.
NFL Hall of Fame 2015 –
There are 103 candidates. The first job is to narrow it down to 25. Here are the candidates:
QBs
Drew Bledsoe
Brett Favre – first year of eligibility
Steve McNair
Phil Simms
Vinny Testaverde
Kurt Warner – finalist in 2015
RBs
Shaun Alexander
Ottis Anderson
Tiki Barber
Roger Craig
Stephen Davis
Terrell Davis – finalist in 2015
Eddie George
Priest Holmes
Edgerrin James
Daryl Johnston
Jamal Lewis
Clinton Portis – first year of eligibility
Herschel Walker – as a kick returner as well
Ricky Waters
Brian Westbrook – first year of eligibility
WRs
Isaac Bruce
Gary Clark
Henry Ellard – as a punt returner as well
Marvin Harrison – finalist in 2015
Torry Holt
Terrell Owens – first year of eligibility
Sterling Sharpe
Jimmy Smith
Rod Smith
TEs
Mark Bavaro
Jay Novacek
OL
Tony Boselli
Jeff Bostic
Jim Covert
Alan Faneca – first year of eligibility
Jay Hilgenberg
Chris Hinton
Kent Hull
Joe Jacoby
Jon Jansen
Mike Kenn
Jim Lachey
Kevin Mawae
Mark May
Tom Nalen
Nate Newton
Orlando Pace – finalist in 2015
Chris Samuels
Mark Schlereth
Steve Wisniewski
DL
Dexter Manley
Charles Mann
Leslie O’Neal
Simeon Rice
Fred Smerlas
Bryant Young
LBs
Cornelius Bennett
Tedy Bruschi
Keith Bulluck – first year of eligibility
Kevin Greene – finalist in 2015 – also a DE
Ken Harvey
Levon Kirkland
Clay Matthews
Willie McGinest – also DE
Karl Mecklenburg
Matt Millen
Sam Mills
Zach Thomas
Mike Vrabel – first year of eligibility
DBs
Eric Allen
Steve Atwater
Joey Browner
LeRoy Butler
Rodney Harrison
Ty Law
Albert Lewis
John Lynch – finalist in 2015
Lawyer Milloy – first year of eligibility
Darren Sharper – first year of eligibility
Shawn Springs
Troy Vincent
Everson Walls
Darren Woodson
Kickers/Punters
Morten Anderson
Gary Anderson
John Carney – first year of eligibility
Jason Elam
Sean Landeta
Nick Lowery
Special Teams
Ethan Albright – first year of eligibility
Brian Mitchell
Steve Tasker
Coaches
Don Coryell – finalist in 2015
Bill Cowher
Tony Dungy
Tom Flores
Mike Holmgren
Jimmy Johnson – finalist in 2015
Chuck Knox
Buddy Parker
Richie Petitbon
Dan Reeves
Pete Rodriguez
Lou Saban
Marty Schottenheimer
Clark Shaugnessy
Dick Vermeil
My 25 to make it to the next step would be:
Brett Favre – one of my favorite players ever, great quarterback, fun to watch, tough as nails, always went for it – I feel bad leaving Kurt Warner off this list – but, I think he’ll make it in a year or two, just not yet
Terrell Davis – His career was short but what he did in that short amount of time was absolutely amazing – I’ve always been a quarterback girl but I never liked John Elway and always believed it was because of TD that Elway finally got his Superbowls
Daryl Johnston – He helped make Emmitt Smith, well, Emmitt Smith. I named my dog, Moose, after him. That’s how highly I think of him.
Jamal Lewis – He was one of my favorites for a while – I liked his style
Brian Westbrook – Westbrook played for my most hated team in the whole league and I still had a soft spot for him in all his years in Philly. Great player, great runner. I know he doesn’t have the best stats but, he was a great all around player.
Marvin Harrison – it’s hard with all of his end of career issues. But, you can’t deny he was a great receiver and they say that should speak for itself.
Terrell Owens - he’s a tough one to figure – GREAT player – one of the great wideouts ever to play but had an attitude that bounced him from team to team – with what he did on the field for those teams, though, it’s hard to leave him out, in my opinion
Rod Smith – Great receiver. Period.
The next set of players are just ones that I know are great whether I can explain or not – OL and DL and defense I have more trouble explaining! J
Jay Novacek – I might be a smidge of a “homer” here, but back when I knew nothing about football other than the Cowboys were the greatest team ever with Aikman, Smith and Irvin, I do still remember Novacek.
