Raymond Clayborn finally will become a New England Patriots Hall of Famer.
The former cornerback was elected into the Patriots Hall of Fame by a fan vote Monday. This was Clayborn’s fourth time on the ballot. He was elected over linebacker Mike Vrabel and defensive lineman Richard Seymour and will become the 26th member of the Patriots Hall of Fame.
“I was fortunate to be a season ticket holder during Raymond’s entire Patriots career,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “For the first half of his career, he teamed with Michael Haynes to form one of the best corner tandems in league history. Throughout his career, Raymond was a physical, shutdown corner.
“One of my favorite memories was watching the 1985 team advance to the Super Bowl after Raymond helped us break the Orange Bowl curse when he stymied future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino with a dominant performance against Pro Bowl receivers Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. Raymond had six passes defensed and an interception to help us claim our first conference title. It was the greatest upset victory in franchise history at the time and one the entire New England region celebrated. It is a well-deserved honor and I look forward to presenting him his hall of fame jacket.”
Clayborn was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro during his 13-year career with the Patriots that spanned from 1977 to 1989. He was selected in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the Patriots out of Texas.
Clayborn, along with Ty Law, holds the Patriots franchise record with 36 interceptions.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of the New England Patriots
