Dickerson Buries the Hatchet as He Enters the Hall of Fame

Eric Dickerson made it look easy again, acting as cool and collected behind a podium as he was behind that huge front line of the Los Angeles Rams.

The gifted running back took long, smooth verbal strides during his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech Saturday, stepping past the Rams’ mismanagement and the infamous trade that sent him to the Indianapolis Colts in 1987.

Dickerson actually said kind things about Georgia Frontiere and John Shaw, the owner and general manager who traded him after failing to meet his contract demands. If he can deal with it, we can deal with it and clear the slate for a new NFL team--when and if it ever comes.

He likened Frontiere to a family member, and said he resolved his issues with Shaw after they met for lunch three years ago and Shaw told Dickerson he was the best running back he had ever seen.

“To me, that meant more to me than all the contract disputes I’d ever had,” Dickerson said. “To me, that laid everything to rest. For someone to actually take notice of my talent and say, ‘Hey, you were great and things just didn’t work out at the time.’ That meant a lot to me. John, I just want to thank you for that moment.”

It fit right in with the tone of the afternoon as Dickerson joined New York Giant linebacker Lawrence Taylor, Cleveland Brown tight end Ozzie Newsome, Ram offensive guard Tom Mack and Buffalo Bill offensive guard Billy Shaw as the latest class of players to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Receiving the highest honor the sport can bestow seemed to strike a chord with these players, and the values of acceptance, forgiveness, trust and belief surfaced throughout the speeches.

Newsome took steps toward healing the pain caused by the original Cleveland Browns franchise’s departure to Baltimore after the 1995 season.

He is in a precarious position, because he is beloved by the Cleveland fans for his 13-year career with the Browns, which included a streak of at least one pass reception in 150 consecutive games. Yet he also remained loyal to despised owner Art Modell, who moved the team that is now called the Ravens.

In interviews, Newsome has discussed how his role with the Ravens fits into his lifelong values. As an 11-year-old in 1967, he was the first black student in his hometown of Muscle Shoals, Ala., to attend a previously all-white school. Later he became one of the first African Americans to play football at Alabama. Now, as the Ravens’ vice president of player personnel, he is one of the few African Americans to hold such an important front-office position in the NFL.

He didn’t mention Modell’s name Saturday. Instead he went back to the tradition of the Browns and helped fuel the fans’ excitement about the return of the “new” Browns, an expansion team that plays its first exhibition game Monday.

Mack never missed a game during his 13 seasons with the Rams, but there were few--if any--people here from Los Angeles other than his family and friends here to applaud him for his service.

He did receive a better-than-average reception because he is originally from Cleveland.

“This is only 60 miles from Cleveland Heights; it feels like a million miles,” said Mack, having gained a stronger appreciation for the honor of induction after being bypassed 11 times.

It was a bittersweet day for Los Angeles football. The Rams were the only team with two players honored Saturday, yet there were only a handful of Ram jerseys, and those who wore them came from Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey and Akron. Tradition and continuity are hallmarks of the other teams who were represented, and those have nothing to do with the L.A. Rams. There are fewer and fewer people who care about the team that left four years ago. The team’s past is fluttering away like a long Vince Ferragamo incomplete pass.

You can trace the decline of the Rams back to that 1987 trade of Dickerson. Former Ram offensive lineman Jackie Slater referred to it as “one of the darkest days in NFL history” during his presentation of Dickerson.

Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett, on hand for the ceremonies, said that trade cost Dickerson a shot at the all-time rushing record. Dickerson’s running style that appeared so effortless brought him 13,259 yards in his career, the third highest total. “I think Eric would have probably been the all-time leading rusher if he had stayed out there in L.A.,” Dorsett said. “With that offensive line they had out there, with Jackie Slater and Kent Hill and those boys, that was one of the best lines going at that time.”

Dickerson is at peace with the way things worked out. He still has the single-season record of 2,105 yards he set in 1984, his second year in the league.

“People would say that my career could have been much better,” Dickerson said. “I must say this: That’s how history is, that’s how life is. Playing for the Indianapolis Colts, it was a nice experience.”

Taylor didn’t have to make any explanations for his career that ranks among the best of any NFL player. His life, however, has featured many regrettable decisions, including battles with drug addiction. It’s his ability to overcome those obstacles that he thinks is his legacy. “It is indeed a great honor to be here,” Taylor said in conclusion. “I think what I want to leave other people is that life, like anything else, can knock you down, it can turn you out. You’ll have problems every day in your life. But . . . some days you’ve just got to go play, no matter how many times it knocks you down, no matter how many times you think you can’t go forward, no matter how many times things just don’t go right. Anybody can quit. Anybody can do that. A Hall of Famer never quits. A Hall of Famer realizes that the crime is not being knocked down, the crime is not getting back up again.”

J.A. Adande can be reached at his e-mail address: j.a.adande@latimes.com.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

New Members of NFL Hall of Fame

ERIC DICKERSON

* Running Back, L.A. Rams (1983-87), Indianapolis Colts (1987-91), L.A. Raiders (1992), Atlanta (1993)--Ran for an NFL-record 2,105 yards with the Rams in 1984. He stands third on the career rushing list with 13,259 yards, having rushed for more than 1,000 yards seven times. Was the No. 1 pick by the Rams and second player overall in 1983. Named NFL player of the year in 1984 and the NFL offensive player of the year in 1986. Gained a playoff-record 248 yards rushing in 1985 against Dallas. In 1987, was traded to Indianapolis in a blockbuster deal that also involved the Buffalo Bills.

TOM MACK

* Guard, Los Angeles Rams (1966-78)--Although he never made it to a Super Bowl, Mack was a frequent postseason player. He was selected to play in Pro Bowls 11 times in 13 years. One reason was his durability; he never missed a game because of injury. The No. 1 pick by the Rams in 1966 played in 184 consecutive games.

OZZIE NEWSOME

* Tight end, Cleveland Browns (1978-90)--Tops all NFL tight ends in career receptions. “The Wizard of Oz” went 150 games with at least one reception and totaled 662 catches for 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns in his 13 seasons. A first-round pick from Alabama, he had 89 catches in 1983 and again in 1984. Caught 50 or more passes six seasons. Did not fumble in last 557 possessions. Had three or more receptions in 112 games. Played in three AFC championship games and was a Pro Bowl choice in 1982, 1985 and 1986.

BILL SHAW

* Guard, Buffalo Bills (1961-1969)--The driving force of the Bills’ offensive unit that emphasized the run. Was proficient in pass and run blocking. Named first-team All-AFL 1962-66. Selected to play in eight AFL All-Star games. Named to pro football’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s and All-Time AFL Team. The captain for eight seasons, played on the Bills’ championship teams of 1964 and 1965.

LAWRENCE TAYLOR

* Linebacker, New York Giants (1981-1993)--A quick and athletic player who redefined his position. Anchored the Giants’ defense in two Super Bowls wins (1987 and 1991). Named NFL most valuable player in 1986 after a season in which he record a career-high 20.5 sacks. Was the NFL defensive player of the year in 1981, 1982 and 1986. Selected to 10 Pro Bowls. Recorded 132.5 sacks, which doesn’t include the 9.5 sacks in 1981 when the statistic wasn’t official. Was selected to the 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.