Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson, who was enshrined 20 years ago, could be one of many former NFL greats boycotting the Aug. 3 ceremony due to issues with Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Via Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com:
“If it was up to me, I think every Hall of Famer would get about $300,000 a year,” he said at the time. “I think that would be a proper number.”
Additionally, Dickerson proposed health insurance and a better pension for all players.
Dickerson has advocated for better treatment of former players, both the top names and the relatively obscure players who did not compete in the high media coverage era we live in today.
“[You've] got the guys with the names, and you have to have awareness. And I think that's what it comes down to. No one is aware of how badly the players are treated and done. And I think when people think football, they think automatically, ‘He's a rich guy. He's rich.' And guys aren't rich. Some of the guys are making real money, but in our era, the base salary was $40,000.” [ProFootballTalk]
The NFL will enshrine eight former football greats in August including Tony Gonzalez, Ed Reed, Champ Bailey, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Pat Bowlen, Gil Brandt, and Johnny Robinson.
Dickerson, 58, played four-plus seasons for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1980s before later stints with the Indianapolis Colts, LA Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons. The former offensive Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year retired in 1993 and has received pushback from peers including Jerry Rice and Kurt Warner. The two distanced themselves from Dickerson's proposed boycott despite supporting the issues raised by the back.
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