Some say that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.  For us at Notinhalloffame.com, it is the month after, where “Hall of Fame Season” is in its apex, with the announcement of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists.

We at Notinhalloffame.com, held our mock committee meeting last month, where we pushed through our 15, which differs from the actual Hall (as expected).

The 15 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists of 2023 are:

Jared Allen: Defensive End.  2004-07 KC, 2008-13 MIN, 2014-15 CHI, 2015 CAR.  Allen advances for the third straight year, and has been a Finalist in all three of his eligible years.  A two-time Sack leader with 136 career Sacks, Allen also has 171 Tackles for Loss.  A five-time Pro Bowl and four-time First Team All-Pro, Allen is ranked #22 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Willie Anderson: Offensive Tackle.  1996-2007 CIN, 2008 BAL.  Anderson was eligible for the first time in 2013, and eight years later, he was a Semi-Finalist for the first time.  Big Willie is now on a two-year streak as a Finalist.  Anderson went to four Pro Bowls, was a three-time First Team All-Pro and is ranked #137 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ronde Barber: Cornerback & Safety.  1997-2002 TB.  Barber has been on the ballot for six years and is now a three-time Finalist.  A member of Tampa’s first Super Bowl Title, Barber has 47 Interceptions, 20 Sacks and went to five Pro Bowls as well as earning three First Team All-Pros.  Barber is ranked #8 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dwight Freeney: Defensive End.  2002-12 IND, 2013-14 SD, AZ 2015, 2016 ATL, 2017 SEA, 2017 DET.  Freeney was one of the five first year eligible players to make the Semi-Finals, and he is now a first-year Finalist; a huge accomplishment for a Hall of Fame path.  Freeney won a Super Bowl with the Colts, had 125.5 Sacks and went to seven Pro Bowls earning three First Team All-Pros.  Freeney is ranked #61 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Devin Hester: Punt Returner, Kick Returner & Wide Receiver.  2006-13 CHI, 2014-15 ATL, 2016 BAL.  Hester is a Finalist in his first two years of eligibility.  A three-time First Team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, Hester is a member of the 100^th Anniversary Team.  Hester is ranked #54 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 15 selected by our Mock Committee.

Torry Holt: Wide Receiver.  1999-08 STL, 2009 JAX.  A nine-time Semi-Finalist, Holt is no a four-time Finalist.  A Super Bowl Champion with the Rams, Holt went to seven Pro Bowls, and was a two-time Receiving Yards leader.  Holt is ranked #7 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 15 selected by our Mock Committee.

Andre Johnson: Wide Receiver.  2003-14 HOU, 2015 IND, 2016 TEN.  Johnson is a two-time Finalist, which is the same number of years he has been eligible.  Named to seven Pro Bowls and two First Team All-Pros, Johnson had well over 14,000 Receiving Yards and twice led the league in that category.  Johnson is ranked #23 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 15 selected by our Mock Committee.

Albert Lewis: Cornerback.  1983-93 KC, 1994-98 LA/OAK.  Lewis makes the Finals on his last year of eligibility, and was only a Semi-Finalist once before, in 2013.  He was a four-time Pro Bowl and two-time First Team All-Pro and is ranked #259 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 26 selected by our Mock Committee.

Darrelle Revis: Cornerback.  2007-12 NYJ, 2013 TB, 2014 NE, NYJ 2015-16, KC 2017.  A Super Bowl Champion with the Patriots in the lone year he was there, Revis is best known for his time with the Jets.  Revis went to seven Pro Bowls, had four First Team All-Pros and is the 2009 leader in Approximate Value.  This is his first year on the ballot.  Revis is ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 15 selected by our Mock Committee.

Joe Thomas: Offensive Tackle.  2007-17 CLE.  Thomas is without a doubt the best player in the second wave of the Cleveland Browns, but he did not have a lot of help.  This is his first year on the ballot, and he was pegged to be a first-year Finalist by EVERYONE!  The Lineman was a six-time First Team All-Pro, and went to ten Pro Bowls.  Thomas is ranked #1on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 15 selected by our Mock Committee.

Zach Thomas: Linebacker.  1997-2007 MIA, 2008 DAL.  Thomas is now on a four-year streak of Finalist Selections.  He went to seven Pro Bowls, earned five First Team All-Pros and was a two-time leader in Combined Tackles.  Thomas is ranked #10 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 15 selected by our Mock Committee.

DeMarcus Ware: Linebacker & Defensive End.  2005-13 DAL, 2014-16 DEN.  Ware is on his second year of eligibility has been a Finalist both years.  A nine-time Pro Bowl and four-time First Team All-Pro, Ware twice led the NFL in Sacks, with 138.5 in total.  Ware is ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 15 selected by our Mock Committee.

Reggie Wayne: Wide Receiver.  2001-14 IND.  Wayne won a Super Bowl with the Colts and this marks the fourth consecutive trip to the Finalist round.  A former Receiving Yard leader and six-time Pro Bowler, Wayne is ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Patrick Willis: Linebacker.  2007-14 SF.  Willis adds a second straight Finalist to his resume, and with teammate, Bryant Young out of the way, there should be less obstruction.  Willis only played eight years but was a Pro Bowl in seven and a First Team All-Pro in five of them.  He is ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 15 selected by our Mock Committee.

