On Thursday night, the NFL held their annual ‘NFL Honors’ event. It was at this event that the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 was revealed.
And it is quite the class.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023:
• Darrelle Revis
• Joe Thomas
• DeMarcus Ware
• Zach Thomas
• Ronde Barber
Veteran player/coach inductees were:
• Don Coryell
• Joe Klecko
• Ken Riley
• Chuck Howley
Coryell, who passed away in 2010, enters Canton as the lone coach/contributor finalist of the Class of 2023. The offensive innovator was head coach of the Cardinals and Chargers for a combined 14 seasons, racking up a 111-83-1 record with six playoff appearances. Coryell won Coach of the Year honors in 1974 with the “Big Red” and then made a name for himself with Dan Fouts and the Bolts. Employing the “Air Coryell” attack, which leaned on a vertical passing game, the coach led San Diego to consecutive title game appearances in 1980 and 1981.
Dozens of teams have relied on the “Air Coryell” style of play, including the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams teams from 1999-2003.
Coryell’s Chargers offenses led the league in passing in seven of his eight seasons there. Coryell was previously a HOF finalist on six separate occasions and inducted Fouts in 1993. Now Coryell, who is already a College Football Hall of Famer for his work at San Diego State, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, a rare distinction to be a Hall of Famer of both.