49er Great Bryant Young; Raiders Legendary Cliff Branch Named To NFL Hall Of Fame
LOS ANGELES (CBS SF/AP) — Fearsome 49ers defensive lineman Bryant Young and Oakland Raiders fleet-footed wide receiver Cliff Branch were among the eight honorees named Thursday to the NFL Hall of Fame.
They will be joined by offensive lineman Tony Boselli, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive back LeRoy Butler, defensive lineman Richard Seymour, Super Bowl winner Dick Vermeil in the coach category and longtime head of officiating Art McNally as a contributor.
Young, in his 10th year of eligibility, was a stalwart for the 49ers for 14 seasons, joining as a rookie toward the end of the dynasty in 1994 and playing through darker times later in his career. But his play rarely ever slipped.
He helped San Francisco win the title as a rookie, had 89 1/2 career sacks, won Comeback Player of the Year in 1999 following a broken leg and was a two-time All-Pro.
"I don't want to go out and demand anything. I want to work to get something," Young said. "That was instilled in me from my dad. Every opportunity I had to go out on the field, I never took it for granted and made sure I was prepared. I played the game with utmost respect for my opponent. That was important to me."
Branch epitomized what late Raiders owner Al Davis sought in a wide receiver with his blazing speed providing the vertical threat that helped the Raiders win three titles in an eight-year span in the 1970s and '80s.
He died in 2019 and is the ninth player from the Raiders' first title team in 1976 to get voted into the Hall, along with Davis, coach John Madden and assistant coach Tom Flores.
Branch's Raiders denied Vermeil a title in Philadelphia in the 1980 season. Vermeil burned out a couple of years later and took a 14-year hiatus, mostly as a broadcaster, before returning as coach of the Rams in 1997 and leading the "Greatest Show on Turf" team that delivered the franchise's only Super Bowl title in the 1999 season.
"My job was not so much to win football games but to make each player the best player he can be," Vermeil said.
