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Richard Dent

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Richard Dent
refer to caption
Dent playing for the Chicago Bears, c. 1987
No. 95, 96
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1960-12-13) December 13, 1960 (age 63)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school:J. C. Murphy
(Atlanta, Georgia)
College:Tennessee State (1979–1982)
NFL draft:1983 / round: 8 / pick: 203
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:677
Sacks:137.5
Safeties:1
Forced fumbles:37
Fumble recoveries:13
Interceptions:8
Interception yards:89
Defensive touchdowns:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Richard Lamar Dent (born December 13, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Chicago Bears. He was the MVP of the Super Bowl XX. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Professional career

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Chicago Bears

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After playing four years at Tennessee State University and graduating in 1983, Dent was selected in the eighth round by the Bears, with the 203rd overall pick in the 1983 NFL draft. At 6 ft 5 in, 265 lb (120 kg), Dent was a great pass rusher who beat offensive tackles with his speed and thrived in defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan's aggressive 46 defense. He was part of the core of great players who made the Bears' defenses of the 1980s legendary. Between 1984 and 1985, Dent recorded 34.5 sacks while recording a then team-record 17.5 sacks in the former season.[1]

1985 season

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When the Bears went on to defeat the New England Patriots in a 46–10 landslide in Super Bowl XX,[2] Dent was selected as the game's MVP. During the game, he had 1.5 sacks, forced two fumbles, and blocked a pass. Dent made a mere $90,000 in base salary for his efforts in 1985[3] ($255,000 in 2023 dollars).[4] He was a featured soloist of the "Shuffling Crew" in the video, the "Super Bowl Shuffle" in 1985.

After Chicago

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Dent would remain with the team until the end of the 1993 season, after the Bears had won just one playoff game since their loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1988 NFC Championship Game, and head coach Mike Ditka had been replaced by Dave Wannstedt.

Dent won another Super Bowl ring after spending the 1994 season under contract with the 49ers, though he spent almost the whole year injured. Injuries would continue to hamper Dent after his return to Chicago in 1995. He would spend 1996 and 1997 with the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively, playing the so-called designated pass rusher for them.

Dent retired after the 1997 season. His lifetime statistics included 137.5 sacks and eight interceptions; he returned these picks for 89 yards and one touchdown. He also recovered 13 fumbles, returning them for 56 yards and one touchdown. He had 124.5 sacks during his first stint with the Bears, from 1983 to 1993. At the time of his retirement, his 137.5 sacks ranked him third in NFL history behind Reggie White and Bruce Smith.

Post-retirement

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During Super Bowl XLIV, Dent joined other members of the 1985 Chicago Bears in resurrecting the "Super Bowl Shuffle" in a Boost Mobile commercial.[5]

Dent was nominated numerous times for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and in 2005–2009 he was among the top 15 finalists in the selection process. After several years of unsuccessful nominations, he was finally selected for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on February 5, 2011.[6] His induction speech was notable for omitting any mention of both Ditka and Ryan.[7] Since his retirement Dent has had a difficult relationship with Ditka because he publicly blamed Ditka for the Bears' inability to repeat as Super Bowl champions. In a 2012 interview on WSCR, Dent argued that the Bears would have won at least three Super Bowls if they had been able to find any consistency at quarterback.[8]

In addition to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dent was also inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.[9]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Super Bowl MVP
Won the Super Bowl
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds TD FF FR
1983 CHI 16 3 12 – – 3.0 0 0 0 1 0
1984 CHI 16 10 39 – – 17.5 0 0 0 4 1
1985 CHI 16 16 38 – – 17.0 2 10 1 7 2
1986 CHI 15 14 75 – – 11.5 0 0 0 4 0
1987 CHI 12 12 34 – – 12.5 0 0 0 4 2
1988 CHI 13 12 61 – – 10.5 0 0 0 3 1
1989 CHI 15 15 70 – – 9.0 1 30 0 2 2
1990 CHI 14 14 81 – – 12.0 3 21 0 2 3
1991 CHI 16 16 84 – – 10.5 1 4 0 0 1
1992 CHI 16 16 82 – – 8.5 0 0 0 6 1
1993 CHI 16 16 64 – – 12.5 1 24 0 1 0
1994 SF 2 2 8 7 1 2.0 0 0 0 0 0
1995 CHI 3 1 1 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
1996 IND 16 1 15 13 2 6.5 0 0 0 2 0
1997 PHI 15 0 13 10 3 4.5 0 0 0 1 0
Career 203 150 677 31 6 137.5 8 89 1 37 13

Personal life

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According to a DNA analysis, he descended mainly from Mende people of Sierra Leone and Balanta people of Guinea Bissau.[10] He is the godfather of football player Ahmaad Smith.[11]

Richard lives in Chicago and has four children: Mary, Sarah, R.J., and Shiloh. His son R.J. is a football player who played WR at Stevenson High School, and now plays at Miami University Ohio.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Rank, Adam (February 10, 2014). "NFL players from historically black colleges". National Football League. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  2. ^ "Bears Trounce Patriots, 46–10, in Super Bowl". Los Angeles Times. January 27, 1986. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  3. ^ Kluck, Ted. "'85 Bears vs. '07 Patriots - ESPN Page 2". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  4. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. ^ Greenberg, Jon (January 15, 2010). "Chicago Bears' "Super Bowl Shuffle" an enduring, endearing sports moment". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "Richard Dent makes Pro Football Hall of Fame". Chicago Tribune. February 5, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  7. ^ ESPNChicago.com: Richard Dent clarifies Hall speech snubs
  8. ^ Chicago Tribune: Dent: Ditka to blame for 1985 Bears' failure to repeat
  9. ^ "All Inductees". BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  10. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IfrdWeru2c Richard Dent Ancestry Reveal
  11. ^ "ARGOS SIGN DB AHMAAD SMITH". argonauts.ca. January 29, 2010. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  12. ^ "RJ Dent - Football".
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