INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Dick Vermeil, the passionate, square-jawed coach who led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1981 and then 19 years later won the NFL title with the Rams, was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday.
In August, Vermeil was selected as a finalist by the Senior Committee, more than 15 years after he retired. His induction wasn't automatic. Vermeil fell short two years ago when he was a finalist in the "Centennial Slate" class, and then failed to reach that stage last year.
But since the Hall created a separate coaching category in 2020, each of the finalists — first Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson in the expanded Centennial group and then Tom Flores last year — garnered the necessary 80% approval from the 49-member selection board.
