Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward, Charles Woodson, Patrick Willis and Jared Allen among the 25 semi-finalists named for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021
Wednesday 6 January 2021 14:59, UK
Peyton Manning has been named among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2021.
The star quarterback, owner of a record five NFL Most Valuable Player awards and two Super Bowl titles, was the first finalist revealed on Tuesday night.
Manning was one of the most prolific passers in NFL history. In 18 pro seasons after being chosen as the No 1 draft choice by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998, he had 14 with more than 4,000-plus yards passing.
When he retired in 2015, Manning held NFL records for career passing yards (71,940), career passing touchdowns (539) and consecutive seasons with at least 25 passing touchdowns (13). He was a seven-time All-Pro, and a member of the NFLs All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
Joining Manning as a Hall of Fame finalist was one of the players he threw to, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, a finalist for the second time. First-year eligible Calvin Johnson and second-time finalist Torry Holt also made the cut among receivers.
Four defensive backs, including current San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, were named. This will be Lynch's eighth time as a finalist, while its the first for Charles Woodson in his initial year of eligibility, and Ronde Barber, and the second appearance in the finals for Leroy Butler.
Two of the NFLs most dependable defensive linemen have been included in the list: pass rusher Jared Allen and the versatile Richard Seymour. Allen, who had 136 sacks and forced four safeties, is another first-year eligible player, while Seymour has made the finals for three of his four eligible years.
The 15 Hall of Fame finalists will be presented to the full 48-member selection committee during their annual meeting on 'Selection Saturday', the day before Super Bowl LV.
Though there is no set number for any enshrinee class, the selection process by-laws provide that between four and eight new members will be selected. The Class of 2021 will be revealed during NFL Honors on Saturday, February 6.
Pro Football Hall of Fame 2021 finalists: DE Jared Allen, CB/S Ronde Barber, T Tony Boselli, S LeRoy Butler, G Alan Faneca, WR Torry Holt, WR Calvin Johnson, S John Lynch, QB Peyton Manning, LB Clay Matthews, LB Sam Mills, DE/DT Richard Seymour, LB Zach Thomas, WR Reggie Wayne, CB/S Charles Woodson.
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