“Vent no more!” Zach Thomas thanks Miami Dolphins fans after HOF election

Zach Thomas will soon be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And on Thursday night he spoke for the first time and had a message for Miami Dolphins fans.

His face was that of a child on Christmas morning. The sheer joy still raged from ear to ear. It was real. It was finally real.

Thomas knew he had made it back around January 26th when the “knock” on his door came in the way of him walking up his stairs to find his former head coach Jimmy Johnson standing with his family. Gold jacket on. Thomas knew right away. He teared up.

“Zach Thomas”, Johnson said, “Welcome to the Pro Football Hall of Fame”. Johnson’s voice cracked. Thomas’ eyes watered. His smile never left his face. It didn’t on Thursday night when he walked on to the stage, fittingly called last out of the newest additions to the HOF.

Dolphins fans started to think it was possible when Johnson was shown sitting in the audience with his gold jacket on.

After the Hall of Famers were announced and paraded on stage, Thomas was caught back stage with his phone sending a message to Dolphins fans whom he thanked. “Vent no more!”

Thomas knew that fans have been quite upset after Thomas missed out on the previous three finalists votes. He knew of the social media outcry and pleas. He knew of the signs in the stadium and he knew from every fan who has met him over the last four years.

“You deserve to be in the Hall of Fame” or “You should be in the Hall of Fame” or something likely across those lines. Today, Zach Thomas in not in the Hall of Fame. He has been elected. In August, he will be enshrined. It has been a long time coming and it has been long overdue.

Four years. Those are just the years he was a finalist. Armando Salguero and a guy named Scott have worked together over the years to make a strong push for Thomas’ election. That work paid off, finally.

Yes, Zach Thomas is a Pro Football Hall of Famer. A linebacker who should never have found success. A linebacker who played as much with his heart as he did using his physical gifts. While this should have happened years ago, we all knew, deep down that it would happen someday. Someday came officially on February 9th just after 10:30 pm eastern time. For Thomas, it came on January 26th with not a knock but a greeting.

On Thursday, his smile hadn’t left. His boyish grin is probably frozen this way for the rest of his life because I serioudly doubt it has left his face since that day Jimmy Johnson was waiting upstairs in his house.

Congratulations Zach Thomas and congratulations to your family as well.