2013 Pro Football HOF Semi-Finalists
 

The 27 Semi-Finalists

** - First year eligible candidate

Larry Allen **
Morten Andersen**
Steve Atwater
Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Cris Carter
Don Coryell
Roger Craig
Terrell Davis
Edward DeBartolo Jr
Kevin Greene
Charles Haley
Joe Jacoby
Albert Lewis
John Lynch**
Karl Mecklenburg
Art Modell
Jonathan Ogden**
Bill Parcells
Andre Reed
Warren Sapp**
Will Shields
Michael Strahan**
Paul Tagliabue
Steve Tasker
Aeneas Williams
George Young

This is a pretty good crop of 1st timers so I doubt this a year where many of those borderline guys like Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis finally get in.

Larry Allen should be a lock, and I could see a strong case for Ogden, Sapp and Strahan being 1st ballot guys.

Sapp should get in, but it's no secret how much of an as* he was to the media. I think it's 50/50 he doesn't get in because of it.

He'll get in... Eventually. They made John Randle and Cortez Kennedy wait, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if Sapp is left out this year.

As for the other Buc on that list, John Lynch, as much as I would love to see him in the Hall of Fame, I don't think he should (or will) make it. With that said, the HoF induction process is a media popularity contest and the fact that Lynch has a growing reputation as a pretty good announcer could help him sneak in on a weak year somewhere down the line.

I think this is the year for Cris Carter.

Sapp should get in. He set the standard for pass rush dts and is the guy most scouts and analysts look to draw comparison to younger dts coming out.

Lynch will get in on merit, his career as an announcer won't have anything to do with it. He was one of the best safeties in the league for a decade, surprised you even doubt him deserving to get in being a Bucs fan.

I don't know off the top of my head but aren't there only a few safeties in the HOF?
I don't think it's a case of people not thinking he'll get in based on his career but that it's just ridiculously hard to get in as a safety.

And then when you factor in that the same people who vote for the hall of fame also voted in four safeties ahead of Lynch for the 2000s All-Decade team, I just have a hard time seeing Lynch making it. Especially when Steve Atwater still hasn't been enshrined.

Not saying it would be anytime soon. Guess I'm being a homer.

man i want strahan to get in first ballot

Outside of kickers and punters, safety is probably the most difficult position to get into the Hall of Fame as. There are only seven full-time safeties in the Hall of Fame and the last one to be inducted was Paul Krause in '98. Krause has the distinction of being the league's current leader in career interceptions, which is an impressive feat given that he played in the '60s and '70s when offenses relied more on their ground game. Hell... The last time any HoF member who played as a safety was actually on the field in a game was over 30 years ago and the last time a safety actually made the finalists list was 10 years ago.

Given all that, it's really hard to make a case for Lynch. Yes, he was one of the most feared hitters in the game, but enshrinement in the Hall is often a numbers game and Lynch doesn't really have the flashy stats (sacks and interceptions) to back him up.

Lynch will definitely be added to the Buccaneers Ring of Honor, though, and that's enough for me.

I hope Will Shields gets in this year, his second of eligibility. I don't know if he will with Larry Allen on there though.

Yup, I see Lynch being part of that Harrison, Dawkins, and Sharper group that doesn't quite make it in despite long periods of prolonged success. I think Reed is going to be the first player to break down the HOF barrier against safeties.

Good points, I did not realize how hard it was to get in as a Safety. You would think a 9 time pro bowler who was a part of one of the most dominating defenses in NFL history was a shoe in, it's surprising there is only 7 safeties in the HOF.

I was perfect on my predictions last year (not an easy task when so many linemen got in)

I'm not ready to break the numbers down yet, but will at some point soon.

I went to the Hall of Fame page and couldn't find the Rob Gronkowski entry. When are they going to rectify this!?!?!?!

atwater > lynch.

Since he's probably never making it to Canton, I would like to make the case that Jacoby was one of the greatest UDFAs ever in modern NFL history.



You're a HOFer in Redskinsland, Joe.

I think he'll get screwed over like every year. Ridiculous.

They should go with 5 Lineman (Allen, Ogden, Strahan, Sapp, Shields) + Parcells. But they won't.

I agree. This is what would happen in a perfect world.

I think Ogden has to be a lock. He was the Tackle of his era.

lol wtf morten andersen.

Hey, he was a pretty good kicker for a long time.

All time leader in points and field goals.

Multiple Pro Bowls and All Pros. All Decade Team kicker for the 80s and 90s. Andersen deserves his semi final place. He was a brilliant kicker in his prime and has both the career records and honours.