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Joe Thomas, Darrell Levis and Dwight Freeney are the first year finalists to qualify for the 2023 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Fifteen contemporary players to be considered by the selection committee later this month include returning finalists DeMarcus Ware, Patrick Willis, Zach Thomas and Andre Johnson.
Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Rondo Barber, Devin Hester, Torrey Holt and Reggie Wayne are back on stage.
Defensive backs Albert Lewis and Darren Woodson made it to the stage for the first time, with Lewis reaching the semi-finals in 2013 and Woodson making six appearances.
Up to five contemporary players can be selected to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in August. This is the primetime TV show where the Associated Press announces his 2022 season individual award winners.
The committee also named three senior nominees: former Chargers and Cardinals coach Don Coryell, Super Bowl V MVP Chuck Howery, and All-Pro defenders Joe Klecco and Ken Riley. Consider.
Joe Thomas was one of the league’s top tackles during an enduring 11-year career, earning six first-team All-Pro honors and two second-team selections. He recorded 10,363 consecutive plays while playing for the Browns his entire career.
Leavis, who also came out in the 2007 draft, spent time with the Jets, Tampa Bay, New England, Kansas City, and moved around more places.
His best stretch came in New York, where he was a first-team All-Pro from 2009-2011, finishing second in the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Reavis spent a year in New England helping the Patriots win the Super Bowl in the 2014 season.
Freeney spent most of his 16-year career in Indianapolis. There, his speed off the edge and dominant spin move generated 125 1/2 his career sacks. He anchored a defense that complemented Payton’s Manning-led strong offense and helped the Colts win a Super Bowl following the 2006 season.
A four-time All-Pro, Ware led the Cowboys in sacks for eight seasons, led the NFL in sacks twice, and won a Super Bowl in Denver following the 2015 season. He recorded his 138 1/2 sacks and was named to his team of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade.
Johnson was named to the All-Pro team twice during his wide receiver good years. He led the league in two receptions and yards received. He finished his career with 1,062 receptions for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns.
Holt and Wayne of the same generation are also in the final. Holt was named to his team of the NFL’s All-Decade in the 2000s and won the Super Bowl with the Rams in 1999. Wayne retired as the NFL’s second-leading receiver with 93 catches in the postseason and won a Super Bowl with the Colts.
Zach Thomas and Willis each won five-time All-Pro honors and were among the top linebackers at the time.
Hester is one of the few finalists to make a name for herself, primarily on special teams. He opened the 2007 Super Bowl in Chicago with a 92-yard kickoff return for the only touchdown in Super Bowl history. A member of the All-Decade Team and one of two return specialists on the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
Anderson was considered one of the game’s elite light tackles over 13 seasons in Cincinnati and Baltimore, making three All-Pro teams.
Allen has made four All-Pro appearances and led the NFL in sacks twice (2007, 2011) while playing for the Chiefs, Vikings, Bears and Panthers.
Barber was one of the league’s stingiest cover cornerbacks during his 16 seasons in Tampa. Key to the Tampa 2 defensive scheme, Barber is a three-time All-Pro and was also a member of his team at NFL All-Decades in the 2000s. He led his NFL with his 10 interceptions in 2001 and won the Super Bowl the following season.
Woodson is a three-time All-Pro safety who helped Dallas win three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s.
Lewis was the star cornerback for Kansas City and the Raiders for 16 seasons, with two All-Pro appearances and 42 interceptions.
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