Nate Newton – This is to talk for all OL – I’m not good at not watching the ball – if I know your name
Orlando Pace – when you were an offensive lineman – then you were either really good or really bad
Allen Faneca – I know all these guys are deserving based on that modest fact
Jeff Bostic
Kevin Greene – 160 sacks – 10 seasons in double digits – it says a lot
Willie McGinest
Karl Mecklenberg
Ty Law
John Lynch
Darren Woodson – just a great defender on a great team
Morten Anderson
Bill Cowher
Tony Dungy
Jimmy Johnson – Genius with player personnel, GREAT coach, 3 super bowls
Dick Vermeil – one of the greats for sure
There are 103 candidates. The first job is to narrow it down to 25. Here are the candidates:
QBs
Drew Bledsoe
Brett Favre – first year of eligibility
Steve McNair
Phil Simms
Vinny Testaverde
Kurt Warner – finalist in 2015
RBs
Shaun Alexander
Ottis Anderson
Tiki Barber
Roger Craig
Stephen Davis
Terrell Davis – finalist in 2015
Eddie George
Priest Holmes
Edgerrin James
Daryl Johnston
Jamal Lewis
Clinton Portis – first year of eligibility
Herschel Walker – as a kick returner as well
Ricky Waters
Brian Westbrook – first year of eligibility
WRs
Isaac Bruce
Gary Clark
Henry Ellard – as a punt returner as well
Marvin Harrison – finalist in 2015
Torry Holt
Terrell Owens – first year of eligibility
Sterling Sharpe
Jimmy Smith
Rod Smith
TEs
Mark Bavaro
Jay Novacek
OL
Tony Boselli
Jeff Bostic
Jim Covert
Alan Faneca – first year of eligibility
Jay Hilgenberg
Chris Hinton
Kent Hull
Joe Jacoby
Jon Jansen
Mike Kenn
Jim Lachey
Kevin Mawae
Mark May
Tom Nalen
Nate Newton
Orlando Pace – finalist in 2015
Chris Samuels
Mark Schlereth
Steve Wisniewski
DL
Dexter Manley
Charles Mann
Leslie O’Neal
Simeon Rice
Fred Smerlas
Bryant Young
LBs
Cornelius Bennett
Tedy Bruschi
Keith Bulluck – first year of eligibility
Kevin Greene – finalist in 2015 – also a DE
Ken Harvey
Levon Kirkland
Clay Matthews
Willie McGinest – also DE
Karl Mecklenburg
Matt Millen
Sam Mills
Zach Thomas
Mike Vrabel – first year of eligibility
DBs
Eric Allen
Steve Atwater
Joey Browner
LeRoy Butler
Rodney Harrison
Ty Law
Albert Lewis
John Lynch – finalist in 2015
Lawyer Milloy – first year of eligibility
Darren Sharper – first year of eligibility
Shawn Springs
Troy Vincent
Everson Walls
Darren Woodson
Kickers/Punters
Morten Anderson
Gary Anderson
John Carney – first year of eligibility
Jason Elam
Sean Landeta
Nick Lowery
Special Teams
Ethan Albright – first year of eligibility
Brian Mitchell
Steve Tasker
Coaches
Don Coryell – finalist in 2015
Bill Cowher
Tony Dungy
Tom Flores
Mike Holmgren
Jimmy Johnson – finalist in 2015
Chuck Knox
Buddy Parker
Richie Petitbon
Dan Reeves
Pete Rodriguez
Lou Saban
Marty Schottenheimer
Clark Shaugnessy
Dick Vermeil
My 25 to make it to the next step would be:
Brett Favre – one of my favorite players ever, great quarterback, fun to watch, tough as nails, always went for it – I feel bad leaving Kurt Warner off this list – but, I think he’ll make it in a year or two, just not yet
Terrell Davis – His career was short but what he did in that short amount of time was absolutely amazing – I’ve always been a quarterback girl but I never liked John Elway and always believed it was because of TD that Elway finally got his Superbowls
Daryl Johnston – He helped make Emmitt Smith, well, Emmitt Smith. I named my dog, Moose, after him. That’s how highly I think of him.
Jamal Lewis – He was one of my favorites for a while – I liked his style
Brian Westbrook – Westbrook played for my most hated team in the whole league and I still had a soft spot for him in all his years in Philly. Great player, great runner. I know he doesn’t have the best stats but, he was a great all around player.
Marvin Harrison – it’s hard with all of his end of career issues. But, you can’t deny he was a great receiver and they say that should speak for itself.
Terrell Owens - he’s a tough one to figure – GREAT player – one of the great wideouts ever to play but had an attitude that bounced him from team to team – with what he did on the field for those teams, though, it’s hard to leave him out, in my opinion
Rod Smith – Great receiver. Period.
The next set of players are just ones that I know are great whether I can explain or not – OL and DL and defense I have more trouble explaining! J
Jay Novacek – I might be a smidge of a “homer” here, but back when I knew nothing about football other than the Cowboys were the greatest team ever with Aikman, Smith and Irvin, I do still remember Novacek.
Nate Newton – This is to talk for all OL – I’m not good at not watching the ball – if I know your name
Orlando Pace – when you were an offensive lineman – then you were either really good or really bad
Allen Faneca – I know all these guys are deserving based on that modest fact
Jeff Bostic
Kevin Greene – 160 sacks – 10 seasons in double digits – it says a lot
Willie McGinest
Karl Mecklenberg
Ty Law
John Lynch
Darren Woodson – just a great defender on a great team
Morten Anderson
Bill Cowher
Tony Dungy
Jimmy Johnson – Genius with player personnel, GREAT coach, 3 super bowls
Dick Vermeil – one of the greats for sure