Age: 24 (Dec.
13)
2nd
season in pro football & with Bears
College: Tennessee
State
Height: 6’5” Weight: 240
Prelude:
Dent accumulated
39 sacks in college and was chosen by the Bears in the eighth round of the 1983
NFL draft. He had an undistinguished rookie season, starting three games at
right defensive end and recording three sacks.
1984 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Sacks – 17.5
[3, 1st in NFC]
Most sacks,
game – 4.5 vs. LA Raiders 11/4
Multi-sack
games – 5
Interceptions
– 0
Fumble
recoveries – 1
Forced
fumbles – 4
Tackles – 39
Postseason: 2 G
Sacks – 3
Most sacks,
game – 3 at Washington, NFC Divisional playoff
Interceptions
– 0
TDs – 0
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: Pro Football Weekly
2nd
team All-NFL: AP
1st
team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Bears went 10-6
to finish first in the NFC Central while leading the NFL in sacks (a
league-record 72), fewest yards allowed (3863), and fewest rushing yards
allowed (1377). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Washington Redskins (23-19).
Lost NFC Championship to San Francisco 49ers (23-0).
Aftermath:
Dent followed
his breakout year with a 1985 season in which he led the NFL with 17 sacks. The
Bears, fueled by their outstanding defense, went 15-1 and won the Super Bowl, a
game in which Dent was named MVP, capping a postseason in which he recorded six
sacks. An explosive pass rusher with great speed, he compensated for lack of
size against the run with great agility and quickness. Dent went on to play a
total of 12 seasons with the Bears and remained a potent pass rusher, even as
injuries began to hinder his performance. He received second-team All-NFL
honors from the Associated Press in 1988 and ’90 and first-team All-NFC
recognition in those seasons from UPI and Pro Football Weekly, with Pro Football
Weekly naming him again in 1993. Dent was also chosen to a total of four Pro
Bowls. He moved on to the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent in 1994 but was
limited to two games due to a knee injury. He returned to the Bears in ’95 and
then played a year apiece for the Colts and Eagles before retiring after the
1997 season. Overall, he finished with 137.5 sacks, which ranked third in NFL
history at the time, as well as eight interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries,
one of which he returned for a TD. He added another 10.5 sacks in 12 postseason
games. Dent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
