2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class

Green Wave ballot. Clark Shaughnessy coached at Tulane and Richie Petitbon played there.

 

Such an odd list of coaches - Reeves took two different franchises to the SB (lost both), Shanahan and Siefert both won back to back SBs, but failed elsewhere, Schottenheimer won everywhere but never made a SB, Tom Coughlin had two SBs while the franchise was trying to force him out. Not sure where any of them stack up in terms of being innovators.

 

After winning his first game, Noll’s Steelers lost 15 straight between the end of 1969 and start of 1970.

Only thing they won was the coin flip to draft Bradshaw.

 

You saved me a lot of work, amigo. Thank you very much.

 

The seniors got cut to 25 plus ties, so there are now 31 as we narrow to nine semifinalists next:

QUARTERBACKS (3): Ken Anderson, Charlie Conerly, Jim Plunkett.
RUNNING BACKS (5): Ottis Anderson, Roger Craig, Chuck Foreman, Cecil Isbell, Paul “Tank” Younger.
WIDE RECEIVERS (5): Billy "White Shoes” Johnson, Stanley Morgan, Art Powell, Sterling Sharpe, Otis Taylor.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (7): Ox Emerson, Joe Jacoby, Mike Kenn, Bob Kuechenberg, George Kunz, Jim Tyrer, Al Wistert.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (2): Jim Marshall, Harvey Martin.
LINEBACKERS (5): Carl Banks, Maxie Baughan, Larry Grantham, Clay Matthews Jr., Tommy Nobis.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (4): Lester Hayes, Albert Lewis, Eddie Meador, Everson Walls.

Those cut: Roman Gabriel, Jack Kemp, Alan Ameche, Larry Brown, Mark Clayton, Isaac Curtis, Boyd Dowler, Henry Ellard, Harold Jackson, Ed Budde, Bill Fralic, Chris Hinton, Ralph Neely, Dick Schafrath, L.C. Greenwood, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Leslie O’Neal, Bill Stanfill, Bill Bergey, Joe Fortunato Lee Roy Jordan, Andy Russell, Pat Swilling, Phil Villapiano, Dick Anderson, Deron Cherry, Pat Fischer, Lemar Parrish, Steve Tasker.

Still stunned Tyrer got this far

 

We are down to 50 for the Modern Candidates. Next step is the 25 semifinalists:

(*-indicates Finalist for the Class of 2024. Underline indicates first year of eligibility.)

QUARTERBACKS (2): Eli Manning, Steve McNair

RUNNING BACKS (6): Shaun Alexander, Tiki Barber, Eddie George, Marshawn Lynch, Fred Taylor*, Ricky Watters

WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Anquan Boldin, Torry Holt*, Jimmy Smith, Steve Smith Sr., Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne*

TIGHT ENDS (2): Ben Coates, Antonio Gates*

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (12): Willie Anderson* (T), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Jahri Evans* (G), Olin Kreutz (C), Logan Mankins (G), Jeff Saturday (C), Joe Staley (T), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), Marshal Yanda (G)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (8): John Abraham (DE also LB), Jared Allen* (DE), Robert Mathis (DE), Haloti Ngata (DT), Simeon Rice (DE), Neil Smith (DE), Vince Wilfork (DT/NT), Kevin Williams (DT)

LINEBACKERS (5): Cornelius Bennett, London Fletcher, James Harrison, Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs

DEFENSIVE BACKS (6): Eric Allen* (CB), Kam Chancellor (S), Rodney Harrison* (S), Earl Thomas (S), Troy Vincent (CB), Darren Woodson* (S)

SPECIAL TEAMS (3): Gary Anderson (K), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB), Adam Vinatieri (K)



These are the ones cut. I'm surprised out of the QBs McNair was the second choice behind Eli. I'm surprised Tom Nalen didn't make it among those linemen and I don't get if you are going to have three special teams choices that Shane Lechler isn't one of them.

QUARTERBACKS: Marc Bulger, Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Doug Flutie, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo.


