Tag: finalist

Jahri Evans passed over for Hall of Fame induction in the Class of 2024

Jahri Evans was passed over for Hall of Fame induction in the Class of 2024. Having to wait longer is disappointing, but the payoff could make it easier to accept:

We’ll start with the bad news. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will not induct Jahri Evans in its Class of 2024 — the New Orleans Saints legend was passed over in favor of other deserving players, including several who had to wait longer than they should have for enshrinement. Evans will have to wait at least one more year to earn his bronze bust and gold jacket in Canton.

Now the good news. It’s disappointing that Evans has to wait a while longer for such powerful recognition, but the payoff might be worth it. If he’s inducted in the Class of 2025 (which seems likely; he was a semifinalist in his first year of eligibility before progressing to the finalist stage in his second turn) then Evans will earn the nod in the same year, and a few days before, Super Bowl LIX is played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. That would be a fine occasion.

And if not? If Evans’ case lingers in discussion another year, drawing out into 2026, he could go into the Hall of Fame with his legendary quarterback. Drew Brees will be eligible to enter the Hall of Fame for the first time in 2026 which would be Evans’ fourth year of eligibility. He’s a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, and getting him and his best blocker in together would be awful special.

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Darren Woodson named Hall of Fame finalist for second straight year

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 5x-Pro Bowl safety is once again one of 15 modern-era finalists for enshrinement in Canton.

Darren Woodson is, once again, on Canton’s doorstep.

The 12-year Cowboys safety was named Wednesday as one of 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2024. It’s Woodson’s second straight year making it to the finalist stage after eight times as a semifinalist.

The franchise’s all-time leader in tackles joins a stocked roster of finalists that includes Reggie Wayne, Devin Hester, Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers, and Fred Taylor.

The pool of nominees started with 173 names in September and was trimmed to 25 semifinalists in November.

It’s a talented class, to be sure, but it’s hard to imagine any of this year’s finalists having a more loaded rĂ©sumĂ© or being more deserving of finally getting a gold jacket than Woodson.

Five-time Pro Bowler. Four-time first-team All-Pro. Three-time Super Bowl champion. Cowboys Ring of Honor member since 2015.

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“Anytime you’re in a situation where you’re up for an award and you don’t win it… I’d be a fool and lying to you if I said I wasn’t disappointed,” Woodson, now 54, said after being passed over for inclusion in the Class of 2023.

“I’m disappointed, but I’m not broken by it… I feel like, at some point, it’s going to happen.”

That point may be almost here. Woodson is once again on the doorstep.

The only thing left is a knock.

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Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen named as Defensive Rookie of Year finalist

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen is now officially named among three finalists for the AP’s 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

After a phenomenal season, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen has been officially named one of three Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists. The coveted Associated Press award winner will be announced during the 12th annual NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 9, 2023.

Watch below as Woolen’s name was revealed on Good Morning Football on Wednesday morning.

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Cowboys DeMarcus Ware, Darren Woodson named Hall of Fame finalists

Woodson is a finalist for the first time after six times as a semifinalist. Ware made it all the way to the final vote last year. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys legends DeMarcus Ware, Chuck Howley, and- yes- Darren Woodson have taken a big step closer to Canton.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its finalists for enshrinement as part of the Class of 2023 on Wednesday night. The list of modern-day players includes Ware, who most feel should have been a shoo-in last year, and Woodson, who finally advances beyond the semifinalist stage for the first time after six previous tries.

Woodson is the Cowboys’ all-time leading tackler, a five-time Pro Bowler, a four-time first-team All-Pro, a three-time Super Bowl champion, and was just the 21st member of the Cowboys’ prestigious Ring of Honor.

Ware is a finalist for the second year in a row. After nine seasons in Dallas, seven straight pro Bowl appearances, and four first-team All-Pro nods, Ware played four more years as a Bronco and won a Super Bowl ring for the 2015 season.

He is the franchise leader in sacks, even factoring in those recorded by players before 1982, when the statistic was officially charted for the first time.

Linebacker Zach Thomas, the Texas Tech star who came home to the Cowboys for the 2008 campaign after a long career with Miami, was also named a Class of 2023 finalist.

This year’s 15 finalists will be discussed at length by the Hall’s 49-person selection committee, who will narrow the list down to 10, then five. Those remaining finalists are then voted on for induction, each on a yes-no basis, with an 80% “yes” vote required.

Chuck Howley was also named Wednesday as a senior finalist, advancing from a group of 12. He earned six Pro Bowl nods over 13 seasons and helped the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl. But perhaps the biggest claim to fame of his career came in Super Bowl V, when he became the only man to win the game’s MVP honors despite playing for the losing team.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be revealed during Super Bowl week.

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Legendary Cowboys LB Chuck Howley named Hall of Fame senior finalist

Howley has been in the Ring of Honor for over 40 years and holds one rare NFL accolade all to himself; he’s now one step away from Canton. | From @ToddBrock24f7

A Cowboys legend who holds the rarest of NFL distinctions is one step closer to Canton.

