PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – A trio of Steelers among the 50 now eligible for voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025. The field narrowed from the 167 nominees to start the process.
Hines Ward
Each year it seems like it gets harder for Ward given the numbers receivers are putting up. Since he retired nine wide receivers have passed him on the all-time yardage list. Ward currently sits 28th with 12,083 yards with Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans 68 yards behind him. Hines is 19th in receiving touchdowns with five recently passing him and DeAndre Hopkins, Tyreek Hills, Travis Kelce are closing in.
The argument with Ward always is what you can’t quantify on a stat sheet. There isn’t a category for impact blocks or effort. A Super Bowl MVP and two-time champion, when he was 33, Ward caught 95 passes for 1,167 yards, with a 72.9 success rate.
Other receiver semifinalists are Anquan Boldin, Torry Holt, Jimmy Smith, Steve Smith, Sr and Reggie Wayne, all of whom have more career receiving yards than Ward.
James Harrison
A dominant force in the NFL from 2007-11, the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year seemingly could only be stopped over that time by being held. He would use his leverage and strength to get up under 300-pound offensive tackles and move them like a sled.
Harrison also has one of the most spectacular plays in Super Bowl history in his 99-yard interception return for a touchdown.
His overall stats aren’t helpers-102nd in career sacks (84.5) and 21st in tackles for loss (128), with first-year eligible Terrell Suggs the all-time leader in NFL TFL.
Cornelius Bennett and London Fletcher are also finalists this season, but for a period Harrison was the greatest in the game at getting to the quarterback.
Gary Anderson
Morten Andersen’s induction could have opened the door for kickers to get a more serious look at the Hall of Fame. Morten played three more seasons than Gary Anderson with only 110 more points. Gary is third in the NFL in all-time scoring, however a player who is first-year eligible, Adam Vinatieri, is first overall with 240 more points than Gary and has four Super Bowl titles.
Among the first-time nominees
· QB Eli Manning
· RB Marshawn Lynch
· T Joe Staley
· G Marshal Yanda
· LB Luke Kuechly
· LB Terrell Suggs
· S Earl Thomas
· K Adam Vinatieri
The announcement of the semi-finalists, when the list is pared to 25, will be announced around Thanskgiving. Hines Ward has made it to the semi-finals for the last eight years, Harrison twice.