Former Chiefs, Rams, and Eagles coach Dick Vermeil is joining the late Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch as finalists in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
Vermeil coached the 1980 Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl, where the team lost to Branch’s Oakland Raiders in the Louisiana Superdome, later winning the Super Bowl with the 1999 St. Louis Rams, his third after a return to the sidelines. Starting in 2001, Vermeil finished his coaching career with five generally successful seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Citing burnout, Vermeil left coaching following the 1982 season in Philadelphia, eventually finding his way into a broadcasting career that ran 15 seasons. Prior to joining the Eagles, Vermeil coached on the West Coast, with the UCLA Bruins.
Branch, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 71, is the senior candidate for the hall, with Vermeil chosen as the coach’s candidate. Branch played 14 seasons in Oakland and Los Angeles from 1972 to 1985, finishing with 501 catches, 8.685 receiving yards, and 67 touchdowns.
To earn election into Canton, Branch and Vermeil must gain 80% of the votes collected from the 49-member selection committee when they meet in early 2022.
Photo credit – hshark / Wikimedia Commons / Philadelphia, PA
