Post by TheShadow on Jul 26, 2006 18:40:02 GMT -5
www.raiders.com/
As legendary Raiders head coach John Madden prepares to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday, August 5th, we present a look back at the 16 proud members of the Silver and Black who have previously earned such distinction. We continue with Raiders linebacker Ted Hendricks, who was enshrined in 1990.
He was known as the "Mad Stork" because of his lanky frame and legendary training camp antics, but Ted Hendricks preferred the moniker "Kick 'em in the Head Ted." Inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 4, 1990, Hendricks is the only Raider linebacker to ever receive the honor. He began his 15-year career in the league with the Baltimore Colts, where he spent five seasons before being traded to the Green Bay Packers.
After just one season with the Packers, a season where Hendricks had one of his best years, making five interceptions, blocking seven kicks, and scoring a safety, he was allowed to play out his option and sign with The Oakland Raiders. Hendricks excelled during the next nine seasons in Oakland, playing a major role on the Raiders defense.
Hendricks was a member of three Raider teams that won the World Championship of Professional Football (1976, 1980 and 1983 teams). He played in a total of 131 consecutive games with the Raiders, 215 in his career, which is the most by any linebacker in NFL history.
During his career in the NFL, Hendricks intercepted 26 passes for 332 yards and one touchdown, while recovering 16 opponent fumbles. He shares the NFL record for most safeties in a pro career with four, he scored three touchdowns on fumbles recovered, returned one interception for a touchdown and one blocked punt for a score. He was named All-Pro on all of the three teams that he played for (Baltimore 1971, Green Bay 1974 and Oakland 1980 and 1982) and also earned second-team All-Pro accolades five other times.
Hendricks played his best football over his nine years with the Raiders. He was given the freedom to roam the line, blitz on impulse, and to read and react on the play. No one was able to key in on Hendricks, as he disrupted offenses around the league.
He was selected to the All-AFC team seven times and the All-NFC team once. The last game of Hendricks career was a memorable one as he and the Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII 38-9.