Finally: Tom Flores to be officially enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Feb 06, 2021 at 07:39 PM

Raiders.com Staff

It's been a long time coming, but legendary trailblazer Tom Flores is officially on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For years now, Coach Flores has been denied a bust in Canton — a prestigious honor — but the wait is finally over. On Saturday, Flores was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2021.

Tom Flores' election is music to the ears of his family and Raider Nation, regardless of how long it took, as Flores' barrier-breaking contributions in the NFL paved the way for countless other minority players and coaches.

"When you talk about me and my Hispanic heritage, it was Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett, guys like that, and Roman Gabriel," Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera said back in 2016. "Those were guys I could look up to and really aspire to be like them."

Flores was a pioneer, but on top of that, he was also a winner.

During his 22 years in the NFL as a player and coach, Flores totaled 128 regular-season wins, eight playoff wins, and four Super Bowls. He finished his coaching career with seven winning seasons and led the Raiders to five top-10 offensive seasons. Flores sits in between Hall of Fame coaches John Madden and Vince Lombardi for the most wins by a head coach with 97, and ranks top-50 in that category. Whether he was in the huddle or on the sideline, Flores knew how to win and helped establish the Raiders' place in history as one of the premier franchises in the league.

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Tom Flores joined the Raiders coaching staff in 1972 as a wide receivers coach under John Madden. After Madden retired, Flores took over as Head Coach from 1979-87, winning 83 games and leading the Raiders to victories in Super Bowl XV and XVIII.

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