60 Seniors Advance In Voting Process For Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame voting process for the senior candidates has been tweaked this year. First of all, it’s more transparent. In the past, the senior finalists (as well as contributors and coaches) were simply announced without any details as to how the respective committees landed on those individuals. Now, there’s a Senior Screening Committee. Each member casts a ballot for 50 individuals from a list of nominees. This year, the list of nominees included 187 individuals. All players who tied for the 50th position remain under consideration. This year, 60 former players are advancing in the process. Next up is the nine-member Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee. Nice name. This committee will make additional reductions in increments over the next several weeks. In late fall, this committee will select three Seniors as Finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025. 

The 60 players who remain eligible for election with the Class of 2025:

Quarterbacks (5)

Ken Anderson

Charlie Conerly 

Roman Gabriel

Jack Kemp

Jim Plunkett

Running Backs (7)

Alan Ameche

Ottis Anderson

Larry Brown

Roger Craig

Chuck Foreman

Cecil Isbell

Paul “Tank” Younger

Wide Receivers (10)

Mark Clayton

Isaac Curtis

Boyd Dowler

Henry Ellard

Harold Jackson

Billy “White Shoes” Johnson

Stanley Morgan

Art Powell

Sterling Sharpe

Otis Taylor

Offensive Linemen (12)

Ed Budde

Ox Emerson

Bill Fralic

Chris Hinton

Joe Jacoby

Mike Kenn

Bob Kuchenberg

George Kunz

Ralph Neely

Dick Schafrath

Jim Tyrer

Al Wistert

Defensive Linemen (6)

L.C. Greenwood

Ed “Too Tall” Jones

Jim Marshall

Harvey Martin

Leslie O’Neal

Bill Stanfill

Linebackers (11)

Carl Banks

Maxie Baughan

Bill Berger

Joe Fortunato

Larry Grantham

Lee Roy Jordan

Clay Matthews Jr.

Tommy Nobis

Andy Russell

Pat Swilling

Phil Villapiano

Defensive Backs (8)

Dick Anderson

Deron Cherry

Pat Fischer

Lester Hayes

Albert Lewis

Eddie Meador

Lamar Parrish

Everson Walls

Special Teams (1)

Steve Tasker

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If I had my way, 2025 would be a dream year for Hall of Fame inductions. Jim Marshall and Chuck Foreman would end their long Canton wait. Jared Allen would also finally emerge from the modern-era candidates. A Minnesota Vikings triple! Oh my, I’d definitely be in Canton in early August to see that dreamy Class. 

Jim Marshall, Chuck Foreman, and Al Wistert are the Senior Finalists I’d like to see. Here’s the finalists that I think should make it.

Al Wistert

Ox Emerson

Sterling Sharpe

Here are the finalists that I think will be jammed through:

Maxie Baughan

Albert Lewis

Sterling Sharpe

I like the transparency of the new process but there’s still frustrations. How these “historians” keep ignoring Verne Lewellen and Lavvie Dilweg is mind-numbing. At least, they have Al Wistert on the final 60 list.