A day after the Baseball Hall of Fame announced their official ballot for the 2023 Class, the Pro Football Hall of Fame counters with the Semi-Finalists for their 2023 Class
Normally they nominate 25 men, but likely due to a tie vote, we have 28 official Semi-Finalists. This group includes five First Year eligible candidates.
Let’s take a look!
Eric Allen: Cornerback. 1988-94 PHI, 1995-97 NO, 1998-2001 OAK. Allen is now a Semi-Finalist for the third straight year, and he needs this momentum as he has been eligible since 2007. A six-time Pro Bowl Selection, who has 54 career Interceptions, Allen is ranked #49 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Jared Allen: Defensive End. 2004-07 KC, 2008-13 MIN, 2014-15 CHI, 2015 CAR. Allen returns as a Semi-Finalist for the third straight year, and considering he was a Finalist the last two years, it is expected that he will advance again. 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, and was one of the 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
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. Now a three-time Semi-Finalist, “Big Willie” was a Finalist for the first time last year. 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 has been a Semi-Finalist for all of them, though only a Finalist the last two. 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, and was one of the 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Anquan Boldin: Wide Receiver. 2003-2009 AZ, 2010-12 BAL, 2013-15 SF, 2016 DET. A Semi-Finalist last year in his first year of eligibility, the former Wide Receiver returns again, seeking his first trip to the Finals. With 13,779 Yards and 82 Touchdowns, Boldin won a Super Bowl with Baltimore, and was a three-time Pro Bowl Selection. Boldin is ranked #96 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Henry Ellard: Wide Receiver. 1983-93 LAR, 1994-98 WAS, NE 1998. This is the last kick at the can for Ellard, who is a Semi-Finalist for the first time in his final year of eligibility. Ellard had 65 Touchdowns and 13,777 Receiving Yards, which had fewer peers when he played than the other nominated Wide Receivers. A three-time Pro Bowl and two-time First Team All-Pro, Ellard is ranked #91 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Jahri Evans: Offensive Guard. 2006-16 NO, 2017 GB. Evans makes the Semis in his first year of eligibility, and is the first player from the New Orleans Super Bowl winning team to make it here. The Guard was. a six-time Pro Bowl and four-time First Team All-Pro and is ranked #36 on Notinhalloffame.com.
London Fletcher: Linebacker. 1998-01 STL, 2002-06 BUF, 2007-13 WAS. Eligible since 2019, Fletcher is a first time Semi-Finalist who recorded over 2,000 Tackles over his career and is a Super Bowl Champion with the Rams. A four-time Pro Bowl and two-time First Team All-Pro is ranked #64 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Dwight Freeney: Defensive End. 2002-12 IND, 2013-14 SD, AZ 2015, 2016 ATL, 2017 SEA, 2017 DET. Freeney is one of the five first year eligible players to make the Semi-Finals, 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, and was one of the 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
James Harrison: Linebacker. 2002-12 PIT, 2013 CIN, 2014-17 PIT, 2017 NE. Harrison is a Semi-Finalist on his first year on the ballot and was a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the Steelers. The 2008 AP Defensive Player of the Year, Harrison went to five Pro Bowls and earned two-time First Team All-Pros. Harrison is ranked #51 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Rodney Harrison: Safety. 1994-2002 SD, 2003-08 NE. Eligible since 2014, Harrison was a Semi-Finalist once before in 2021, and is a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the Patriots. Also, a two-time Pro Bowl Selection, Harrison had 30.5 Sacks and 30 Interceptions. Harrison is ranked #211 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Devin Hester: Punt Returner, Kick Returner & Wide Receiver. 2006-13 CHI, 2014-15 ATL, 2016 BAL. Hester was a Semi-Finalist and Finalist last year, which was his first year on the ballot. A three-time First Team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, Hester is a member of the 100th Anniversary Team. Hester is ranked #54 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Torry Holt: Wide Receiver. 1999-08 STL, 2009 JAX. A nine-time Semi-Finalist, Holt has been a Finalist the last three years, and likely will add a fourth. 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 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Andre Johnson: Wide Receiver. 2003-14 HOU, 2015 IND, 2016 TEN. Johnson was a Finalist last year in his first year of eligibility, and he is back one step away from doing it again. 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 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Albert Lewis: Cornerback. 1983-93 KC, 1994-98 LA/OAK. Lewis is 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.
