First ballot semifinalist for the NFL Hall of Fame
The newest class of Hall of Famers is getting narrowed down and on Wednesday, the semifinalsts were announced with a handful of first timers.
Getting in to the Hall of Fame is a big deal. Cooperstown. Springfield. Canton. No matter the city, no matter the sport, the hallowed walls of the Hall of Fame is the final destination for the legends of legends in the game. On Wednesday there were 25 players named to the semifinal list, and six players who were eligible for the first time this year having played their last pro game in the 2019 season. This is the list of first year players that have a chance to be first ballot Hall of Famers.
Eli Manning, New York Giants
Before he was that guy on the Monday Night Manningcast and the Tostitos commmercials Eli Manning was a force in the NFL. The lifetime New York Giant was the first pick out of Ole Miss, after some draft day drama that left the Chargers with Phillip Rivers. Once in the league he made a name for himself other than Payton’s little brother. He led the Giants to .500 seasons or better in nine of his first thirteen seasons, won two Super Bowls and two Super Bowl MVPs, both against the mighty New York Patriots. He ended his career with 57,023 yards 366 TDs both 11th all time and was named to four Pro Bowls. Since retiring he has had a successful career as a commentator and TV personality.
Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
Who could forget the ferocious linebacker who led the Pathers defense in their heyday. The middle linebacker was drafted 9th overall in the 2012 draft and played each of his eight seasons in Carolina. In that time he was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year an the Defensive Player of the Year in back to back seasons. He helped lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2016 where he had 10 tackles and a sack with a torn labrum, but Carolina fell to the Denver Broncos 24-10. He was named to the Pro Bowl 7 times, and finished his career with 1,092 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 9 fumble recoveries and 2 defensive TDs.
Terrell Suggs, Balimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs
Was there a more feared linebacker tandem ever, than the Ravens combo of Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis? Suggs played for the Ravens for 16 years and won two Super Bowls with Baltimore on a team that was led by the defense. He was the 10th pick in the 2003 draft and immediately fit right in with the nasty Ravens defensive unit. He was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003, and nine years later he was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. Suggs and the Ravens would win the Super Bowl in the year he was named Defensive Player of the Year. He played one year after leaving the Ravens in 2018, and first with the Cardinals and then got picked up by Kansas City and won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs before hanging it up. When it was all said and done, Suggs ended his career with 886 tackles, 139 sacks, 39 forced fumbles, and 15 fumble recoveries and was named to 7 Pro Bowls.
Adam Vinatieri, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts
Widely regarded as the best kicker ever, Adam Vinatieri was a four time Super Bowl winner and holds the record for most career points ever with 2,673. If that sentence isn’t enough to get him into the Hall of Fame, I’m not sure what is. After finishing his college career with South Dakota State his first pro job was in the NFL Europe playing for the Amsterdam Admirals. His stint overseas would be short lived, because the Patriots came calling and the rest was history. He played 10 seasons in New England, and won three Super Bowls kicking game winning field goals in two of those. After 10 years in New England, he went to Indianapolis and the Lomardi Trophy would follow him. The Colts won the Super Bowl, their first in Indy, and Viantieri won his fourth. He would play 14 more seasons in which he would become the NFL’s leader in career points scored (2,673), most consecutive field goals made (44), most career field goals (599), most career seasons with 100+ points (21) and most career overtime field goals (11) all while hitting 83.8% of his field goals.
Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
Marshal Yanda was a teammate of Terrell Suggs but he played on the other side of the ball early 2000s. He was the rock of the offensive line on a team that was constantly in contention in the AFC. He was named the top guard in the game by Pro Football Focus in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He was a two time First Team All-Pro, five time second teamer and selected to the Pro Bowl eight times. One of the most impressive things about Yanda was the fact that in his 13 NFL seasons he was called for holding just 11 times.