Pro Football Hall of Fame Senior Finalists

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced yesterday that Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko, and Ken Riley are the three senior finalists for the Class of 2023. At a Tuesday meeting of the Hall of Fame’s Senior Committee, the trio emerged from the group of 12 semifinalists. 

Ken Anderson

Maxie Baughan

Randy Gradishar

Chuck Howley

Cecil Isbell

Joe Klecko

Bob Kuechenberg

Eddie Meador

Tommy Nobis

Ken Riley

Sterling Sharpe

Everson Walls

Howard Balzer of Senior Committee revealed that the above 12 were reduced to the following six.

Randy Gradishar

Chuck Howley

Joe Klecko

Bob Kuchenberg 

Ken Riley

Sterling Sharpe

For what it’s worth, of the final 12, my Senior picks came down to Gradishar, Howley, and Sharpe. Of the above six, I felt that the two linebackers, Gradishar and Howley, were the most deserving. Did the Senior Committee decide that they couldn’t have two linebackers? Who knows? I hope not. I’ve always felt that the voters should focus more on including the most deserving players rather than the most deserving at certain positions. If the most deserving players played the same position, so be it. 

Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko, and Ken Riley. I like this little breakdown of the trio by John Turney of Pro Football Journal.

Ken Riley gets gets in on stats, very low on “honors”

Chuck Howley has the most “honors” of the 12, so he gets in on that

Joe Klecko has so-so “honors” but great testimonials by opponents

three different paths to the HOF

Howley, Klecko, and Riley now move to the final step of the election process. Each of their Hall of Fame cases will be considered by the full Selection Committee in January. If they receive 80% approval, they are members of the Pro Football Hall of Class of 2023.