An iconic quarterback, three game-breaking receivers, two offensive lineman and nine elite defenders — including a Browns legend — are the modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021.
Peyton Manning, a five-time NFL MVP, becomes a finalist in his first time on the Hall of Fame ballot to the surprise of no one.
The three wide receivers joining him as finalists are Calvin Johnson, Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne.
Offensive lineman Alan Faneca and Tony Boselli return as finalists.
Four defensive backs made the cut as finalists: LeRoy Butler, John Lynch, Ronde Barber and Charles Woodson.
They are joined by defensive linemen Jared Allen and Richard Seymour, and linebackers Clay Matthews Jr., Sam Mills and Zach Thomas.
The 15 finalists were revealed during an hour-long show on NFL Network on Tuesday evening.
Woodson spoke live during the show shortly after being announced as a finalist.
"I'm just enjoying the moment ... it's takes a lot to get here to get to this point," he said.
Like several finalists, Woodson made an impact with multiple teams and said for any player to become a finalist, he "really had to make an impact on the game."
Count Matthews as one who made an impact, and did so for a long time. His 278 games remain the record for most played by an NFL linebacker. He led the league in tackles three times.
Matthews, who played 16 of his 19 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, is a finalist for the first time. He is in his 20th year of eligibility for the Hall. He remains the Browns career leader in sacks despite it not even being an official stat during his first four seasons with the team.
Like Manning, the trio of Allen, Johnson and Woodson each are first-year eligible players who became a finalist in their first time on the ballot.
Holt and Wayne are finalists for the second time. Wayne, who was a top target for Manning during their time together with the Colts, is on the ballot for just the second year.
Lynch is a finalist for the eighth straight year. Butler is a finalist for the second year in a row. Barber is a finalist for the first time.
Seymour is a finalist for the third time, while Mills and Thomas are finalists for the second time.
Faneca is a finalist for the sixth time, while it's the fifth straight year for Boselli.
Faneca was named first team All-Pro six times, was selected to nine consecutive Pro Bowls and started 14 career playoff games, including at left guard in four AFC Championship Games and Super Bowl XL. Boselli's career was cut short by a severe shoulder injury, but he was dominant for the seven seasons he played (five straight Pro Bowls, first team All-Pro three consecutive seasons). He made the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s despite only playing in half of the decade.
The entire group was announced on NFL Network throughout the 6 o’clock hour Tuesday evening.
Over the course of his 18-year career, Manning did more than enough to be a virtual lock for enshrinement into the Hall in his first year. He rewrote league and team records with the Colts and Broncos, leading each team to a Super Bowl title.
Among the NFL records he retired holding were career passing yards (71,940), career passing touchdowns (539) and consecutive seasons with at least 25 passing TDs (13). He was selected to 14 Pro Bowls, was named first team All-Pro seven times and was chosen as a member of the NFL’s All-Time Team in 2019.
The semifinalists who did not make the cut are Eric Allen, Willie Anderson, Cornelius Bennett, Rodney Harrison, Steve Tasker, Fred Taylor, Hines Ward, Patrick Willis, Darren Woodson and Bryant Young.
The 15 modern-era finalists join three other finalists announced earlier in the fall. Those three are the recommended nominees of the Hall of Fame’s coach, contributor and senior committees: Tom Flores, Bill Nunn and Drew Pearson, respectively.
The Class of 2021 will be determined and announced during the week leading up to Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Fla. While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the bylaws for the selection committee provide that between four and eight new members will be selected.
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