The list of players eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the Class of 2009 has been narrowed down to 25 semifinalists.
Four first-year eligible players are in the group, including former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe. The other first-year eligible players are John Randle, Bruce Smith and Rod Woodson.
Former Broncos running back Terrell Davis is also among the 25 semifinalists.
The remaining 20 candidates are WR Cris Carter, RB Roger Craig, C Dermontti Dawson, DE Richard Dent, DE/LB Chris Doleman, LB/DE Kevin Greene, G Russ Grimm, P Ray Guy, DE/LB Charles Haley, CB Lester Hayes, DT Cortez Kennedy, G Bob Kuechenberg, G Randall McDaniel, owner Art Modell, DT John Randle, WR Andre Reed, QB Ken Stabler, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, WR Steve Tasker, LB Derrick Thomas and owner Ralph Wilson.
Former Broncos S Steve Atwater (1989-98), LB Tom Jackson (1973-86), LB Karl Mecklenburg (1983-94), Head Coach Dan Reeves (1981-92) and CB Louis Wright (1975-86) were part of the initial list of nominees, though they did not make the list of semifinalists.
The list of 25 semifinalists will be reduced by mail ballot to 15 modern-era candidates. The results of the modern-era reduction vote to 15 finalists will be announced in early January. Although there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s current ground rules do stipulate that between four and seven new members will be selected each year.
The Class of 2009 will be determined at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting on Saturday, January 31, 2009, in Tampa, Florida the day before Super Bowl XLIII. The election results are announced immediately following the meeting at a press conference at the Super Bowl media headquarters.
– Adam Zinser, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: Adam Zinser, Hall of Fame, Shannon Sharpe, Uncategorized
This is a tough class for Davis, but Sharpe should be a shoe in for a first ballet HoFer
I will be pulling for both of you, Two Great, Great, Great, ball players and Broncos.
I’m so happy for these two – they both deserve it!!!!!
If Davis doesn’t get it, I’m gonna start to believe he might never get in. It would be awesome to see Sharpe get in his first year eligible like Elway did… Congrats guys!!
However, they continue to overlook so many other Broncos who deserve to be the HOF… Gradishar, Atwater to name a couple. How can they overlook two guys like that? Must be blind.
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!
Davis and Sharpe belong, but there is no hall of fame (de-emphasis added) until Floyd Little has been enshrined!
If TD gets screwed that blow hard…sharp will get in for sure
Reality check time. While Flloyd Little was the Broncos first true all-pro, he just didn’t have the numbers to ever get in the HOF. TD. Highly unlikely as he just didn’t play enough years. Yes, Walter Peyton played fewer years than TD, but his talents were truly unique. Shannon. He’s a shoe in. It’s going to be a real intetresting HOF as there are three 1st ballot cinches (Shannon, Woodson and Smith), maybe even 4. HOF is usually only 6 or 7. Doesn’t leave a lot of room for the rest of the field.
It’s great that Sharpe and Davis are Finalist but what about Randy Gradishar and Tom “Tombstone” Jackson?
oldsouthstander,
I don’t mean to crush you on here or anything, but you are horribly wrong on the statement that you made about Walter Payton playing fewer years than Terrell Davis. Payton played twelve years in the NFL while Davis only played 7. There is no way Payton would have been the NFL all-time leading rusher having played seven years or less.
At any rate, I foresee Sharpe getting in this year, and TD getting in in the next three. I think Atwater will be in there also. Take care guys.
Put Sharpe and Davis in right now. It’s criminal that Atwater’s not in however.
Is great to hear these two making the semi list. hopefully Davis will get in this time, he deserves it even with his short career. he accomplished so much that Backs who have been in twice as long have yet to do. in fact he still holds the records for most consecutive 100 yard games in the post season to name just one.
Sharpe will be a shoe in for a first timer. what i don’t like is them passing up on the greats. Jackson, Gradisher, Atwater. talk about some safeties who always made their presence felt. remember the superbowl against green bay, Atwater was in every play it seemed. and you just can’t say enough about the orange crush.
i’d love to see these two go in for sure this year and if they pass up on Davis this time, i wouldn’t give up hope on him, he will make it, whast holding him up is his career length.
Let’s just hope that the Hall finally gives the Broncos some well deserved places in it. we have been passed up year in and year out and now that Elway started us off we should see more and more getting in.
Good Luck guys and GO BRONCOS!!!
The simple truth is that Denver wasn’t a big enough city to warrent good, hard looks at the platyers that came through in the 70′s and 80′s. Yeah, Davis should be in, he had 2 years of rushing for over 2,000 yards in a season and has 77 career td’s. Meck is the biggest crime from the 80′s, he played EVERY WHERE on the defense and still gets no love. 6 time pro bowl 1st selection and a 5 time all pro. If Lynch can get in there’s no way in HELL that Atwater shouldn’t go in as well. They stats he has are BETTER than Lynch’s and he has 1 more ring! Denver has been to 5 Super Bowls and has 2 Broncos in the HOF, something is VERY WRONG with the system.
People get your facts right! Tombstone is Rich not Tom Jackson. The Broncos have been in 6 SB’s not 5. All these guys should be in Little, Rich Jackson, Gradishar, Atwater, Macklenburg, Dennis Smith, as well as Davis and Sharpe.
I’m always going to say put the former Broncos players in right away. However there are some great names on the list so I’m sure that whoever gets voted in for the class of ’09 will deserve it. I do think that Sharpe should be in, the only TE that leads him is Gonzalez, I think not sure on ALL the stats. Davis, they should look at the length of the players careers too. Even though I feel Davis’ career ended early he has some awesome numbers, so based on that he should at least get also.
OOOPPPSSS!!! Got the wrong Choicago Bear RB HOFer as far as my comparision to TD. GGGAAAHHH!!!! Can’t remember his name. The only way Randy can get in the HOF is as an oldtimer as his elegabily ran out last year. This is pathetic. Anyone who bothers to compare his stats vs HOF LB’s of his era will see that the only place they are better than him is in Super Bowl rings. Sorry, brian, but Gonzalez is ahead of Shannon in all categories except Super Bowl rings (0-3).
NFL films did a story on Rich “Tombstone” Jackson. A Raider player pretty much summed it up when he said, “Rich Jackson is the best DL who’ll never get into the HOF.”. Sadly, his only shot is via oldtimers committee. He really didn’t have a very long career and this means a lot to HOF selection committee so it probably will never happen.
Scuse me, I was talking of the Elway years, mainly because Denver didn’t exist until then….
How can you say Denver didnt exist until Elway came around? He wasn’t drafted until 1983 dever was more than 20 y/o by then! The orange crush slung us passed oakland in the AFC championship in 1973 only to fall to the cryboys in the superbowl! Yes, don’t get me wron Elway was part of the heart of the team during the 80s and 90s but we did have a great team before and after him too (excluding Jake Plummer of course)
Both deserve to be there – but this is comming from a true Denver Borncos fan. Other fans around the country don’t think the same as we do about “Our” guys! I wish them the best of luck. Hopefully they can join John in the bighouse!