On Wednesday, the NFL revealed the list of the 130 modern-era committee candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2021, and 3 former Crimson Tide players made the list.
Former Alabama running back Shaun Alexander, linebacker Cornelius Bennett, and offensive lineman Chris Samuels were named to the list.
The entire list of nominees includes 65 offensive players, 49 defensive players and 16 special teams players.
The list of Modern-Era nominees will be reduced to 25 semifinalists in November and, from there, to 15 finalists in January.
And of the 15, let’s hope all 3 Alabama Crimson Tide players are a part of it!
All three former Crimson Tide standouts were on the list of nominees last year, too.
The Selection Committee will meet on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021 in Tampa, Florida to elect the Class of 2021.
Here’s a look at each of the three former Alabama players on the ballot, and what they were able to accomplish:
Running back, Shaun Alexander:
Alexander is the Tide’s second leading rusher all time, who recorded an incredible 3,565 yards rushing for 41 touchdowns and 4.9 yards per carry. Alexander also had 798 yards receiving for another 8 career touchdowns.
He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks as the 19th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.
During his time in the NFL, he spent 7 seasons with the Seahawks, and played for one season in Washington for the Redskins.
In his NFL career, he recorded a whopping 9,453 yards rushing for 100 touchdowns. He also had 1,520 receiving yards for another 12 touchdowns.
Linebacker, Cornelius Bennett:
Bennett was a huge staple to Alabama’s defense during his time in Tuscaloosa. For the Tide, Bennett recorded 287 tackles, 21½ sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries. He’s known for his infamous sack against Notre Dame quarterback Steve Beuerlein.
Bennett went on to be drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the second pick of the 1987 NFL Draft, but was eventually sent to the Buffalo Bills. He spent 14 years in the NFL. He spent 9 years playing for the Bills, 3 years for the Falcons, and then 2 seasons in Indianapolis.
In his 14 NFL seasons, he recorded 71½ sacks, 7 interceptions, 112 return yards, 31 forced fumbles, 27 fumble recoveries, 78 fumble return yards, and three touchdowns (one interception, one fumble return, and one blocked field goal return).
Offensive Lineman, Chris Samuels
Samuels is one of the best lineman ever to play at Alabama. He played at Alabama from 1996-1999 where he never allowed even one sack during the 42 games he started. He also won Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the SEC’s most outstanding blocker during his time in Tuscaloosa. He and Shaun Alexander were on the team together at Alabama, and they were incredible.
Samuels went on to be drafted by the Washington Redskins as the 3rd overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.
During his 9 seasons in the NFL for the Redskins, he started in all 141 games. He also had 4 fumble recoveries.
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