ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, July 28, 1996 TAG: 9607310001
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CANTON, OHIO
SOURCE: Associated Press
IT TOOK AWHILE for some, but the Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomes five new immortals.
It was a long but fruitful wait for native son Dan Dierdorf, one of five men inducted Saturday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
``I did a little homework, and this is my 20th enshrinement ceremony ...'' Dierdorf said from the dais set up on the front steps of the hall. ``I can tell you the view up here is a lot better than I had the previous 19.''
Dierdorf, a long-time St. Louis Cardinals offensive lineman and analyst for Monday Night Football, was inducted along with Detroit Lions lineman Lou Creekmur, Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, Dallas Cowboys defensive back Mel Renfro, and wide receiver Charlie Joiner, who played for San Diego, Houston and Cincinnati.
Creekmur had to wait 32 years after first becoming eligible, Renfro 19, Joiner 10 and Dierdorf eight. Gibbs was elected in his first year of eligibility.
Dierdorf's father took him to the ground-breaking ceremonies for the hall in 1962. Dierdorf said he visited the locker rooms before and after the annual exhibition game that follows the induction ceremony, and came to realize that pro football players were gods.
``I used to walk down here from my house,'' Dierdorf remembered after being presented by his former coach, Jim Hanifan. ``It's about a mile from here, and I can walk it in about 15 minutes.''
Dierdorf spent 13 years in the NFL, all with the St. Louis Cardinals. Never on a championship team, he was nonetheless one of the top offensive linemen of his era. Every mention of Canton was met with loud roars.
``I was going to start this out by saying, `My name is Dan and I'm from Canton and I'm proud of it,''' he said.
Creekmur, who played guard and tackle from 1950-59, came out of William and Mary to help the Detroit Lions to NFL championships in 1952, '53 and '57. He made it to the Pro Bowl in his first eight seasons. He was presented by Doak Walker, who said he owed his own enshrinement in the hall to the blocking of his former teammate.
Creekmur began his acceptance by pulling a thick speech from his pocket and shaking it, then saying, ``I've had it ready for 30-some years. Needless to say, it's got a little dust on it.''
Gibbs, who led the Redskins to three Super Bowl titles and was elected in his first year of eligibility, was presented by his former mentor, Don Coryell.
Heralded by a trumpeter playing ``Hail To The Redskins,'' Gibbs said, ``For the last six months I've been asking myself, `How did I get into the Hall of Fame?' ... I'm one of the average people who God looked down on and touched.''
Joiner played for Houston (1969-72), Cincinnati (1972-75) and San Diego (1976-86), catching 750 passes for 12,146 yards and 65 touchdowns. The Grambling graduate played more games as a wide receiver than any other player.
After being presented by his college coach, Eddie Robinson, Joiner thanked his family, coaches and teammates. Like Creekmur and Renfro, he figured his wait for induction was a lengthy one.
``I'd like to tell the selection committee, `It took you a long time, but you finally got it right,''' he said.
Renfro, who starred as a cornerback, safety and kick returner for the Dallas Cowboys from 1964-77, was selected to the Pro Bowl in his first 10 seasons. The former Oregon running back played in four Super Bowls, finishing his career with a victory in the 1978 game.
``Here I am, and I can't tell you how much this means to me,'' said Renfro, presented by former coach Tom Landry.
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Former Washington coach Joe Gibbs, who coached theby CNBRedskins from 1981 to 1992 and led the team to three Super Bowl
championships with three different quarterbacks, gives fans the
thumbs-up sign as he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday. color. KEYWORDS: 3DA