Jason Kelce was a walk-on as a Running Back at the University of Cincinnati and converted to Center, where he impressed enough to earn a spot in the 2011 Draft (6th Round, 191st Overall). His landing spot was the Philadelphia Eagles, where he arguably became the most recognizable Center in football history.
Kelce won the starting job as a rookie, and went to his first Pro Bowl in 2014. And from 2016 to the year of his retirement in 2023, Kelce received some form of post-season accolade, which included six Pro Bowls and six First Team All-Pros. He bolstered Philadelphia’s O-Line for over a decade and was vital in the Eagle's Super Bowl LII win, and as the brother of superstar Tight End Travis Kelce he received additional limelight, which made him a national sports figure.
Centers rarely receive love from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but there has never been a Center as beloved as Jason Kelce.
Aaron Donald, a man on the Mount Rushmore of Defensive Tackles, dominated from his first NFL snap in 2014 to his last one in 2023.
Drafted 10th Overall from Pittsburgh by the St. Louis Rams, Donald was incredibly difficult to counter. Blessed with an explosive first step off the snap, Donald could overpower any offensive lineman but was equally gifted in swimming and maneuvering past them. Donald was best known for his pass rush, but his run defence was equally effective. He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, made the Pro Bowl, and was about to become the best defensive player in the game.
From 2015 to 2021, Donald had one of the most dominating runs of a player, regardless of position. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year three times, and in the seasons he didn’t win, he was a top-five finisher. Named a First Team All-Pro in all of those campaigns, Donald twice led the league in Tackles for Loss (2018 & 2019), Sacks once (2018), and Approximate Value once (2020). This stretch of destruction was punctuated by a Super Bowl win over Cincinnati.
Donald played two more seasons, added a seventh First Team All-Pro and went out on top in 2023. He left the gridiron with an extraordinary Approximate Value of 153 in 154 Games, 111 Sacks, 176 Tackles for Loss and 260 Quarterback Hits.
Donald will be a no-brainer for Canton in 2029.
Zack Britton debuted for the Baltimore Orioles in 2011 and began his career as a middle reliever. Although he pitched well, he wasn't particularly outstanding. However, in 2014, he unexpectedly worked his way into the closing role and converted 37 of 41 save opportunities. This helped the O's make the playoffs, and Britton finished the year with a 1.65 ERA and a 0.904 WHIP.
In 2015, Britton continued to improve and made his first All-Star Game appearance. He recorded 36 saves with a 1.92 ERA and a 0.990 WHIP. However, 2016 was the best year of his career. Britton led the AL in saves (47) and games finished (63) and was nearly untouchable with a 0.54 ERA and a WHIP of 0.836. He was an All-Star again and won The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award, finishing fourth in Cy Young voting.
Although he started strong in 2017, Britton began to deal with injuries, including an Achilles tear that put him on the disabled list to start the 2018 season. By this time, the Orioles were no longer competitive, and Britton was eventually traded to AL East rival, the New York Yankees. While he was no longer the closer, he still performed well in 2019 and 2020 with ERAs under two.
Unfortunately, bone chips and Tommy John surgery in 2021 led to his downfall, and he retired after the 2022 season with 154 career saves. Nonetheless, for a brief time, Zack Britton was the top relief pitcher in the American League, and his outstanding bullpen campaign during his time with the Orioles will be remembered as one of the best in franchise history.
Yadier Molina is considered one of the best defensive catchers in baseball history. He played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals, from 2004 to 2022, and was one of the most successful catchers in the National League.
Molina became the Cardinals' starting catcher in 2005, after debuting the year before. However, he really broke out in 2008, with his first season batting over .300. At this point, he was already a World Series Champion (2006). Molina went on a streak of seven consecutive All-Star appearances from 2009, all of which were Gold Glove-winning. Although he was never a great power hitter (he hit 176 home runs, with only two years of at least 20), he had five seasons batting over .300 and a lifetime batting average of .277. His overall play was respected enough that he finished fourth in MVP voting in 2012 (the year after he anchored the Cardinals to another World Series win), with an .874 OPS and 7.2 bWAR. He finished third in the same voting the year after, with an .836 OPS and 6.2 bWAR. Molina won the Silver Slugger that year, his only one.
Molina retired as the all-time leader among catchers in putouts (15,122) and second in Total Zone Runs (163), and is 14th among all players in Defensive bWAR (28.0), second only to Ivan Rodriguez among catchers. He won nine Gold Gloves, four Platinum Gloves, and two Wilson Defensive Player Awards in his career.
While Molina's overall offensive statistics (2,168 hits, 176 home runs, 1,022 RBIs) might fall short for the Baseball Hall of Fame, his leadership, All-Star appearances, defense, and association with one team could put him over the top.