Pro Football Hall of Fame Senior and Coach/Contributor Finalists

Twelve candidates in the Seniors category and twelve candidates in the coach/contributor category have inched closer to becoming members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024. 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Senior Committee trimmed a list of 31 semifinalists to 12 finalists:

Ken Anderson

Maxie Baughan

Roger Craig

Randy Gradishar

Joe Jacoby 

Albert Lewis

Steve McMichael

Eddie Meador

Art Powell

Sterling Sharpe

Otis Taylor

Al Wistert

Sadly, not among the 12 finalists is former Minnesota Vikings great Jim Marshall. One year remains of the voters electing up to three seniors so next season is Marshall’s next best chance to make it to Canton. 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Coach/Contributor Committee trimmed a list of 29 semifinalists to 12 finalists:

Tom Coughlin

Mike Holmgren

Frank “Bucko” Kilroy

Robert Kraft

Buddy Parker

Dan Reeves

Art Rooney Jr.

Marty Schottenheimer

Mike Shanahan

Clark Shaugnessy

Lloyd Wells

John Wooten

Of course, after each part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process one has to stop and pick favorites. Without Jim Marshall pulling at my Vikings heartstrings, my senior picks are a little more open.

It starts with the only player that played games before 1950. 

Al Wistert

The Senior Committee really has to do something about their horrible handling of pre-1950 players. After Wistert, I’ll go with the following two Senior finalists.

Maxie Baughan

Randy Gradishar

I’d like to go with one of the receivers (Otis Taylor, Art Powell, or Sterling Sharpe) but I have to go with the two linebackers that really should’ve been in Canton long ago. 

As for the Coach/Contributor, that’s easy:

Buddy Parker

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that Robert Kraft will get the Contributor nod. I wouldn’t like that for a couple reasons. 1) Parker has long deserved a bust. 2) I don’t get this rush of getting active owners into the Hall. Dan Reeves has long deserved induction. So has Carroll Rosenbloom and going back to the very beginning, Ralph Hay. If I were to rank the Coach/Contributor finalists, Kraft would be about eighth. 

Congratulations to the finalists and best of luck moving forward.