Dick Vermeil, who Saturday will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, considers himself a connoisseur of coaches.
He worked with so many greats during his 46 years in football, among them 29 who either had been, were currently or would become NFL head coaches. Three of those wound up in Canton — Sid Gillman, George Allen and Bill Walsh.
But one of the most influential coaches in shaping Vermeil was merely an observer of football — a fan, not someone who devoted his life to the game.
