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Chris Doleman Enters The Hall Of Fame This Evening

28 Oct 1990: Linebacker Chris Doleman of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Vikings won the game, 21-17. (Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport)
28 Oct 1990: Linebacker Chris Doleman of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Vikings won the game, 21-17. (Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport)

With all of the hoopla surrounding Training Camp over the past week or so, it would be easy to forget one of the biggest events of the pre-season for Minnesota Vikings fans actually takes place this evening in Canton, Ohio.

Yes, tonight is the night where Vikings legend Chris Doleman gains immortality when he gets enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Doleman will go into the Hall tonight, along with former New England Patriots and New York Jets running back Curtis Martin, former New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Willie Roaf, former Pittsburgh Steelers center Dermontti Dawson, former Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, and former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jack Butler (this year's Senior Committee selection).

Doleman spent the first nine years of his career with the Vikings before getting traded to the Atlanta Falcons on draft day in 1994. He spent two years in Atlanta, and then moved on to the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons. In 1999, he came back to the Vikings for one more season, managing to rack up eight sacks at the ripe old age of 38. For his career, he put up 150.5 sacks, which currently stands as the fourth-highest total in NFL history behind Bruce Smith, Reggie White, and Kevin Greene. He also held the Vikings' record for sacks in a season with 21, a record he set in 1989, until this past season when the mark was broken by Jared Allen.

Doleman will be presented by his son, Evan, at this evening's ceremony.

I will be speaking with the folks from HERB-FM, who will be live in Canton this afternoon, at approximately 3 PM Central time. That's the same time that the coverage of the Hall of Fame festivities will begin on the NFL Network (for those of you that have it on your cable or satellite provider), with the actual enshrinement ceremony itself getting underway at approximately 6 PM Central time.

Big day for a Vikings legend, folks. . .if you have the opportunity to watch the ceremony, I encourage you to do so.