Light, Vrabel, Seymour Named Patriots Hall Of Fame Finalists
BOSTON (CBS) -- For the first time ever, three former teammates are the finalists for the New England Patriots team Hall of Fame.
Left tackle Matt Light, defensive lineman Richard Seymour and linebacker Mike Vrabel are the 2018 finalists, vying to become the 27th person enshrined in the Patriots Hall of Fame. All three played integral parts in the Patriots winning the first three Super Bowls in franchise history.
Light, a first-year finalist, spent his entire 11-year career with the Patriots protecting Tom Brady's blind side. A second-round pick in 2001, he played in 155 regular-season games and made 153 starts, as well as all 20 postseason appearances during his career. Light started five Super Bowls and was named to three Pro Bowls while with the Patriots.
Seymour was drafted by the Patriots with the sixth overall pick in 2001 and went on to be a force on the New England defensive line for eight seasons. He totaled 39 sacks in his 111 games with the Patriots and added 66 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries in 15 postseason games. Seymour earned five straight Pro Bowls nods (2002-06) and three straight first team All-Pro honors (2003-05) as he helped deliver six AFC East championships, four conference titles and three Super Bowl championships to New England.
Seymour was traded to Oakland in the summer of 2009, where he played for the final four years of his career, earning two additional Pro Bowl nods. This is the second straight year he's a finalist for the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Vrabel came to New England ahead of the 2001 season as a free agent following a four-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A four-time team captain, he played an important and versatile role on some of New England's best defenses during his eight seasons with the Patriots, with his 48 career sacks the seventh-most in franchise history.
He also had 10 career receptions as a Patriot -- eight in the regular season and two in the playoffs -- all of which went for touchdowns. That includes touchdown receptions in back-to-back Super Bowl wins over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXVIII (32-29) and Philadelphia Eagles (24-21) in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Vrabel, now the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, is a Patriots Hall of Fame finalist for the third straight year.
Fans can vote for this year's Hall of Fame inductee online through May 14, and the Patriots will announce the 2018 Patriots Hall of Fame selection that week. The date of the induction ceremony will be announced at a later date, and will be free and open to the public outside of The Hall at Patriot Place.
