Richard Seymour had an unexpected visitor on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 8, but the surprise was a welcome one.
Fellow Patriots legend Ty Law showed up at Seymour's home in Atlanta, Ga. to inform his old teammate that he'd been selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Class of 2022.
The gold jacket Law was wearing when Seymour opened the door probably gave things away, though.
"You know why I'm here," Law told Seymour. "It's my honor and privilege to welcome you, my brother, to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022. Welcome to Canton."
The heartwarming interaction made Seymour emotional, and according to an exclusive interview with Forbes, the duo shared champagne and cigars to celebrate the achievement.
"It was a range of emotions," Seymour told Forbes. "Ty Law gave me the great news. That made it extra special."
Law delivered the exciting update two days before the NFL Honors award show, with Seymour's wife, Tanya, helping to arrange everything and keep the secret.
The 2001 first-round NFL Draft pick played 111 games over the course of eight seasons in New England. The defensive standout was an important factor in the organization's first three Super Bowls, and his 12-year-career resulted in seven Pro Bowls and first-team All-Pro honors on three occasions.
He's the 10th Patriot to be enshrined, following up Law (2019), Randy Moss (2018), and the late Junior Seau (2015) as the fourth Belichick-era inductees.
"I'm still getting comfortable with people calling me a Hall of Famer," Seymour said.
Seymour was inducted into the Patriots' Hall of Fame in Oct. 2021 and will be honored in Canton with the Class of 2022 in a ceremony on Aug. 6.
