Peter King defends Sam Mills

[Mr. Scot]

Fans of Zach Thomas are dragging the NFL for enshrining Sam Mills over Thomas.

Peter King has responded.

Here's what King wrote about Mills in his FMIA column:

Lots of criticism over the process this year. (Like most years.) The beefs: It’s become the Hall of Very Good. How do you leave Ware and Hester out? Holy crap: Sam Mills over Zach Thomas?

Let’s talk about Mills. To me, he is a player the Hall of Fame should celebrate 365 days a year. He was a 5-9 linebacker no college was interested in out of high school in New Jersey. He had to walk on to a Division III school, Montclair (N.J.) State College, and became the three-time conference defensive player of the year. He got cut twice the year after he left college, by the NFL’s Browns and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. No matter how well he played, the 5-9 stigma stuck to him. He was adrift, until a new football league formed. Given a chance by the startup USFL’s Philadelphia Stars and coach Jim Mora in 1983, he was a USFL all-pro for all three years of the league. He followed Mora to New Orleans, led the team in tackles in seven of his nine seasons. “He’s the best player I ever coached,” Mora said. Onto expansion Carolina. At 36, he led the Panthers in tackles, interceptions, forced fumbles and was third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. At 37, he led the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game in their second year—and had 47 more tackles than anyone on the team.

In 15 pro seasons, he led his team in tackles 12 times, and was a defensive captain for three franchises that made the playoffs.

He played three years for the Panthers and was so beloved that they put a statue of him outside the stadium.

“When you’re my size, you have to prove yourself every play, every day,” he once said.

That is a Hall of Fame football player. And that’s why when people say it’s become the Hall of Very Good, I point to Sam Mills and say, “He wasn’t a very good player. He was a great one.”

...

Whatever you may think or feel about King, this is a good response.

[Fox007]

Would actually slap the fug outta anyone talking sideways about Mills.

[Adb6368]

Regardless of stats… the hall of fame should be for people that have changed the game forever. He undoubtedly changed the Carolina panthers franchise forever and his presence is still felt every home game all of this time later (regardless of whether tepper wants to rid us of it!!!)

he is a no brainer hall of famer 

[TheoJay10]

How can this guy tweeting at Peter King really think the Panthers of all teams get “preferential treatment” dude must have been born late 90s or just be new to sports in general. 

[Mr. Scot]

7 minutes ago, TheoJay10 said:

How can this guy tweeting at Peter King really think the Panthers of all teams get “preferential treatment” 

Yeah, that gave me a

[ichigo1057]

34 minutes ago, TheoJay10 said:

How can this guy tweeting at Peter King really think the Panthers of all teams get “preferential treatment” dude must have been born late 90s or just be new to sports in general. 

Yeah, and to be honest even if he was speaking about the Saints they don't really get that much preference when it comes to HoF either.

[NAS]

Peter King is the man, not sure why anyone would dislike him 

[Carl Spackler]

I forgot just how good Mills was in '96. An absolute monster.

[TheProcess]

Good response by King, and we all know that Sam Mills should 100% be in the HOF. 

Miami fans indeed have a valid complaint about Zach Thomas not getting in, but that complaint should not involve Sam Mills name. If you wanna bring up LeRoy Butler or half of the names this year thats fine, but not Sam Mills. 

[DaveThePanther2008]

Those of us old enough to remember the "Dome Patrol" in New Orleans.  This was the first sign of life in New Orleans franchise.  They were doormats like today's Lions (I won't say today's Panthers).  There defense was nasty and spearheaded by Mills.  Before the Panthers came along I actually routed for them because there defense was special and I like Bobby Hebert.

At 5'9" you would think he would get run over by 6 ft plus offensive linemen but he always was there making plays. He was a beast.   Long before he became a Panther I knew who he was.  I was super excited when we grabbed him to be an Charter member of the Carolina Panthers.

Zach Thomas was a good player and should at some point make the HOF.  You can argue he was better but there is also an argument that Mills was better.

I saw both and I'll take Mills. 

[Mr. Scot]

I'm probably not the only one who remembers Sam taking down Ironhead Heyward one on one.

[KillerKat]

They could've easily replaced Seymour and Boselli with Zach Thomas and Torry Holt. Never did I think of the first two guys as HOFers.

[L-TownCat]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

I'm probably not the only one who remembers Sam taking down Ironhead Heyward one on one.

My mental image of Sam is always picking off the toss in the backfield.

There are others that are great, but to this wide-eyed boy watching his first win, none will top it.

[KSpan]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

I'm probably not the only one who remembers Sam taking down Ironhead Heyward one on one.

Ironhead Heyward... there's a name I haven't heard in a lonnnng time.