This has always been one of our favorite days at Notinhalloffame.com as while we prepare for the Super Bowl the Pro Football Hall of Fame also decides the next Hall of Fame Class.  It is a class dedicated to the defensive side of the ball, mostly the secondary, which has traditionally been overlooked by Canton.

The Class of 2019 is:

Champ Bailey:  Bailey gets in on his first year of eligibility and was a twelve time Pro Bowl Selection.  Bailey played for the Washington Redskins from 1999 to 2003 and was with the Denver Broncos from 2004 to 2013.  The three time Frist Team All Pro would lead the NFL in Interceptions in 2006 and he would tally 52 in total.

Pat Bowlen:  Bowlen purchased the Denver Broncos in 1984 and he would serve as the team’s CEO until 2014 when he stepped down due to the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. Under Bowlen’s leadership, the Broncos became a power in the American Football Conference winning the AFC Championship seven times and the Super Bowl three times.

Gil Brandt:  Brandt is credited with revolutionizing scouting and he served as an Executive for the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys, the latter of which he helped to create an empire.

Ed Reed:  Reed enters on his first ballot and he joins fellow Ravens teammates, Ray Lewis and Jonathan Ogden in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  A nine time Pro Bowler, Reed was a former Defensive Player of the Year.

Tony Gonzalez:  Easily the most productive Tight End of all-time, Tony Gonzalez enjoyed a 17 year career where his 1,325 Receptions and 15,127 Receiving Yards are by far the most of any NFL player at his position.  Now a successful broadcaster, Gonzalez was a 14 time Pro Bowl and 6 time First Team All Pro.

Ty Law:  A vital part of the New England Patriots’ success, Ty Law was a two time Interception leader, three time Super Bowl Champion and five time Pro Bowl Selection.

Kevin Mawae:  An Offensive Lineman for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans, Mawae went to eight Pro Bowls and was chosen for seven First Team All Pro honors.

Johnny Robinson:  Robinson was this year’s Senior Candidate and he brought a resume where he was a three time AFL Champion with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and was a First Team All AFL Selection five times and First Team All Pro once.  Robinson recorded 57 Interceptions over his career.

The Finalists who did not make the cut were Steve Atwater, Ronde Barber, Tony Boselli, Alan Faneca, Tom Flores, John Lynch and Richard Seymour.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate all of the members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019.  We will now begin work on our new Notinhalloffame.com Football List.

As we eagerly await tomorrow’s announcement of who will be chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame we have a possible first ballot Hall of Famer in Julius Peppers, Defensive End from Carolina who announced his retirement today.

A star at the University of North Carolina, Peppers was a unanimous All-American and was the Chuck Bednarik and Lombardi Award winner in 2001. Drafted second overall by the Panthers in 2002, Peppers wasted no time establishing himself as one of the premier stars of the game.  He would win the Defensive Rookie of the Year with a 12 Sack season and in 2004 he would go to his first of what would be nine Pro Bowl selections, and in that year, he was also named a First Team All Pro.  Peppers remained a sacking machine where he would be named a First Team All Pro again in 2006 and in his first eight seasons in Carolina he had double digit sack tallies in six of those campaigns,

Peppers would sign with the Chicago Bears where he would play for four seasons.  The Defensive End was named a First Team All Pro in his first year there (2010) with three of his seasons earning him Pro Bowl accolades.  He would play his final five seasons in Green Bay and a final run back home with the Carolina Panthers.

Julius Peppers retires with 266 Games Played and 159.5 Quarterback Sacks.  He will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2024.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank Julius Peppers for is wonderful career and we wish him the best in his post-playing endeavors.

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that their franchise Hall of Fame will have six nominees that can be voted on by the public beginning on March 1, which will commence on April 12.  You can vote for those candidates here and they are:

Keith Hernandez 1974-83:  The co-MVP in 1979, Keith Hernandez would win the National League Batting Title that year and was the top finished in On Base Percentage the season after.  Hernandez was a six time Gold Glove winner with St. Louis and he batted .299 with 1,217 Hits and 81 Home Runs for the team.  He would help them win the World Series in 1982.

Jason Isringhausen 2002-08:  Isringhausen is the all-time franchise leader (217) in Saves for the St. Louis Cardinals and he was the league leader in that category in 2004.  He would represent St. Louis in the 2005 All Star Game.

Matt Morris 1997-2005:  Morris would lead the NL in Wins with 22 in 2001where he was an All Star and second runner-up for the Cy Young.  He would be named an All Star again in 2002 and he had a record of 101-62 for the Cards.

Edgar Renteria 1999-2004:  A three time All Star with the Cardinals, Edgar Renteria also was chosen for three Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers while he played there.  He would bat .290 with 973 Hits with 71 Home Runs and 148 Stolen Bases.

Scott Rolen 2002-07:  Rolen would help the Redbirds win the 2006 World Series and he was a four time All Star and three time Gold Glove winner for the team.  Rolen finished fourth in National League MVP voting in 2004 and he collected 678 Hits with 111 Home Runs and a .286 Batting Average.

John Tudor 1985-88:  Tudor had a stellar 62-26 record with the Cardinals with a 2.52 ERA and 1.080 WHIP. In 1985, his first season with St. Louis he was the runner-up for the Cy Young and would lead the NL in WHIP.

The announcement of the two winners will be made on April 26 and they will be joined from a player chosen from the Veterans Committee.  The induction of the new class will take place on August 24.

Leading up to Saturday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame vote, we have some developments that we think are very interesting and definitely noteworthy.

Both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have penned letters to the Selection Committee extolling the virtues of Ty Law and Richard Seymour, both former New England Patriots who are among the Finalists this year.

Brady’s letter regarding Ty Law can be found here.

Belichick’s letter regarding Richard Seymour can be found here.

In an ESPN article, Hall of Fame Running Back Curtis Martin endorses former New York Jet teammate, Kevin Mawae for a spot in Canton.

Ed Reed stated in an interview with Bleacher Report that he would rather see the other Safety on the ballot, Steve Atwater get in than himself

We are only 48 hours from finding out who will comprise the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019 and we can’t wait to find out!