The New England Patriots announced defensive lineman Richard Seymour will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame as voted by the fans. 

Seymour spent eight years in New England after being drafted sixth overall in 2001 and was part of three Super Bowl titles with the squad.

"Richard Seymour laid the foundation for a defense that helped propel the Patriots to three Super Bowl championships in his first four seasons in the NFL," Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said.

Coach Bill Belichick also praised his former star player:

Seymour is the seventh player with three titles to be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame—all part of the same dynasty in the early 2000s—and the 28th player to be honored by the Patriots.

The Georgia product made an impact right away while starting 10 of his 13 games as a rookie. He earned the start for Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 and tallied a sack as the Patriots earned the upset win over the St. Louis Rams for the first title in franchise history.

He continued to star defensively with five straight Pro Bowl selections, being named first-team All-Pro from 2003-05 and second-team All-Pro in '06. The South Carolina native finished with 39 sacks over his eight years, helping a defense that averaged just 17.8 points allowed per game during this span.

It was enough to earn a selection to the NFL's and Patriots' All-Decade teams for the 2000s as well as the franchise's 50th anniversary team.

Seymour was traded to the Raiders in 2009 for a first-round draft pick (who turned out to be Nate Solder), and he earned two Pro Bowl selections and one second-team All-Pro nod in four years before retiring after the 2012 season.

The 40-year-old was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year.