The last two weeks of November have always been special for Hall of Fame watchers. The Baseball Hall of Fame puts forth their official ballot for the modern candidates, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame reduces their preliminary candidates to 25 Semi-Finalists.
For the first time (at least that we are aware of) the PFHOF made their declaration in the AM, and we have two former players, who are debuting on their first year of eligibility.
Here are the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Semi-Finalists in alphabetical order:
Eric Allen: Cornerback. 1988-94 PHI, 1995-97 NO, 1998-2001 OAK. Allen is now a Semi-Finalist for the fourth straight year, and he needs this momentum as he has been eligible since 2007, but has yet to become a Finalist. A six-time Pro Bowl Selection, who has 54 career Interceptions, Allen is ranked #49 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 25 selected by our mock committee.
Jared Allen: Defensive End. 2004-07 KC, 2008-13 MIN, 2014-15 CHI, 2015 CAR. Allen returns as a Semi-Finalist for the fourth straight year, and considering he was a Finalist the last three 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 #17 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 25 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 four-time Semi-Finalist, “Big Willie” was a Finalist for the last two years. Anderson went to four Pro Bowls, was a three-time First Team All-Pro and is ranked #137 on Notinhalloffame.com. He was also one of the 25 selected by our mock committee.
Tiki Barber: Running Back. 1997-06 NYG. Barber has been eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for twelve years and he is now a first time Semi-Finalist. One of three Running Backs who have made it this far, Barber was a three-time Pro Bowl and one time First Team All-Pro, and twice led the league in Yards From Scrimmage. He is ranked #165 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Anquan Boldin: Wide Receiver. 2003-2009 AZ, 2010-12 BAL, 2013-15 SF, 2016 DET. A Semi-Finalist in his first three year of eligibility, the former Wide Receiver is 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 #89 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Jahri Evans: Offensive Guard. 2006-16 NO, 2017 GB. Evans makes the Semis in his first two 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 #31 on Notinhalloffame.com.
London Fletcher: Linebacker. 1998-01 STL, 2002-06 BUF, 2007-13 WAS. Eligible since 2019, Fletcher is now a two-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 #56 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Antonio Gates: Tight End. 2003-18 SD/LAC. Gates is an unsurprising Semi-Finalist on his first ballot, and he is a lock to be a Finalist. He will enter the Hall soon, and the only question is whether the eight-time Pro Bowl and three-time First Team All-Pro enters this year. Odds are that he will. He is ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com and was one of the 25 selected by our Mock Committee.
Eddie George: Running Back. 1996-03 HOU/TEN, 2004 DAL. George is a Semi-Finalist for the second time after first making this stage two years ago. The four-time Pro Bowl and one-time First Team All-Pro is ranked #168 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 #48 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 25 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 #52 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Rodney Harrison: Safety. 1994-2002 SD, 2003-08 NE. Eligible since 2014, Harrison is now a three-time Semi-Finalist, 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 in his first two years n the ballot, so it is only a matter of time before he is modeling for that Canton bust. A three-time First Team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, Hester is a member of the 100th Anniversary Team. Hester is ranked #34 on Notinhalloffame.com.*
Torry Holt: Wide Receiver. 1999-08 STL, 2009 JAX. A ten-time Semi-Finalist, Holt has been a Finalist the last four years, and likely will add a fifth. A Super Bowl Champion with the Rams, Holt went to seven Pro Bowls, and was a two-time Receiving Yards leader. Holt is ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 25 selected by our Mock Committee. It appears that he is the next WR in queue, but strange things can happen.
Andre Johnson: Wide Receiver. 2003-14 HOU, 2015 IND, 2016 TEN. Johnson was a Finalist in his first two years of eligibility and should be again this year. 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 #18 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 third year of eligibility, and is now a three-time Semi-Finalist. With 123 career Sacks, six Pro Bowls and one First Team All-Pro, Mathis is ranked #108 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Julius Peppers: Defensive End. 2002-09 & 2017-18 CAR, 2010-13 CHI, 2014-15 GB. Peppers is a Semi-Finalist n year one, and it should be expected that he will advance as a Finalist. A nine-time Pro Bowl and three-time First Team All-Pro, Peppers has a whopping 159.5 Sacks. Peppers is ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 25 selected in 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 three years, and is now a Semi-Finalist in all of them, though he has yet to be a Finalist. He is ranked #24 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Fred Taylor: Running Back. 1998-08 JAX, 2009-10 NE. Taylor is now on a five-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 #186 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Hines Ward: Wide Receiver. 1998-2011 PIT. Ward has been a Semi-Finalist all right 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.
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 four times before, he won a Super Bowl with San Francisco and went to five Pro Bowls. Watters is ranked #43 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 25 in our Mock Committee.
Reggie Wayne: Wide Receiver. 2001-14 IND. Wayne won a Super Bowl with the Colts and has been a Semi-Finalist all five of his years on the ballot, and likely will be a five-time Finalist in a month. A former Receiving Yard leader and six-time Pro Bowler, Wayne is ranked #10 on Notinhalloffame.com, Could Wayne be the next WR in the Hall?
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 three-for-three in Semi-Final appearances, though this has not translated into a berth in the Finals. The five-time Pro Bowler is ranked #140 on Notinhalloffame.com.
Patrick Willis: Linebacker. 2007-14 SF. Willis is now a five-time Semi-Finalist, and was a Finalist the last two years. 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 #9 on Notinhalloffame.com*
Darren Woodson: Safety. 1992-03 DAL. Woodson is now a seven-time Semi-Finalist, but it was not until last year that he made the Finals. He was a three-time Super Bowl winner, a three-time First Team All-Pro and is ranked #77 on Notinhalloffame.com, and was one of the 25 selected by our Mock Committee.
*Please note that Hester and Willis were not included in our Mock Committee Semi-Finalists as we have already “inducted” them in previous discussions.
It should be noted that we will be holding our Mock Committee meeting tonight on YouTube to name and debate out Finalists.
So, who is going to get in!!!
This group witll pared down to 15 in January, and those Finalists will join Senior Candidates, Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael and Art Powell, and Coaches/Contributor Finalist, Buddy Parker
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