MINNEAPOLIS, MN – On the eve of Super Bowl LII, the NFL’s Hall of Fame committee selected eight new inductees into the class of 2018 for Canton on August 4.

One of which will be Jackson State alum Robert Brazile, who played his 10-year professional career with the Houston Oilers from 1975-1984.

The Mobile, Ala. native is widely credited with revolutionizing the outside linebacker position in a 3-4 formation defense. The late Bum Phillips, who coached him, called Brazile, “Lawrence Taylor before Lawrence Taylor.”

His combination of speed, strength, and tackling allowed him to be one of the most fearsome of his time, being named to the NFL All-Decade team for the 1970s and was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1975.

His 1,282 tackles in second most all-time in Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers franchise history and his unofficial total of 48 sacks (sacks were not an official statistic until 1982) combined with his six straight All-Pro selections stacks up with all-time greats of the game.

Brazile will be enshrined along with including first-ballot standouts Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, and Brian Urlacher as well as Terrell Owens, Brian Dawkins, Jerry Kramer and Bobby Beathard.

Brazile and Kramer were named by the Senior Selection Committee. Players and coaches that predate the 25-year window are considered by them.
A candidate must receive 80 percent of the vote to be inducted from the 48-member committee. The selection process by-laws provide that four to eight inductees will be selected.
The 64-year-old Brazile was the sixth pick in the 1975 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers, where he would spend his entire career through 1984. He did not miss a game. Nicknamed “Dr. Doom”, Brazile was a seven-time Pro Bowler in all and five-time First-Team All-Pro. As a linebacker, he made 13 interceptions.

Brazile will be the fourth player from Jackson State to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame joining Lem Barney, Jackie Slater, and Walter Payton.

Parts of this report are courtesy of ESPN.