NFL Announces Semifinalists For 2018 Hall Of Fame Class

The 27 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame were announced on Tuesday, and Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis and Randy Moss are among the first-year eligibles.

Pro Football Hall of Fame 2018 Semifinalists

Other first-year eligibles are Richard Seymour, Steve Hutchinson and Ronde Barber.

Four previously eligible players made the semifinals for the first time: LeRoy Butler, Leslie O’Neal, Simeon Rice and Everson Walls.

The other semifinalists are Steve Atwater, Tony Boselli, Isaac Bruce, Don Coryell, Roger Craig, Brian Dawkins, Alan Faneca, Torry Holt, Joe Jacoby, Edgerrin James, Jimmy Johnson, Ty Law, John Lynch, Kevin Mawae, Karl Mecklenburg, Terrell Owens and Hines Ward.

Already selected as finalists are Bobby Beathard as a contributor, and Robert Brazile and Jerry Kramer as senior candidates.

The election for the class of 2018 will be held Feb. 3, the day before Super Bowl LII, in Minneapolis. Induction ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, will be in August.

Two former coaches — Coryell of the St. Louis Cardinals and then-San Diego Chargers, and Johnson of the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins — are among the semifinalists.

The list of semifinalists was trimmed from an initial group of 108 nominees. The next step in the selection process comes in January when the semifinalists are trimmed to 15 Modern-Era Finalists. That list increases to 18 finalists with the inclusion of the recommended nominees of the Hall of Fame’s contributors and Senior Committees.

Here is the full description for each nominee:

Steve Atwater, S – 1989-1998 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2012-18)

Ronde Barber, CB/S – 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

Tony Boselli, T – 1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2002 Houston Texans (injured reserve) | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2016-18)

Isaac Bruce, WR – 1994-2007 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 2008-09 San Francisco 49ers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2015-18)

LeRoy Butler, S – 1990-2001 Green Bay Packers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

Don Coryell, Coach – 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 10 – 2005, 2010-18)

Roger Craig, RB – 1983-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991 Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-93 Minnesota Vikings | (Times as a Semifinalist: 10 – 2009-18)

Brian Dawkins, S – 1996-2008 Philadelphia Eagles, 2009-2011 Denver Broncos | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2017-18)

Alan Faneca, G – 1998-2007 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2008-09 New York Jets, 2010 Arizona Cardinals| (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2016-18)

Torry Holt, WR – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2015-18)

Steve Hutchinson, G – 2001-05 Seattle Seahawks, 2006-2011 Minnesota Vikings, 2012 Tennessee Titans | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

Joe Jacoby, T – 1981-1993 Washington Redskins | (Times as a Semifinalist: 8 – 2005, 2008, 2013-18)

Edgerrin James, RB – 1999-2005 Indianapolis Colts, 2006-08 Arizona Cardinals, 2009 Seattle Seahawks | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2015-18)

Jimmy Johnson, Coach – 1989-1993 Dallas Cowboys, 1996-99 Miami Dolphins | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2014-18)

Ty Law, CB – 1995-2004 New England Patriots, 2005, 2008 New York Jets, 2006-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2009 Denver Broncos | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2015-18)

Ray Lewis, LB – 1996-2012 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

John Lynch, FS – 1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2013-18)

Kevin Mawae, C/G – 1994-97 Seattle Seahawks, 1998-2005 New York Jets, 2006-09 Tennessee Titans| (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2015-18)

Karl Mecklenburg, LB – 1983-1994 Denver Broncos | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2012-18)

Randy Moss, WR – 1998-2004, 2010 Minnesota Vikings, 2005-06 Oakland Raiders, 2007-2010 New England Patriots, 2010 Tennessee Titans, 2012 San Francisco 49ers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

Leslie O’Neal, DE – 1986, 1988-1995 San Diego Chargers, 1996-1997 St. Louis Rams, 1998-1999 Kansas City Chiefs | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

Terrell Owens, WR – 1996-2003 San Francisco 49ers, 2004-05 Philadelphia Eagles, 2006-08 Dallas Cowboys, 2009 Buffalo Bills, 2010 Cincinnati Bengals | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2016-18)

Simeon Rice, DE – 1996-2000 Arizona Cardinals, 2001-06 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2007 Denver Broncos, 2007 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

Richard Seymour, DE/DT – 2001-08 New England Patriots, 2009-2012 Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

Brian Urlacher, LB – 2000-2012 Chicago Bears | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

Everson Walls, CB – 1981-89 Dallas Cowboys, 1990-92 New York Giants, 1992-93 Cleveland Browns| (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2018)

Hines Ward, WR – 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers | (Times as a| Semifinalist: 2 – 2017-18)

The Class of 2018 will be announced during NFL Honors, a two-hour prime-time awards special to air nationally on the eve of the Super Bowl at 9 p.m. (ET and PT) on NBC.

Caption: NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 30: Football analyst Brian Urlacher attends Time Warner Cable Studios Presents FOX Sports 1 Thursday Night Super Bash on January 30, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for Time Warner Cable)

Article by Pablo Mena

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