The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced their list of 130 nominees for the class of 2021. Among them are nine former Raiders players, including two first-year eligible nominees.
One of the Raiders’ first-year eligible nominees is a lock to be enshrined on the first ballot. Charles Woodson is up this year and he is assured to get in after an 18-year career in which he was named to the Pro Bowl nine times, All-Pro three times, a Rookie of the Year, once a Defensive Player of the Year, and Super Bowl champion.
Woodson and Peyton Manning are both first-ballot guys who entered the NFL in the same draft, retired the same year, and will take the stage on the same day in Canton.
The other first-year eligible former Raider is Justin Tuck. He and Woodson join seven other former Raiders who are back on the ballot. They are G Steve Wisniewski, DT La’Roi Glover, DL Richard Seymour, DE Greg Townsend, DE Pat Swilling, CB Eric Allen, and CB Albert Lewis.
Also, new Raiders team Chaplain and UNLV legend Randall Cunningham is on the ballot along with fellow Las Vegas great RB Steven Jackson who is among the first-year eligible players.
See the full list of 130 modern-era finalists here.
The list of Modern-Era nominees will be reduced to 25 semifinalists in November and, from there, to 15 finalists in January.
Along with the 15 Modern-Era finalists and there will be Senior Finalist Drew Pearson; Contributor Finalist, Bill Nunn; and Coach Finalist, Raiders great Tom Flores.
The Selection Committee will meet Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021 in Tampa, Fla., to elect the Class of 2021. While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the selection process by-laws provide that between four and eight new members will be selected.
The Senior Finalist, Contributor Finalist and Coach Finalist are voted “yes” or “no” for election at the annual selection meeting and must receive at least 80 percent support from the Committee to be elected. The Modern-Era Finalists will be trimmed during the meeting from 15 to 10, then from 10 to five. The remaining five finalists will be voted on individually, “yes” or “no,” and must receive the same 80 percent positive vote as the Senior, Contributor and Coach Finalists to earn election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021 will be enshrined Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, in Canton Ohio, the day after the Centennial Class of 2020 Enshrinement on Aug. 7.
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