RUNNING BACKS: Terry Allen, Jamal Anderson, Larry Centers (FB), Jamaal Charles, Stephen Davis, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn, Charlie Garner, Priest Holmes, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Thomas Jones, John Kuhn (FB), Vonta Leach, Dorsey Levens, Jamal Lewis, Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR), Glyn Milburn (also WR), Lorenzo Neal (FB), Clinton Portis, Tony Richardson (FB), Robert Smith, Darren Sproles (also PR/KR), Chris Warren, Ricky Williams.


WIDE RECEIVERS: Joe Horn, Chad Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Derrick Mason, Herman Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordy Nelson, Andre Rison, Rod Smith., Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Roddy White.


TIGHT ENDS: Vernon Davis, Jeremy Shockey, Delanie Walker, Wesley Walls.


OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Bruce Armstrong (T/G), Matt Birk (C), Travis Frederick (C), Jordan Gross (T), Ryan Kalil (C), Lincoln Kennedy (T), T.J. Lang (G/T), Nick Mangold (C), Tom Nalen (C), Mark Schlereth (G/C), Josh Sitton (G), Chris Snee (G), Dave Szott (G), Brian Waters (G)


DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Casey Hampton (DT/NT), Chester McGlockton (DT), Clyde Simmons (DE/DT), Henry Thomas (DT/NT), Justin Tuck (DE), Ted Washington (NT/DT), Jamal Williams (DT/NT), Pat Williams (DT).


LINEBACKERS: Jessie Armstead, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Lance Briggs, Keith Brooking, NaVorro Bowman, Tedy Bruschi, Donnie Edwards, James Farrior, Willie McGinest (also DE), Ken Norton Jr., Julian Peterson, Bill Romanowski, Takeo Spikes, Mike Vrabel, Lee Woodall.


DEFENSIVE BACKS (18): Eric Berry (DB), Antoine Bethea (S), Dré Bly (DB), Nick Collins (DB), Antonio Cromartie (CB), DeAngelo Hall (DB), Eugene Robinson (DB), Samari Rolle (DB), Allen Rossum (DB), Bob Sanders (S), Aqib Talib (CB), Charles Tillman (CB),


PUNTERS/KICKERS (15): David Akers (K), Darren Bennett (P), Jason Elam (K), Jeff Feagles (P), Jason Hanson (K), John Kasay (K), Sean Landeta (P), Shane Lechler (P), Pat McAfee (P), Brian Moorman (P), Matt Stover (K), Matt Turk (P), Mike Vanderjagt (K),


SPECIAL TEAMS (2): Josh Cribbs (KR/PR also WR)

 

My guess at the 25 semifinalists:


Eli Manning, Tiki Barber, Fred Taylor, Ricky Watters, Anquan Boldin, Torry Holt, Steve Smith Sr., Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, Antonio Gates, Willie Anderson, Jahri Evans, Marshal Yanda, Jared Allen, Haloti Ngata, Vince Wilfork, London Fletcher, James Harrison, Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs, Eric Allen, Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Darren Woodson, Adam Vinatieri

 

The nine Contributor semifinalists. Next cut is the one finalist

Bud Adams
Ralph Hay
Frank “Bucko” Kilroy
Robert Kraft
Art Modell
Art Rooney Jr.
Seymour Siwoff
Doug Williams
John Wooten

Those cut:
Roone Arledge
Chris Berman
Howard Cosell
Otho Davis
John Facenda
Mike Giddings
Don Klosterman
Eddie Kotal
Virginia McCaskey
Rich McKay
John McVay
Lee Remmel
Eddie Robinson
Jerry Seeman
Amy Trask
Jim Tunney

 

Ah yes, the jerk off the owners wing. I bet tens of people view those plaques with reverence each year.

 

Wait….the guy who called the meeting in canton that created the league is not in the Hall?

That being said…I’d go with Doug Williams.

 

Rooney Arledge is half the reason this league swims in a Scrooge McDuck pool of gold coins, but God forbid he cut in line ahead of Bud Adams.

 

But enough about Kraft.