Zach Thomas Again a Hall Finalist

Zach Thomas is a Hall of Fame finalist for the fourth consecutive year

Not that it should be a surprise, but Zach Thomas again is on the doorstep of the Hall of Fame, 

The longtime Miami Dolphins linebacker was announced Wednesday night as one of the 15 modern-era finalists for the Hall of Fame.

It's the fourth consecutive year as a finalist for Thomas, who played 12 seasons with the Dolphins after arriving as a fifth-round pick out of Texas Tech in 1996.

The other finalists are DE Jared Allen, OT Willie Anderson, DB Ronde Barber, DE Dwight Freeney, PR/KR Devin Hester, WR Torry Holt, WR Andre Johnson, CB Albert Lewis, CB Darrelle Revis, OT Joe Thomas, LB/DE DeMarcus Ware, WR Reggie Wayne, LB Patrick Willis and DB Darren Woodson.

The slate of candidates in the modern-era player category will be considered when the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee meets virtually prior to Super Bowl LVII. The Class of 2023 will be unveiled Feb. 9 during the “NFL Honors presented by Invisalign” broadcast from Phoenix on NFL Network, NBC and Peacock.

The Selection Committee may elect up to five modern-era players for the Class of 2023; each must receive a minimum positive vote of 80 percent for election. Four others — Seniors category Finalists Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko and Ken Riley, along with Coach/Contributor Finalist Don Coryell(Opens in a new window) — also are candidates for the Class of 2023. Voting on each of those four will be held individually, in conjunction with the meeting to decide which Modern-Era Players are elected.

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ZACH THOMAS' HALL OF FAME CREDENTIALS

Thomas was inducted in 2012 into the Dolphin Honor Roll along with Jason Taylor, the other half of the Dolphins' dynamic defensive duo of the 2000s. Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 in his first year of eligibility, while Thomas was a finalist for the first time this year.

In his 168 games with the Dolphins — all of them starts — Thomas averaged a remarkable 9.7 tackles, according to pro-football-reference.com. That’s an average of 155 for every 16 games.

In all of the 10 seasons when he played at least 12 games, Thomas finished with at least 128 total tackles. He topped 150 tackles six times, leading the NFL in that category twice (in 2002 with 156 and in 2006 with 165).

But it wasn’t just the tackles.

Thomas also made big plays for the Dolphins defense.

He ended up with 17 interceptions in his career, including three in 1996, 1998 and 2003. He forced 16 fumbles and recovered eight, and also had 20.5 sacks.

His stat sheet filled up nicely, but that doesn’t factor in the intangibles he brought to the Dolphins defense. He was the centerpiece of the Dolphins defenses Head Coach Jimmy Johnson built after arriving in 1996.

Thomas’ impact was immediate, evidenced by him earning a starting job as a rookie and leading to the release of established veteran Jack Del Rio, who would go on to become an NFL head coach.

With Thomas leading the way — with major contributions from Taylor obviously — the Dolphins defense finished in the top 10 in fewest yards allowed an impressive seven consecutive seasons (1998-2004). Five times during Thomas’ career, the Dolphins were in the top five.

Thomas’ brilliance was recognized, as he earned eight Pro Bowl invitations and was named an All-Pro five times.

Longtime Jets center Kevin Mawae went up against Thomas many times during his career, which ended with his induction into the Hall of Fame last year. And during his induction speech, while mentioning all the teammates, coaches and other influential people he encountered, to talk about Thomas.

It was one Hall of Famer saying one of his rivals belonged in the Hall of Fame with him.

“Zach Thomas was my nemesis,” Mawae said about three-quarters into his 27-minute Hall of Fame speech. “My first year with the Jets before my first game we played against each other, (Coach) Bill Parcells told me in front of my entire team, ‘If you don’t block Thomas, we won’t win the game,’ and for the next 16 matchups I never forgot that.

"Zach was one of, if not the smartest player I ever faced. He loved the game, had fun when he played and brought the best out of me. When people ask me who’s not in the Hall of Fame and that I think should be here, it’s an easy one for me: number 54 from the Miami Dolphins.”

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