Seau, Warner and Pace are among the finalists for induction to Canton.
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NFL players play for money, Hawaii and the Lombardi Trophy. While Pro Bowls and Super Bowl rings will always remain the ultimate goals, induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame will always remain the highest of honor.
Once you watch those induction speeches in the summer time, it’s’ not hard to see how much it means to these rare football talents.
Before we even think about freshly-cut grass in the heat of the summer though, the finalists for the annual inductions need to be named in the dead of the winter.
San Diego Chargers terrifying linebacker Junior Seau, St. Louis Rams unlikely quarterback Kurt Warner and Rams stout offensive tackle Orlando Pace have become the headline finalists for the class of 2015. For Warner, it was almost not to be after he seriously considered a comeback with the Arizona Cardinals just a few weeks ago.
These first-year eligible legends are only three of a total of 15 guys who have officially been named finalists. No more than five will make the cut for Canton.
The class of 2015 is a stacked one. Five guys who made the cut from 15 to 10 last year, but didn’t make it are also on the ballot:
–Wide Reciever Marvin Harrison
–Running Back Jerome Bettis
–Linebacker Kevin Greene
–Defensive end Charles Haley
–Guard Will Shields
The remaining seven finalists are these players:
–Wide receiver Tim Brown
–Kicker Morten Andersen
–Running back Terrell Davis
–Safety John Lynch
–Coach Don Coryell
–Coach Jimmy Johnson
–Coach Tony Dungy
These 15 will be discussed by the selection committee as the results for the next cut will be announced on January 31st in Phoenix, prior to the Super Bowl.
Senior committee choice Mick Tinglehoff and and contributors Bill Polian and Ron Wolf are also up for selection.
To put into perspective how difficult it is to cut the list down to 15, is to realize the names that were left off the list. Some of these guys are Edgerrin James, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Roger Craig and Joe Jacoby.
The immediate talk will surround Warner. His career wasn’t a traditional Hall of Fame one. He started late and exploded onto the scene with a few unbelievable seasons. The question will be did he do it long enough to warrant induction? It’s very likely that his success in Arizona late in his career saved his chances.
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