John Randle

Randle was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and inducted into the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor in 2008. He was eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame starting in 2009, and was elected in his second year of eligibility in 2010. Randle was inducted in Canton, Ohio on August 7, 2010 alongside Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Floyd Little, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson and Dick LeBeau. He was also inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame during the same year and had his number retired by his former high school team. He lives in Medina, Minnesota with his wife and children. In 2019, Randle was also inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame.

At the end of the 2000 season, Randle signed with the Seattle Seahawks. In his first season with the Seahawks he earned an invite to the Pro Bowl, the last of his career. He retired in March 2004, Randle had planned to retire a year earlier, but Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren convinced him to stay one more year. The Seahawks made the playoffs in 2003 while he was on the roster, but did not reach the Super Bowl. Also that year, while with the Seahawks, Randle acquired his final sack.

Randle left the NFL tied with Richard Dent for 5th in number of career sacks. His 137.5 career sacks remains the second highest total by a defensive tackle in NFL history, only ranking below fellow Vikings legend Alan Page who had a total of 148.5 sacks. Over his career, he was named to seven Pro Bowl squads. He was named All Tackle Machine of 1999 by Tackle: The Magazine.

Randle played his first season in 1990. Randle went to his first Pro Bowl in 1993 after recording 11.5 sacks, and quickly became one of the dominant defensive tackles of his era. Once Henry Thomas left the Vikings, Randle increased his training regimen. Randle would record double-digit sacks during nine different seasons, including a career-high and league-leading 15.5 sacks in 1997.

John Anthony Randle (born December 12, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). On February 6, 2010, he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Born in Mumford, Texas, Randle was raised poor and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as a linebacker in the NFL for eight years. Randle played high school football in Hearne, Texas. He started his college playing career at Trinity Valley Community College, before transferring to Texas A&M University–Kingsville.