The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s modern era ballot was cut from 122 all the way down to 25, but former Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Ricky Watters made it through the second round of cuts, and is still eligible for induction as a member of the class of 2020.
BREAKING: 3 first-year eligible players are among the list of 25 Modern-Era Player Semifinalists for the Class of 2020. #PFHOF20
More on the semifinalists: https://t.co/gn5wGtyCVt pic.twitter.com/C1ViE4524c
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) November 26, 2019
The ballot will be pared down to 15 at some point in January, before the five inductees are announced on the Saturday before the Super Bowl.
Watters was named to five straight Pro Bowls from 1992-1996, and was a Super Bowl champion in 1994 with the San Francisco 49ers. His career was cut short by injuries, but he was arguably a top-two running back in the NFL in the early-1990’s, and still finished with 10,643 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both just outside the top-20 of all-time.
Watters starred at Notre Dame before getting drafted 45th overall by the 49ers in the 1991 NFL draft. He rushed for 1,814 yards and 21 touchdowns with the Irish, while also hauling in 610 receiving yards.
He also excelled as a punt returner, leading the NCAA in punt return touchdowns in 1988, with two.
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