As the NFL announces its class of 2023 Hall of Fame finalists, one name will seem familiar to those here in Central New York, as former Syracuse football defensive end Dwight Freeney has been announced as one of the finalists in this year’s NFL Hall of Fame class of 2023.
Freeney will look to become the ninth Orange football player to be inducted, following former Orange stars such as Jim Brown, Marvin Harrison, and Floyd Little.
Freeney, who spent four years with Syracuse football, would become second all-time with 34.0 sacks on the Hill and third on the Big East sacks list, and he would also post 50.5 tackles for a loss, and had an impressive 14-game streak with a sack.
Syracuse football legend Dwight Freeney is one step closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Freeney would also win numerous awards during his time with the Orange, as he would win the 2000 Ted Dailey Award for the most improved defensive player in spring practice, was a 2001 Lombardi Award finalist, a 2001 Bednarik Award finalist, a 2001 All-American, the 2001 Big East co-defensive player of the year, and a 2001 unanimous first-team All-Big East selection.
Freeney would then take his talents to the NFL, where he was selected in the first round as the number eleven pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, where he would spend 10 seasons with the team.
From there, he would play for the Arizona Cardinals, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Seattle Seahawks. He made the pro bowl seven times, would be selected first-team All-Pro three times, and would win a Super Bowl when the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears.
We here at Inside The Loud House would like to congratulate Dwight Freeney and wish him the best of luck as he is now a finalist for the class of 2023 NFL Hall of Fame.