NFL Star Turned Poker Player Richard Seymour Finally Voted into Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Richard Seymour, an avid poker player who was a catalyst on the defensive side of the ball for three New England Patriots championship teams, was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio this summer.
The former Georgia Bulldogs college All-American spent 12 seasons in the NFL, eight with the Patriots and four with the Oakland Raiders. Upon retiring in 2012, he took up poker as a hobby, and he's proven that he's no slouch on the felt.
"Big Sey" has $645,000 in live tournament cashes, according to the Hendon Mob database. In 2018, he finished third in a $25,000 high roller at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) for $376,360. Last year, he cashed in two World Series of Poker (WSOP) events, including a 131st place finish in the Main Event for $59,295.
Better Late than Never
Seymour retired from the NFL in 2012 and became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2018. Much like the Poker Hall of Fame, it's all up to the voters, of which he has no control. The votes didn't go his way the first few years of eligibility, but they did this year. He sent out a tweet humbly accepting the honor.
i humbly and graciously accept this opportunity to stand alongside some of the greatest legends of the game of foot… https://t.co/uIBmLPqU4I
— Richard Seymour (@BigSey93)
Seymour was a fierce defensive tackle/end who finished his career with 57.5 sacks and 91 tackles for loss. He was a tough run stuffer who caused problems for opposing offensive lines. Quarterback Tom Brady gets most of the credit for the Patriots' dynasty, but defensive players like "Big Sey" also played integral roles in so many Super Bowl championship teams in New England, and they didn't always get the credit they deserved.
Seymour, a seven-time Pro Bowler, joins cornerback Ty Law as the only two members of those early 2000s Patriots defenses that reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Law, a former University of Michigan standout, was inducted in 2019.
The football star turned poker player will be joined in the HOF's Class of 2022 by offensive tackle Tony Boselli, safety LeRoy Butler, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive tackle Bryant Young, wide receiver Cliff Branch, former NFL director of officiating Art McNally, and Super Bowl-winning coach Dick Vermeil.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will be officially enshrined at a ceremony in Canton, Ohio in early August, two weeks after the 2022 WSOP concludes.
Richard Seymour Top Poker Cashes
| Year | Tournament | Place | Cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | PCA $25K High Roller | 3rd | $376,360 |
| 2019 | WSOP Main Event | 131st | $59,2985 |
| 2016 | WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic | 18th | $52,174 |
| 2019 | WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown | 15th | $36,195 |
| 2016 | WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star | 44th | $21,580 |
| 2015 | WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble | 29th | $11,817 |
| 2017 | WSOP Event #52: $1,500 NLH | 24th | $11,144 |
