Notes & Quotes: John Randle
John Randle, the 14th undrafted free agent in the Hall of Fame, is the first player who played primarily as a defensive tackle to be elected to the Hall of Fame since Randy White in 1994.
Notes
Despite playing inside on the defensive line, Randle amassed 137.5 career sacks which ranks him tied for 6th overall in NFL history.
His 114 sacks in a Vikings uniform still places him third all-time in franchise history. (Note: This team record takes into account sacks former players accumulated before the sack became an official stat in 1982. Officially Randle would be 1st.)
Randle registered double-digit sacks total in eight consecutive seasons. The only player to eclipse that run was Reggie White (9 straight seasons with 10 or more sacks).
He won the NFL sack title in 1997 with 15.5 sacks. He also recorded a career-high 71 tackles (39 solo) that year.
Nickname: Motor Mouth
Appeared in seven Pro Bowls.
Named first-team All-Pro/All-NFL six consecutive years (1993-98) and made All-AFC once with the Seahawks (2001).
Randle's only touchdown came as an end zone fumble recovery against the New York Giants on Dec. 23, 2001, which put the Seahawks ahead of the Giants just before halftime.
Randle played on just one losing team throughout his 13 seasons as a starter.
From 1991-2002, Randle lead the league with 131 sacks, 12.5 more sacks than Hall of Famer Bruce Smith, who was second in sacks to Randle during that span.
Randle's sacked a total of 61 different players over his 14-year career, as well as forced 28 fumbles and recovered 11 fumbles.
Randle recorded his best performance with a career-high 3.5 sacks and forced two fumbles against the Green Bay Packers in a 30-21 Vikings victory on Sept. 22, 1996.
Randle became the 17th member to be inducted into the Minnesota Vikings' Ring of Honor on Nov. 30, 2008, placing him with Hall of Famers Ron Yary (2001), Randall McDaniel (2009), Carl Eller (2004), Paul Krause (1998), Bud Grant (1994), Jim Finks (1995), Alan Page (1988), and Fran Tarkenton (1986).
Randle recorded more than one sack in a game 35 times during his career. He also collected two sacks and forced a fumble during the NFC's 17-3 victory over the AFC in the 1994 Pro Bowl.
Quotes
"I was lucky to see first-hand what a player of his caliber dedicated to his day-to-day routine. You couldn't help but work harder when he was going full-bore every day. He made all of us on the offensive line better by facing him at practice." - Steve Hutchinson, guard, Minnesota Vikings
"He's a little wacky. We all know that. He gets things going in the locker room. He's noisy and loud. He irritates people at practices. He has more fun than any 10 players I've ever seen." - Mike Holmgren, former Seattle Seahawks head coach
"If you were watching films and nobody mentioned any names, he would catch your eye. Once a blocker loses his leverage with him, you're in trouble." - Rod Humenuik, former New England Patriots offensive line coach
"Some see practice as a nuisance, but I saw it as a way of getting better. I went so hard in practice that when the game came, it was so much easier." - John Randle
"Now when I watch a game, I sit with my family in front of the TV with my sweats and just enjoy it. I played so hard that I left it all on the field. I've never had any regrets." - John Randle
"I've seen him spent from giving all he had in games, but he's still better than the guy across from him. He's tired, but the guy across from him is dead." - John Teerlinck, former defensive line coach
"He doesn't know how to take breaks, which is a good thing. You know going against him he's coming full go, no matter if he's hurt, sick, whatever. He's coming a hundred percent every time." - Randall McDaniel, Class of 2009
"John Randle is incredible. Every year we face him, we have to come up with some kind of game plan to block him because he's a perennial Pro Bowl player." - Raymont Harris, former running back
"His value on this team is great because of the commitment that other teams make to make sure he doesn't get a sack." - Andre Patterson, former defensive line coach
"There's talking on the field all the time. Guys are talking, but it's not continuous. Some guys will talk one play, and then wait until the third quarter before they talk again. Me? I'm going to keep talking. You knock me on my butt, I'm going to get back up and say, 'Hey, do I one more time.' I'm going to be coming every play." - John Randle