer,” Barber said. “I was trying to make the team. I was trying to get on the field. All you can do is take your opportunity and run with it. And we all took our opportunities and ran with it.”
Zach Thomas, a fifth-round draft pick who became a five-time All-Pro, spent 12 of his 13 seasons with Miami before finishing with one year in Dallas. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1996 and had at least 100 tackles in his first 11 seasons.
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“I am truly honored and humbled to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Thomas said. “Growing up in Texas, I dreamed of playing football at any level. To have played at Texas Tech and then be drafted by the Dolphins was the ultimate. It was indeed a dream come true.”
Howley was a five-time All-Pro in 15 seasons with Chicago and Dallas with his biggest claim being the only player from a losing team ever picked as Super Bowl MVP. Howley won MVP after intercepting two passes in Super Bowl V when Dallas lost to Baltimore, 16-13. He ended up on the winning side the following season when he had two takeaways in a 24-3 victory over Miami.
Klecko was a mainstay on the Jets’ famed “New York Sack Exchange,” earning Pro Bowl honors at nose tackle, defensive tackle and defensive end in a 12-year career that ended with one season on the Indianapolis Colts.
Klecko was an All-Pro twice, including in 1981 when he unofficially led the NFL with 20½ sacks and finished second to Lawrence Taylor in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Riley’s 65 career interceptions in 15 seasons with Cincinnati rank fifth highest in NFL history and second to Dick “Night Train” Lane’s 68 for players who were exclusively cornerbacks.
Chargers head coach Don Coryell and quarterback Dan Fouts discuss strategy on the sidelines during a 40-7 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 1, 1985, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. The late Coryell was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it was announced on Thursday. He will be enshrined this summer as part of the 2023 class. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)