Legendary Florida running back [autotag]Fred Taylor[/autotag], who ranks 17th all-time in NFL history with 11,695 rushing yards, has made the final cut for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a second straight year.
Taylor is one of nine repeat finalists from the class of 2024 to make the 15-man cut and the only running back on the list. The original list had 167 nominees and was reduced twice, once to 50 nominees and a semifinal cut to 25 last month.
“The Selection Committee may elect up to five Modern-Era Players for the Class of 2025; each must receive a minimum positive vote of 80% for election.”
Taylor is in his 10th year of eligibility and is considered a strong candidate for the Hall this season. Every other running back ahead of him on the all-time rushing leaderboard is in except Frank Gore, who is not eligible until 2026.
The Selection Committee will meet prior to Super Bowl LIX and unveil the Class of 2025 publicly on Feb. 6. The induction ceremony will take place in early August. Should Taylor earn enough votes for enshrinement, he’d join fellow Gators Emmitt Smith and Jack Youngblood in the Hall of Fame.
Fred Taylor at Florida and in NFL
Taylor won a national championship with Florida in 1996 as a member of Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators. He spent three seasons in Gainesville, totaling 3,075 yards (fourth-most in program history) and 31 touchdowns (fifth-most) on 537 carries.
He left Florida in 1998 for the NFL draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him with the ninth overall pick, and he stayed there for 11 of his 13 seasons in the pros, spending the final two with the New England Patriots.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.