Fifteen players are now one step closer to Canton, Ohio and a gold jacket. On Tuesday, the finalists of the modern era for the Professional Football Hall of Fame were announced while the Hall Selection Committee reduced the list of 25 semi-finalists announced in November. Four of these players are being finalists in their first year of eligibility: quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, defender Charles Woodson and defensive side Jared Allen.
These 15 finalists will be introduced to the 48-member Professional Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee on the Saturday before Super Bowl LV. There, they will reach a determination as to who will cross the final barrier to enter. Although there is no defined number of consecrated persons for a given class, the statute provides that between four and eight new members are selected.
Here is the complete list of the 15 finalists in the 2021 Professional Football Hall of Fame Class:
- Jared Allen, defensive side – 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-13 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers
- Ronde Barber, cornerback / safety – 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tony Boselli, tackle – 1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2002 Houston Texans (injured reserve)
- LeRoy Butler, security – 1990-2001 Green Bay Packers
- Alan pout, guard – 1998-2007 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2008-09 New York Jets, 2010 Arizona Cardinals
- Torry Holt, wide receiver – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars 2009
- Calvin Johnson, wide receiver – 2007-15 Detroit Lions
- John Lynch, security – 1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos
- Peyton Manning, quarterback – 1998-2011 Indianapolis Colts, 2012-15 Denver Broncos
- Clay Matthews Jr., linebacker – 1978-93 Cleveland Browns, 1994-96 Atlanta Falcons
- Sam Mills, linebacker – 1986-94 New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers 1995-97
- Richard Seymour, defensive side / defensive tackle – 2001-08 New England Patriots, 2009-12 Oakland Raiders
- Zach Thomas, linebacker – 1996-2007 Miami Dolphins, 2008 Dallas Cowboys
- Reggie Wayne, wide receiver – 2001-14 Indianapolis Colts
- Charles Woodson, cornerback / security – 1998-2005, 2013-15 Oakland Raiders; 2006-12 Green Bay Packers
Tom Flores, Bill Nunn and Drew Pearson are also finalists in the coach, taxpayer and senior categories, respectively.
“I’m just enjoying this moment,” Charles Woodson told the NFL Network when he was named a finalist. “I’m sitting there watching these highlights and what you immediately do is start reliving some of those moments outside, playing on the football field. For me, it’s not forgotten to be here at this moment, to be a finalist Hall of Fame in the first year. It takes a long time to get here to this point and for the guys who are at this point you really had to make an impact on the game. I’m proud of it.
The official announcement of who managed to enter the Class of 2021 will be revealed at the NFL Honors on Saturday, February 6, while the consecration ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, August 8, 2021 in Canton.