Sam Mills to be inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame

Football legend Sam Mills has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Sam Mills Hall of Fame

Mills was announced as a member of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 at the NFL Honors.

He joins Jaguars offensive tackle Tony Boselli, Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour, Packers safety LeRoy Butler, and 49ers defensive tackle Bryant Young.

High school and college

Sam Mills hall of fame induction is long overdue and well deserved.

A native of Long Branch, NJ, Mills was a star defensive player at Long Branch High School who led the football team to a championship in 1977. Collegiately, Mills played for Montclair State University.

Professional career

After a scintillating high school and college career, Mills began training for professional football.

His 5ft9in stature would be a “handicap” for the defensive linebacker but he never wavered.

Mills was teaching photography at a high school when he tried out for the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars and made the team.

In 1986, Mills entered the National Football League as a free agent and played for the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints never had a single winning season until Mills got there.

Mills played for The Saints from 1986 –  1994. He then went on to play for the Carolina Panthers in 1995.

His leadership made an immediate difference, and in just their second season, the Panthers made it to the NFC Championship Game. He joined the team as a coach after his retirement following the 1997 season.

Mills was diagnosed with intestinal cancer and passed away in 2005 at 45 years old.

The Class of 2022 will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.