Darren Woodson: Safety.  1992-03 DAL.  Woodson, who was a six-time Semi-Finalist, is finally a Finalist.  He was a three-time Super Bowl winner, a three-time First Team All-Pro and is ranked #90 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The Semi-Finalists who did not advance are Anquan Boldin, Henry Ellard, Jahri Evans, London Fletcher, James Harrison, Rodney Harrison, Robert Mathis, Steve Smith, Fred Taylor, Hines Ward, Ricky Watters and Vince Wilfork.

It should be noted that we will be holding our Mock Committee meeting on January 17, 9:30 EST, and we will be combining the official Finalists with ours.

This means we will be adding Randall Cunningham, Henry Ellard, Tom Nalen, Leslie O’Neal, Pat Swilling, and Richmond Webb. 

So, who is going to get in!!! 

You know that we will be paying attention, and we are excited to see how this pans out.

Burleigh Grimes had a lot of great moments outside of Brooklyn, but the meat of his career took place with the team then named the Robins.

From Wisconsin, Grimes began his Major League career with Pittsburgh, where he noticeably lost 13 consecutive Games, so the Pirates fan base did not shed any tears when he was traded to Brooklyn after the 1917 Season.  Grimes made an immediate impact with the Robins, going 19-9 with a 2.13 ERA in his debut season, and once the spitball was outlawed in 1920, he was grandfathered in and allowed to use it throughout the rest of his career.  

An aggressive player on the mound, Grimes led the NL in Wins in 1921 (22) and was an innings-eater with four 300-plus Inning years.  Grimes had a sub-standard year in 1925 (12-19, 5.04 ERA) and was marginally better in 1926.  The Robins traded Grimes to the New York Giants, where he got back on track, but his Brooklyn record of 158-121 and a 3.46 ERA is good enough to place him on the top half of a baseball list, even as storied as the Dodgers.  His rank is also propelled by his solid hitting, as he batted .251 with 227 Hits for the team.

Grimes was chosen by the Veterans Committee in 1964 to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The MLB career of Nap Rucker began in 1907, a high-velocity southpaw who stepped onto the mound for a franchise still searching for its footing. Pitching for teams known as the Superbas and the Robins, Rucker operated as a specialized workhorse during the Deadball Era, frequently outclassing the struggling squads behind him. For a decade in Brooklyn, he provided a dominant arm that was often obscured by a lack of run support, standing as a high-quality pillar for a franchise that was nearly 180 games below .500 during his tenure, even when he wasn't involved in the decision.

In 1908, he displayed a masterclass in run prevention by tossing the first no-hitter in franchise history against the Boston Doves, a 14-strikeout masterpiece that recorded a 101 Game Score, a mark that went unequaled by a Dodger until Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965.  In 1910, he led the league in innings pitched (320.1), complete games (27), and shutouts (6). Despite this herculean effort, he finished with an 18-loss record, a testament to the specialized futility of the teams he fronted. He followed this with a career-high 22 wins in 1911, posting a season in which he led the league in bWAR among pitchers (8.7). Remarkably, despite being arguably the most valuable player in the league that year by modern metrics, he received zero votes for the inaugural Chalmers Award (the era's MVP), as the writers prioritized the bats of winning teams over a dominant lefty on a 64-win club.

Known as one of the fastest pitchers of his day, Rucker showed a specialized resilience by adopting a knuckleball later in his career after his velocity began to fade. Between 1907 and 1913, he was a tactical mainstay who consistently finished in the top ten for Pitcher bWAR, twice leading the entire league in that category.

His career was cut short by arm fatigue that led to his retirement at just 31. After pitching over 2,300 innings of intense play, his effectiveness declined, and he made his last appearance in 1916, the same year the "Robins" won the National League Pennant. He finished with a 134-134 record, but his impressive 2.42 ERA underscores his true dominance.

Willie Davis was a local high school track star whose gear for speed that few in the history of the sport have ever matched. Taking over center field from the legendary Duke Snider, he stepped into a role that demanded both elite production and a massive personality to match the Hollywood backdrop. 

It was a rapid ascent from raw prospect to run-scoring catalyst.  Davis demonstrated a specialized ability to manufacture runs alongside Maury Wills, forming a high-caliber "table-setting" duo that helped pave the way for the Dodgers' success. By 1962, he had already established a high ceiling, recording 21 home runs, 103 runs, and 32 stolen bases. This early stretch gave the organization the high-stakes speed needed to capture World Series titles in 1963 and 1965, with Davis delivering key RBIs in the '63 clincher and a then-record three steals in a single '65 Series game.

He matured into a professional mainstay during the late 60s and early 70s. In 1969, he authored a franchise-record 31-game hitting streak, a masterpiece of offensive efficiency that still stands over 50 years later. He evolved into a technical master of the outfield, earning three consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1971 to 1973. While he was often criticized for a "free-spirited" approach to the game, his efficiency was undeniable; he led the league in triples twice and maintained a high volume of at least 20 steals in 11 separate seasons for the Dodgers.

Despite his outstanding contributions, his legacy is occasionally overshadowed by a problematic inning in the 1966 World Series, a brief struggle that dimmed a career marked by defensive excellence. He demonstrated remarkable durability for the organization, playing over 140 games in nearly every full season with the Blue before being traded to Montreal following the 1973 season.

With the Dodgers (1960–1973), Davis compiled 2,091 hits, 154 home runs, 335 stolen bases, and a .279 batting average, but for the purposes of Notinhalloffame, he is an anomaly as he was a man with a career bWAR over 60, who was left off the Hall of Fame ballot completely.