The NFL will unveil the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class at the NFL Honors event the night before the Super Bowl. Earlier this month, he NFL announced the 15 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists for the Class of 2015. The list was narrowed down from 25 semi finalists and released via the NFL Network. Being selected as a finalist is not the last step however. The 2015 Hall of Fame Class will be announced on January 31st in Arizona at the 4th Annual NFL Honors celebration. Kurt Warner, Orlando Pace, Junior Seau are first time eligible candidates that were named as finalists. There has not been a quarterback has gone into Hall of Fame since when Troy Aikman and Warren Moon were inducted in 2006. This list of finalists also includes three coaches which is a rarity. Here is the complete list of the 15 finalists:
LB Junior Seau 12 – time Pro Bowl selection NFL’s All Decade Team of 1990s
Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed: “Even though he wasn’t asked to rush the QB he had 58 or 68 sacks. He was asked to be the general. I loved his passion for the game. There’s not going to be another guy like Junior. I put him in the class with Mike Singletary and a Dick Butkus. Junior is third and Ray Lewis fourth. I put Junior in that class.”
LT Orlando Pace 7 – time Pro Bowl selection Won Super Bowl XXIV with Rams
Hall of Fame voter Mike Chappell: “The quarterback values the left tackle. He keeps people away from you. It’s appropriate that Orlando and Kurt Warner get selected together. He’s an elite player at an elite position.”
QB Kurt Warner 2 – time NFL MVP 1999, 2001 Super Bowl XXIV MVP
Hall of Fame voter Vic Carucci: Kurt Warner is a guy that came through the game, stock boy to grocery store to a qua playing at the highest level. You have to focus on the accomplishment, what he overcame to make it. He proved himself by being a dominant player. I believe QB’s make the wide receivers and he made those guys great.
Warner: “It’s one of those things where you don’t think about a lot until people start talking about it. One day you do hope to be considered the best at what you do. I had bumps in the road and it’s a tremendous honor to make this list. This is all gravy for me, whatever happens, I am going to be very proud of my career.”
Coach Tony Dungy 2 – time finalist, 2nd year eligible, won double digit games 10 times in 13 years, Coached Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp
Hall of Fame voter and Indianapolis Colts reporter Mike Chappell: “Dungy took a Tampa franchise that was awfaul and got them were they needed to go. He took an Indy team that was pretty well set, had a great offense and added some defense just to win it all. He was a great motivational person that players loved to play for.”
RB Terrell Davis 1st time finalist, 9th year of eligibility, 9 Super Bowl XXXII MVP, Member of All Decade Team 1990s, 1 of 7 2,000 yard rushers in NFL history
Davis: “You think about this moment and what the next step will be. I am excited, the emotions were a bit more than I expected. I played the game and had fun playing. The Hall of Fame was something that I never really addressed as being a goal of mine. As I have gotten older, it got more important. The only thing that a player can ask for is for people to appreciate what you’ve done. That to me is huge.
DE/OLB Kevin Greene 4 – time Finalist, 11th year eligible, 3rd All Time Sacks (160)
DE Charles Haley 6 – time finalist, 11th year eligible, most sacks in Super Bowl history (4.5), 100.5 career sacks, only player to win five Super Bowls
WR Marvin Harrison 2 – time finalist, 2nd year eligible, 3rd all time recptions (1,102), 7th in receiving yards (14,580), 5th in TD receptions (128), 143 rec (2002) single season record
Safety John Lynch 2 – time finalist, 2nd year eligible, 1st team All Pro twice, 9 Pro Bowls
Jimmy Johnson 1st time finalist 16 year eligible Back to back Super Bowls, playoffs in 6 of 9 seasons as head coach, Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, Larry Allen all Hall of Fame players that he coached.
RB Jerome Bettis 5 – time finalist, 5th year eligible, 6th All Time Rushing (13,662 yards)
WR Tim Brown 6 – time finalist 6th year, 6th in receiving yards (14,934), 7th in TD receptions (100)
K Morten Anderson 2,544 career points scored (most in NFL History)
Coach Don Coryell 114-89-1 career as NFL head coach including playoffs Coached Hall of Fame players Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow and Charlie Joiner
OG Will Shields 12 – time Pro Bowl selection
Contributors & Senior Finalists
Ron Wolf General Manager Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets
Bill Polian General Manager Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts
Mick Tingelhof 6 time pro bowl center in Minnesota 4 time Super Bowl starter
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Thanks for this article because the HOF is a huge part of my life. In my personal opinion, I think Junior Seau, Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace, Jimmy Johnson, and probably Will Shields or Kurt Warner will get in. For the contributors and senior finalists, Ron Wolf and Bill Polian will probably make the cut for that list.
Wolf better get in for all he did for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and the Green Bay Packers especially.
And Polian should have be in that Hall a long DAMN time ago for what he did for the Buffalo Bills franchise and the Colts. Ever heard of PEYTON MANNNING and JIM KELLY and BRUCE SMITH?
I saw Polian at last year’s NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and I said to myself, “That man is a legend and he should be in the Hall of Fame dagnabbit.”