A number of gold jackets and bronze busts have already been made in preparation for this year’s Hall of Fame ceremonies. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s 20-member Hall of Fame class will be celebrated in Canton, Ohio, this summer. In addition, the 2021 induction class will also begin in August.
This year’s class, announced during the NFL Honors on Saturday night, includes some of the highest profile players in the league’s history. Included in this year’s inaugural class are two members of the first vote: Peyton Manning and Calvin Johnson. Manning, Johnson and the rest of this year’s Hall of Fame class will be announced during the NFL Honors show on Saturday. The 2020 Hall of Fame class will be honored in Canton from August 5-8. The 2021 class will be honored from 6 to 9 August.
Here’s a look at this year’s class, as well as the finalists who weren’t selected.
Hall of Fame Class of 2021
OL Alan Faneca (1998-2007): A nine-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro pout, he was a key member of the 2005 Steelers champion team. A member of the NFL’s All-2000s team, Faneca also played a key role in the 2009 Jets’ AFC title race.
WR Calvin Johnson (2007-2015): “Megatron” was six times Pro Bowler, three times All-Pro and a member of the NFL’s All-2000 team. Two-time champion, Johnson’s 1,964 yards is the highest single season total in the league’s history.
QB Peyton Manning (1998-2015): The only five-time MVP in the league, Manning retired as the all-time leader of the NFL career in yards and touchdowns. The first full-time quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises, Manning’s 55 touchdown passes in 2013 is still a single-season record.
DB John Lynch (1993-2007): Lynch has been Pro Bowler five times and strong security and has also been Pro Bowler during each of his four seasons in free security. Lynch played a key role in the Buccaneers’ victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.
DB Charles Woodson (1998-2015): A former Heisman Trophy winner, Woodson’s NFL achievements include Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, nine Pro Bowls, four All-Pro teams and a member of the NFL All-2000s team. Woodson was also a major contributor to two Super Bowl teams, including Green Bay’s 2010 Super Bowl winning team.
Senior investor: WR Drew Pearson (1973-1983): An All-Pro three times, Pearson is the only member of the NFL’s All-1970 team that is not yet enshrined in Canton. The recipient of the NFL’s first Hail Mary pass, Pearson helped lead the Cowboys to seven NFL championship games, three NFC titles and a Super Bowl XII victory.
Contributor: Bill Nunn: Before being known as the Steelers’ “Super Scout”, Nunn was a successful sports journalist and managing editor at The Pittsburgh Courier, which was one of the most influential black publications in the country. Nunn used his deep knowledge of the historic black college football programs to create an annual “Black College All-America Team”.
In 1968, Nunn joined the Steelers as assistant staff director for the team. Nunn is credited with acquiring the Steelers players who would contribute to the team’s 1970s dynasty. These players include Joe Greene, Mel Blount, LC Greenwood, Dwight White, Ernie Holmes, John Stallworth, Donnie Shell, Joe Gilliam and Frank Lewis, among others. Nunn, who died in 2014, is one of the few members of the Steelers’ organization to play a hand in each of the team’s six Super Bowl victories.
Coach: Tom Flores: Assistant to the first team of the Raiders in the Super Bowl championship, Flores was promoted to head coach after the retirement of John Madden after the 1978 season. In 1980, the Raiders became the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl, after defeating the Eagles favorites at Super Bowl XV. Three years later, Flores took the Raiders to another Super Bowl turnaround, when the Raiders shocked Washington (the defending champion) in Super Bowl XVIII, 38-9. The first Latin defender in NFL history, Flores is also the first Latin coach to win the Super Bowl. He is just one of 12 top coaches with multiple Super Bowl wins and only one of two coaches (Bill Belichick being the other) to beat two Super Bowl winning coaches in the big game.
Missing the cut
DE Jared Allen (2004-2015): Five times Pro Bowler and four times All-Pro, Allen’s 136 career sacks are in 12th place on the all-time list. Allen led the league in sacks in 2007 and 2011.
DB Ronde Barber (1997-2012): The former Buccaneer is a member of the NFL’s All-2000s team. An important member of the first Tampa Bay champion team, Barber led the NFL in interceptions in 2001.
OL Tony Boselli (1995-2001): A member of the All-1990s NFL team, Boselli was five times a Pro Bowler and three times an All-Pro. His presence helped Jaguars to achieve two AFC title games during the franchise’s first five years of existence.
S Leroy Butler (1990-2001): The Packers’ versatile defensive backs were members of the NFL’s All-1990s team. Four times All-Pro and a valuable member of the 1996 Green Bay champion team, Butler recorded 38 interceptions, 20.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles and 10 fumble recoveries.
WR Torry Holt (1999-2009): Holt helped the Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf” win a Super Bowl during his debut season. Seven times Pro Bowler and a member of the NFL’s All-2000s team, Holt led the NFL in receiving in 2000 and 2003.
LB Clay Matthews (1978-1996): Four times a professional player, Matthews recorded an impressive 1,595 tackles during his career. Matthews, who was also credited with 69.5 career sacks (individual bags did not become an official statistic until 1982), played a key role in a Browns team that won three AFC title games over a four-year period. .
LB Sam Mills (1986-1997): Five times as a Bowler, Mills led the Saints to four appearances in the 1987-92 playoffs. A member of the Panthers’ inaugural team, Mills anchored a Carolina defense that advanced to the NFC title game in just its second year of existence.
DL Richard Seymour (2001-2012): A Pro Bowler in both the defensive tackle and the final, Seymour was seven times Pro Bowler, three times All-Pro and a member of the NFL All-2000 team. He played a key role in the Patriots team that won three Super Bowls over a four-year period.
LB Zach Thomas (1996-2008): Thomas was a tack machine that accumulated 1,734 tackles during his 13-year career. An important member of the talented Miami defense in the mid-1990s, Thomas was seven times Pro Bowler, five times All-Pro and a member of the NFL All-2000s team.
WR Reggie Wayne (2001-2014): Wrongly chosen as Marvin Harrison’s Batman Robin, Wayne has carved out his own niche in Indianapolis. A six-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLI champion, Wayne led the NFL in receiving in 2007. The eighth best recipient of all time at the time of his retirement, Wayne was the No. 1 recipient on the Colts’ 2009 AFC championship team.