LaDainian Tomlinson, Terrell Owens Among NFL 2017 Hall Of Fame Finalists

LaDainian Tomlinson, Terrell Owens, and Kurt Warner are among the 15 finalists for the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

LaDainian Tomlinson, Terrell Owens Among NFL 2017 Hall Of Fame Finalists

The other finalists are Jason Taylor and Brian Dawkins– both of whom are first-year eligibles like Tomlinson– as well as Morten Andersen, Tony Boselli, Isaac Bruce, Don Coryell, Terrell Davis, Alan Faneca, Joe Jacoby, Ty Law, John Lynch and Kevin Mawae. 

Previously selected as a finalist by the veterans committee is former Seattle Seahawks safety Kenny Easley.

In the contributors’ category, the nominees are former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

The class of 2017 will be elected on Feb. 4, just one day before Super Bowl LI in Houston. Inductions will take place Aug. 5 in Canton, Ohio.

Other than Tomlinson, Taylor and Dawkins, first-time finalists are Boselli, Bruce, Law, Mawae, Easley and Jones.

The most frequent finalists are Lynch, Tagliabue and Coryell, four times each. Davis and Warner are three-time finalists.

Dawkins, a safety who spent 16 seasons in the NFL,13 with Philadelphia, took to Twitter after the announcement:

Dawkins made four All-Pro teams and was the first player with a sack, interception, fumble recovery and touchdown catch in the same game (against the Texans in 2002).

Tomlinson played 11 seasons in the NFL, nine with San Diego, taking MVP honors in 2006 when he set a record with 28 rushing touchdowns. He won two rushing titles.

Taylor was one of the league’s top defenseman for 15 seasons, mostly with Miami. He was named the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year with 13.5 sacks, and compiled 139.5 career sacks.

Taylor also tweeted his gratitude for being named a finalist:

Among the other finalists, Andersen is the NFL’s career scoring leader with 2,544 points, and also has the most field goals (565) and games (382) while playing with five different teams. He made two all-decade teams (1980s and ’90s).

Bruce, Davis, Faneca, Jacoby, Law, Lynch and Warner have all won Super Bowls.

Among those who did not advance to the final round are safety and current ESPN analyst Darren Woodson, receiver Hines Ward and coach Jimmy Johnson.

San Diego runningback LaDainian Tomlinson heads to the endzone as the San Diego Chargers defeated the Oakland Raiders by a score of 27 to 0 at McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, California, September 11, 2006. (Photo by Robert B. Stanton/NFLPhotoLibrary)