Linebacker Chuck Howley, who played for Dallas from 1961 to 1973 and has already been in the franchise’s Ring of Honor for over four decades, is now a Senior finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it was announced Wednesday. Jets defensive lineman Joe Klecko and Bengals quarterback Ken Riley advanced as well, out of a group of 12 senior candidates.

Howley started his pro career with the Chicago Bears in 1958. A first-round pick out of West Virginia, he retired after just two seasons following a training camp injury in 1960 and returned home to a blue-collar job running a filling station. But when he decided to make a gridiron comeback in 1961, the Bears traded Howley’s rights to the Cowboys, who were just a year old at that time.

“I went back because I decided there were better things to do than run a gas station,” Howley said. “Also, I thought it would be a unique opportunity to play for Dallas, a team that was just getting started.”

It proved to be a brilliant decision.

Howley played 165 games for the Cowboys over the next 13 seasons, earning six Pro Bowl nods and being named a first-team All-Pro five times. He helped the franchise win its first title in Super Bowl VI, recovering a fumble and an interception in the 24-3 win over Miami as part of the smothering “Doomsday” defense.

But it was the year prior, in Super Bowl V, that Howley put his name in the record books in a most unique way.

Despite the Cowboys’ 16-13 loss to the Colts in an error-filled contest, it was Howley who won the game’s MVP award after picking off two Baltimore passes. He was the first non-quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP honors and remains to this day the only player from a losing team to receive the accolade.

In typical Howley fashion, he said afterward that the only reason he accepted the MVP award was because it came with a brand-new station wagon. He gave it to his wife as a gift.

Howley, now 86, still ranks second in Cowboys history with 17 fumble recoveries over his career and has the franchise’s second-longest fumble return, a 97-yarder versus Atlanta in 1966.

The Cowboys inducted Howley into their Ring of Honor in 1977, just four years after he retired for the second time.

It will now be up to the Hall of Fame’s full selection committee- in January- to decide whether his achievements are enough to finally put him in Canton with the Class of 2023. Howley needs 80% approval for enshrinement.

Cowboys defensive back Everson Walls was among the nine Senior semifinalists who did not advance to the finalist round this year. Running back Dan Reeves, a longtime teammate of Howley’s in Dallas before going on to a lengthy head coaching career, is still a semifinalist in the Coach/Contributor category.

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Legendary Saints linebacker Sam Mills named Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist again

Legendary Saints linebacker Sam Mills has been named a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist for the third year in a row:

Sam Mills’ legacy has endured in fond memories for fans of both the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers, and now the late Dome Patrol standout’s family has another opportunity to see him enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mills was announced Thursday as a finalist for the Hall of Fame Class of 2022, the third consecutive year in which his bid has made it this far.

And the stakes are high. This is the last time Mills will be eligible as a modern-era candidate. If the voters don’t do the right thing and put his bronze bust in the hall next to his iconic teammate Rickey Jackson, Mills’ supporters have an even longer road to travel as he would be reclassified as a senior candidate.

Hopefully this third time is the charm. Mills is one of 15 candidates on a loaded ballot, featuring NFL legends like wide receiver Andre Johnson, return man Devin Hester, linebacker Patrick Willis, and pass rusher DeMarcus Ware. It’s great company for Mills to be a part of.

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Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson named a finalist for the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has been named among the 15 finalists for the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Detroit Lions’ iconic wide receiver Calvin Johnson has been named among the 15 finalists for the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Despite this being the first time Johnson has been eligible for the Hall of Fame he was honored as a finalist. Also achieving this honor in this cycle is quarterback Peyton Manning, defensive end Jared Allen, and former Michigan Wolverine Charles Woodson. Reggie Wayne and Torry Holt join Johnson as the only three finalists who played wide receiver.

Johnson was drafted second overall in the 2007 NFL draft and played nine seasons, all with the Lions. Over 135 games, Johnson produced 11,619 receiving yards and 83 receiving touchdowns, breaking the 1,000 yards receiving mark in seven seasons.

A few of Johnson’s career highlights include:

  • In 2008, Johnson had his first 1,000+ yard season and tied Larry Fitzgerald for the NFL lead in receiving touchdowns with 12.
  • In 2010, Johnson was named to his first Pro Bowl, and he would go on to make the team each of the final six years of his career.
  • In 2011, Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards with 1681, and was named a first-team All-Pro team — he would make the team the next two seasons as well.
  • In 2012, Johnson averaged an astounding 122.8 receiving yards a game and broke the NFL single-season receiving record with a 1,964-yard season. That record still stands.
  • In 2013, Johnson’s 329-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys was the second most dominating game in NFL history by a wide receiver.

“The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021 will be introduced during the broadcast of ‘NFL Honors,’ a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on the eve of Super Bowl LV (February 6th) at 9 p.m. (EST) on CBS,” per a Pro Football Hall of Fame announcement. “In addition, the NFL and The Associated Press will announce their annual accolades during the broadcast.”

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