I remember reading a story once when I was a kid about how Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett held a black belt in the martial arts. After that, I always wanted to see him beat some tackle around the edge, then roundhouse kick the quarterback in the back of the head for the sack.

This was in the days before the NFL put onesies on its quarterbacks, yet Tippett surely would have faced a severe penalty for such an act of violence. I didn’t care. I wanted the man I considered at the time to be every bit as good as Lawrence Taylor to finally get some attention, even if it was for the wrong reason.

Tippett wasn’t as good as Taylor, of course.

No one was.

But it seems that because he wasn’t able to reach the bar of linebacker dominance that L.T. set so high, too many of the people that vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame don’t see him as a legitimate Hall of Famer.

Well, Hong Kong Phooey to that.

Andre Tippett belongs in the Hall of Fame, and if there is anything that will make this weekend complete (besides the Patriots demolishing L.T.’s New York Giants, of course), it will be Tippett’s selection to the Hall.

The Hall of Fame’s 44-member selection committee will meet in Phoenix on Saturday to choose between four and seven players from the finalist pool for election.

Aside from Taylor, Tippett was the most feared outside linebacker of the 1980s. He is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team. Four of the six other linebackers, L.T., Ted Hendricks, Mike Singletary and Jack Lambert, are in the Hall.

In 1984 and 1985, he accumulated the highest two-season sack total of any linebacker in league history, 35. His 18.5 sacks in 1984 remain the third-highest total ever by any linebacker in a season. When he retired following the 1993 season, he ranked third in career sacks with 100, and currently ranks seventh all time.

Tippett played in five Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro five times (1984-88).

This is Tippett’s eighth year on the ballot and his second straight as a finalist. Last year, he made it to the final 10 but didn’t survive the cut to the final six. There are 15 “modern” finalists this year. Former Vikings receiver Cris Carter and Redskins cornerback Darrell Green are probably the biggest names on the list. Fred Dean, Richard Dent, Randy Gradishar, Derrick Thomas, Russ Grimm, Bob Kuechenberg, Randall McDaniel, Ray Guy, Art Monk, Andre Reed and Gary Zimmerman are the other names.

Aside from Carter and Green, who appear to be the favorites, Tippett’s most direct competition will probably come from fellow linebacker Derrick Thomas. Like Tippett, Thomas was a prolific pass rushing outside linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs.

He still holds the record for sacks in a game (seven) and finished his 11-year career with 126.5 QB sacks. He was a nine-time pro bowler and an eight-time All-Pro. His career and life were cut short due to an automobile accident in 2000.

Thomas was a finalist in his first year of eligibility in 2005 and has been one every year since. It’s likely that he would have to get in before Tippett gets the nod, too. No argument here, although it should be noted that Tippett, unlike Thomas, primarily lined up on the strong side, opposite a tight end.

The fear here is that once they vote in one dominant pass rushing linebacker, the voters, a bunch of crusty football writers, will have had their fill and move on to another position.

The voters also tend to favor players from teams that won Super Bowls or were at least in contention for the duration of their careers.

Tippett played for more coaches (five) than playoff teams (three).

If Tippett is passed over this year, it wouldn’t be as big of an injustice as other Boston athletes (Dennis Johnson, Luis Tiant) have been annually subjected to by their respective halls of fame.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t belong in Canton, though.

And with the Patriots on the verge of making history, it would be nice to see one of their greatest players ever get some timely recognition on the eve that history is made.