Pro Football HoF CLASS OF 2018 FINALISTS
15 MODERN-ERA FINALISTS REVEALED FOR CLASS OF 2018;
NEW CLASS TO BE ELECTED ON “SELECTION SATURDAY” ON FEB. 3
CANTON, OHIO – The list of 15 Modern-Era Finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 features five players who are finalists for the first time. The group includes four first-year eligible nominees – Steve Hutchinson, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, and Brian Urlacher. Everson Walls, in his 20th year of eligibility, is also a first-time finalist.
The 15 Modern-Era Finalists will be considered for election to the Hall of Fame when the Hall’s Selection Committee meets on “Selection Saturday” in Minneapolis the day before Super Bowl LII to elect the new class. The Modern-Era Finalists were determined by a vote of the Hall’s Selection Committee from a list of 108 nominees that was earlier reduced to 27 semifinalists, during the year-long selection process.
The 2018 Modern-Era Finalists with their positions, years and teams:
• Tony Boselli, Tackle – 1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars
• Isaac Bruce, Wide Receiver – 1994-2007 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 2008-09 San Francisco 49ers
• Brian Dawkins, Safety – 1996-2008 Philadelphia Eagles, 2009-2011 Denver Broncos
• Alan Faneca, Guard – 1998-2007 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2008-09 New York Jets, 2010 Arizona Cardinals
• Steve Hutchinson, Guard – 2001-05 Seattle Seahawks, 2006-2011 Minnesota Vikings, 2012 Tennessee Titans
• Joe Jacoby, Tackle – 1981-1993 Washington Redskins
• Edgerrin James, Running Back – 1999-2005 Indianapolis Colts, 2006-08 Arizona Cardinals, 2009 Seattle Seahawks
• Ty Law, Cornerback – 1995-2004 New England Patriots, 2005, 2008 New York Jets,
2006-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2009 Denver Broncos
• Ray Lewis, Linebacker – 1996-2012 Baltimore Ravens
• John Lynch, Free Safety – 1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos
• Kevin Mawae, Center – 1994-97 Seattle Seahawks, 1998-2005 New York Jets, 2006-09 Tennessee Titans
• Randy Moss, Wide Receiver – 1998-2004, 2010 Minnesota Vikings, 2005-06 Oakland Raiders, 2007-2010 New England Patriots, 2010 Tennessee Titans, 2012 San Francisco 49ers
• Terrell Owens, Wide Receiver – 1996-2003 San Francisco 49ers, 2004-05 Philadelphia Eagles, 2006-08 Dallas Cowboys, 2009 Buffalo Bills, 2010 Cincinnati Bengals
• Brian Urlacher, Linebacker – 2000-2012 Chicago Bears
• Everson Walls, Cornerback – 1981-89 Dallas Cowboys, 1990-92 New York Giants, 1992-93 Cleveland Browns
The 15 Modern-Era Finalists join three other finalists to comprise 18 finalists under consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018.
Two Senior Finalists were announced in August 2017 by the Seniors Committee that reviews the qualifications of those players whose careers ended more than 25 years ago.
• Robert Brazile, Linebacker – 1975-1984 Houston Oilers
• Jerry Kramer, Guard – 1958-1968 Green Bay Packers
One Contributor Finalist, also announced in August, was selected by the Hall of Fame’s Contributor Committee that considers persons, other than players and coaches, who made outstanding contributions to professional football.
• Bobby Beathard, General Manager/Personnel Administrator – 1966-67 Kansas
City Chiefs, 1968-1971 Atlanta Falcons, 1972-77 Miami Dolphins, 1978-1988 Washington Redskins, 1990-99 San Diego Chargers
To be elected, a finalist must receive a minimum positive vote of 80 percent during the annual selection meeting.
TIMES AS FINALIST
Hutchinson, Lewis, Moss, and Urlacher are first-year eligible nominees. One other Modern-Era nominee, Walls, although a nominee in previous years, is a finalist for the first time. Beathard and Brazile are also first-time finalists.
Finalist (Times) – Years as Finalist
Bobby Beathard^ (1) – 2018
Tony Boselli (2) – 2017-18
Robert Brazile* (1) – 2018
Isaac Bruce (2) – 2017-18
Brian Dawkins (2) – 2017-18
Alan Faneca (3) – 2016-18
Steve Hutchinson (1) – 2018
Joe Jacoby (3) – 2016-18
Edgerrin James (2) – 2016, 2018
Jerry Kramer* (11) – 1974-76, 1978-1981, 1984, 1987, 1997, 2018
Ty Law (2) – 2017-18
Ray Lewis (1) – 2018
John Lynch (5) – 2014-18
Kevin Mawae (2) – 2017-18
Randy Moss (1) – 2018
Terrell Owens (3) – 2016-18
Brian Urlacher (1) – 2018 Everson Walls (1) – 2018
^ Contributor; * Senior
YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for election, modern-era players and coaches must have last played or coached more than five seasons ago. Since contributors need not be retired to be eligible, there is no specific year of eligibility for Beathard.
Year of Eligibility Finalist
1st Steve Hutchinson, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, Brian Urlacher
2nd Brian Dawkins
3rd Alan Faneca, Terrell Owens
4th Isaac Bruce, Edgerrin James, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae
6th John Lynch
12th Tony Boselli
20th Joe Jacoby, Everson Walls
29th Robert Brazile
45th Jerry Kramer
“SELECTION SATURDAY”
The Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee Meeting will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018, in Minneapolis when the 48-person Selection Committee meets to elect the Class of 2018.
The selectors will thoroughly discuss the careers of each finalist. Although there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s ground rules stipulate that between four and eight new members will be selected each year. No more than five Modern-Era Finalists can be elected in a given year and thus a class of six, seven, or eight can only be achieved if the Contributor Finalist and/or one or both Seniors Finalists are elected. Representatives of the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche will tabulate all votes during the meeting.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 will be announced during
NFL
Honors
, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on the eve of the Super Bowl at 9 p.m. (ET and PT) on NBC.
NFL Hono rs
will be taped earlier that evening at
the Cyrus Northrop Memorial Auditorium at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis from 5-7 p.m. (local) when the 2018 Hall of Fame Class will be introduced for the first time. In addition, the NFL and The Associated Press will announce their annual accolades in this awards show with the winners on hand to accept their awards.
The Class of 2018 will be officially enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during the spectacular Enshrinement Ceremony held inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton this August. The Enshrinement Ceremony is the main event of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls.
