The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ronde Barber before a game. (Photo by Gail Oskin/NFLPhotoLibrary)
CANTON, Ohio – The Modern-Era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 is comprised of 108 players and coaches. Among the group announced are 11 first-year eligible players including wide receiver Randy Moss, linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher and defensive back Ronde Barber – a former UVA star.
Players and coaches must have last played or coached at least five full seasons to be eligible for nomination. Therefore, any individual who last played or coached in 2012 are eligible for the first time in 2018.
Randy Moss of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The roster of nominees consists of 53 offensive players, 38 defensive players, five special teams players and 12 coaches. The Modern-Era nominees will be reduced to 25 semifinalists in November and, from there, to 15 finalists in January.
MODERN-ERA NOMINEES FOR THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2018:
QUARTERBACKS (5) – Randall Cunningham, Rich Gannon, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair, Phil Simms
RUNNING BACKS (10) – Tiki Barber, Earnest Byner, Roger Craig, Corey Dillon, Eddie George, Edgerrin James, Lorenzo Neal, Fred Taylor, Herschel Walker (also KR), Ricky Watters
WIDE RECEIVERS (13) – *Isaac Bruce, Donald Driver, Henry Ellard (also PR), Torry Holt, Chad Johnson, Randy Moss, *Terrell Owens, Sterling Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Smith, John Taylor, Hines Ward
TIGHT END (4) – Mark Bavaro, Ben Coates, Ferrell Edmunds, Jay Novacek
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (21) – Willie Anderson (T), Matt Birk (C), *Tony Boselli (T), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Ray Donaldson (C), *Alan Faneca (G), Bill Fralic (G/T), Jay Hilgenberg (C), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), Steve Hutchinson (G), *Joe Jacoby (T), Mike Kenn (T), *Kevin Mawae (C/G), Tom Nalen (C), Nate Newton (G), Bart Oates (C), Jeff Saturday (C), Richmond Webb (T), Steve Wisniewski (G)
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (11) – La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Leonard Marshall (DE/DT), Keith Millard (DT/NT/DE), Leslie O’Neal (DE), Michael Dean Perry (DT/DE), Simeon Rice (DE), Richard Seymour (DT), Neil Smith (DE), Greg Townsend (DE/NT/LB), Kyle Vanden Bosch (DE), Bryant Young (DT)
LINEBACKERS (15) – Carl Banks, Cornelius Bennett, Tedy Bruschi, Seth Joyner, Ray Lewis, Greg Lloyd, Wilber Marshall, Clay Matthews, Willie McGinest (also DE), Karl Mecklenburg, Sam Mills, Joey Porter, Darryl Talley, Zach Thomas, Brian Urlacher DEFENSIVE BACKS (12) – Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Ronde Barber (CB/S), LeRoy Butler (S), *Brian Dawkins (SS), Rodney Harrison (S), *Ty Law (CB), Albert Lewis (CB), *John Lynch (S), Dennis Smith (S), Everson Walls (CB), Darren Woodson (S)
KICKERS/PUNTER (3) – Gary Anderson (K), Sean Landeta (P), Nick Lowery (K)
SPECIAL TEAMS (2) – Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB), Steve Tasker (ST also WR)
COACHES (12) – *Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, Tom Flores, Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil
Eighteen finalists will be presented to the full 48-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual selection meeting on “Selection Saturday,” the day before Super Bowl LII. The finalists will consist of 15 Modern-Era finalists, the recently named Senior Finalists, Robert Brazile and Jerry Kramer, and the Contributor Finalist, Bobby Beathard.