Robert Mathis: Defensive End & Linebacker. 2003-16 IND. A Super Bowl Champion with Indianapolis, the team he spent his entire career with, Mathis is on his second year of eligibility, and is now a two-time Semi-Finalist. With 123 career Sacks, six Pro Bowls and one First Team All-Pro, Mathis is ranked #112 on Notinhalloffame.com.
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. Revis is ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Steve Smith: Wide Receiver. 2001-13 CAR, 2014-16 BAL. A five-time Pro Bowl and 14,000 Receiving Yards Club member, Smith is one of the greatest offensive players in Panthers history. Smith has been eligible for two years, and is now a Semi-Finalist in both of them. He is ranked #26 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Fred Taylor: Running Back. 1998-08 JAX, 2009-10 NE. Taylor is now on a four-year streak of Semi-Final Selections, though he has yet to be a Finalist. He only had one Pro Bowl under his belt, but is highly believed to be the best offensive skill player that Jacksonville ever had. Taylor is ranked #180 on Notinhalloffame.com.
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 many expect him to easily make it to the Finals. 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 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Zach Thomas: Linebacker. 1997-2007 MIA, 2008 DAL. Thomas is now on a five-year Semi-Finalist run, and he will likely add a fourth straight Final. 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 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Hines Ward: Wide Receiver. 1998-2011 PIT. Ward has been a Semi-Finalist all seven years of eligibility, but this has yet to get him to the Finals. Could this be the year? If so, we are talking about a Super Bowl MVP, a two-time Super Bowl Champion and four-time Pro Bowler. Ward is ranked #42 on Notinhalloffame.com.
DeMarcus Ware: Linebacker & Defensive End. 2005-13 DAL, 2014-16 DEN. Ware is on his second year of eligibility and was a Finalist last year. 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 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Ricky Watters: Running Back. 1992-94 SF, 1995-97 Ricky Watters, 1998-2001 SEA. Watters is running out of time as this his third last year on the ballot. A Semi-Finalist three times before, he won a Super Bowl with San Francisco and went to five Pro Bowls. Watters is ranked #50 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Reggie Wayne: Wide Receiver. 2001-14 IND. Wayne won a Super Bowl with the Colts and has been a Semi-Finalist all four of his years on the ballot, and likely will be a four-time Finalist in a month. A former Receiving Yard leader and six-time Pro Bowler, Wayne is ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Vince Wilfork: Defensive Tackle & Nose Tackle. 2004-12 NE, 2015-16 HOU. The mountain of a man helped New England win a Super Bowl and is now two-for-two in Semi-Final appearances. The five-time Pro Bowler is ranked #148on Notinhalloffame.com.
Patrick Willis: Linebacker. 2007-14 SF. Willis is now a four-time Semi-Finalist, and was a Finalist for the first time last year. 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 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
Darren Woodson: Safety. 1992-03 DAL. Woodson is now a six-time Semi-Finalist, but has yet to break through to the Finals. He was a three-time Super Bowl winner, a three-time First Team All-Pro and is ranked #90 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 26 selected by our Mock Committee.
It should be noted that we will be holding our Mock Committee meeting on either December 13 or 14 (TBD), and we will be combining the official Semi-Finalists with ours.
This means we will be adding Shaun Alexander, Ruben Brown, Ben Coates, Randall Cunningham, Tom Nalen, Leslie O’Neal, Neil Smith, Pat Swilling, Richmond Webb, Kevin Williams and Steve Wisniewski to our discussion.
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.
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