Patriots Legend Elected To Team Hall Of Fame By Senior Committee

Right before the annual Hall of Fame nomination committee meeting, a 10-person senior selection committee had another meeting to discuss a few Hall of Fame contenders that have been retired for over 25 years. The senior committee made the final decision and announced former Patriots offensive tackle Leon Gray as the latest to enter the team Hall of Fame.

Gray died at 49 in 2001, and he is the third Patriots Hall of Famer to be inducted by the senior selection committee. Center Jon Morris (2011) and defensive lineman Houston Antwine (2015) are the first two.

The offensive tackle was a former third round pick of the Miami Dolphins out of Jackson State. Gray was cut by the team and claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots. With the help of his new team, Gray became the league’s best tackle. In 1977, his o-line allowed a team low 14 sacks on the year. Gray and Pro Football Hall of Famer Josh Hannah had one of the best tackle-guard duos in the entire NFL history.

Gray was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a three-time First-Team All-Pro after playing 11 seasons in the league. He was named to the Patriots All-1970’s Team.

Gray’s magnificence will be celebrated at this year’s induction ceremony later this summer. We don’t have much info on the exact date of the event.

Gray will be accompanied by a member from the modern-era. A committee comprised of reporters, broadcasters and Patriots staffers met to breakdown three finalists for this season’s class. Any player or head coach that has been out of the NFL for four years may be inducted in the team Hall of Fame. The committee will vote and the top three candidates will be made up of the year’s class. From that point, it will be put to a fan vote.

Mike Vrabel, Richard Seymour, Rodney Harrison and Bill Parcells will probably be named. These have earned some respect and praise over the years. Mike Vrabel was a finalist for the past three years. Seymour was named a finalist for the past two. Harrison couldn’t make it to the final three, and Parcells was a finalist three times.

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