The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021 nominee list is stacked, with 3 potential first-ballot HOFers and a host of other greats of their day. I am part of a committee that is mapping the possible class.

Here is our process, starting with our 25 semifinalists.

A thread.
Every pro sports HOF has its process, and the PF HOF has one of the most interesting, with a huge list of modern-era nominees whittled down to typically a class of five. Here is the list of 130 modern-era nominees:

https://www.profootballhof.com/130-modern-era-nominees-for-the-hall-of-fames-class-of-2021/
The first step is determining the 25 semifinalists, which the official PF HOF committee will announce in November, and which our committee did last month. Here is my @WCGridiron explainer from 2018 on how the process will unfold: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/9/14/17857984/olin-kreutz-wilber-marshall-clark-shaughnessy-dave-krieg-bears-nominees-pro-football-hall-of-fame
A Bears fan’s guide to the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2019

Kreutz, Marshall among 4 Bears nominees.

https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/9/14/17857984/olin-kreutz-wilber-marshall-clark-shaughnessy-dave-krieg-bears-nominees-pro-football-hall-of-fame
Our committee, led by @notinhalloffame, comprises writers and fans from different markets, including the Bears, Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Lions and Saints:

@2ndHandBurrito
@crockettIII
@KonaDreamssssss
@lhd_on_sports
@Profhofcantonf
@ThomasHallNFL
@vancemeek
@VinLospinuso91
Our process began with all of us submitting our own lists of 25, and then debating to create a consensus 25. We had four unanimous selections:

Alan Faneca
Calvin Johnson
Peyton Manning
Charles Woodson

Here is an explanation of our process: http://www.notinhalloffame.com/blogs/from-the-desk-of-the-chairman/12177-our-first-ever-nihof-mock-football-hof-committee-synopsis
Our First Ever NIHOF Mock Football HOF Committee Synopsis

Why didn’t we do this before? Allow me to pull back the curtain here at Notinhalloffame.com.   Notinhalloffame.com grew from a simple idea; rank those who are not in various Halls of Fame fr...

http://www.notinhalloffame.com/blogs/from-the-desk-of-the-chairman/12177-our-first-ever-nihof-mock-football-hof-committee-synopsis
We plan to continue our process until we have our class of 5.

Let’s get to our list, which I’ll order first by position groups, and then by number of votes. Here it is!
QB Peyton Manning

🏈 Short list for QB GOAT
🏈 5x NFL AP MVP (most all-time)
🏈 3x Bert Bell Award winner (tied most all-time)
🏈 4x Super Bowl, 2x champ
🏈 Retired as NFL’s all-time passing leader in yards & TDs
🏈 7x 1st team All Pro, tied with Otto Graham for most for a QB
QB Randall Cunningham

🏈 3x Bert Bell Award winner (NFL player of the year, tied most all-time with Unitas & Manning)
🏈 Father of the modern dual-threat quarterback
🏈 1988 NEA NFL MVP
🏈 1990 PFWA NFL MVP
🏈 Led 15-1 Vikings team in 1998
🏈 1x 1st team All Pro, 4x Pro Bowl
RB @shaunalexander

🏈 Spectacular 2005: AP NFL MVP, rushing title, tied NFL rush TD record, Super Bowl
🏈 5-year run averaging 1,500 yards rushing, 17 touchdowns
🏈 1 of 9 players with 100+ rush TD; other 8 all in HOF, or will be
🏈 1x 1st team All Pro, 3x Pro Bowl
WR @calvinjohnsonjr

🏈Simply put, one of the best to ever do it
🏈NFL record 1,964 receiving yards in a season
🏈NFL record 329 receiving yards in a non-OT game
🏈Receiving league leader: 2x yards, 1x TD, 1x receptions
🏈3x 1st team All Pro, 6x Pro Bowl
WR @BigGame81

🏈At the height of Moss, Owens, Harrison, carved out a 1st team All Pro season
🏈2x NFL leader in receiving yards
🏈SB champ; SB runner-up
🏈Star on one of the greatest offensive juggernauts in league history
🏈1x 1st team All Pro, 7x Pro Bowl
WR @ReggieWayne_17

🏈 Still top 10 all-time in receptions, receiving yards
🏈 Balanced dominant Colts offense opposite Marvin Harrison
🏈 2x SB, 1x champ
🏈 2007 NFL receiving yards champ
🏈 1x 1st team All Pro, 6x Pro Bowl
WR Henry Ellard

🏈 Retired 3rd in NFL history in receiving yards, 6th in receptions
🏈 Leading receiver on top 5 passing offense 4 straight years
🏈 7x 1,000 yards
🏈 1988 NFL receiving yards champ
🏈 2x 1st team All Pro, 3x Pro Bowl
OG @afan66

🏈 Arguably best guard of his era, including over Class of 2020’s Steve Hutchinson
🏈 NFL All-Decade 2000s 1st team, with Hutchinson
🏈 SB champ
🏈 6x 1st team All Pro, 9x Pro Bowl
OT @tonyboselli

🏈 Arguably best tackle of his era
🏈 Dominated on run of brilliant Jaguars teams
🏈 NFL All-Decade 1990s 2nd team, behind 2 HOFs
🏈 3x 1st team All Pro, 5x Pro Bowl despite injury-shortened career
OG @SWisniewski76

🏈 Greatness mixed with longevity, with Pro Bowls in 1990 and 2000
🏈 Incredible durability: 16 games in 11 of 13 seasons, 15 games in other two
🏈 Only NFL All-Decade 1990s guard not yet in HOF
🏈 2x 1st team All Pro, 7x Pro Bowl
OT @RichmondWebb

🏈 Consistently epitomized greatness at his position
🏈 Protected Dan Marino’s blind side all 1990s
🏈 NFL All-Decade 1990s 2nd team, behind 2 HOFs
🏈 Per S.I.: 14 games vs. Bruce Smith, 3.5 sacks allowed
🏈 2x 1st team All Pro, 7x Pro Bowl (over 1st 7 seasons)
OT @lomasbrown75

🏈 Key offensive lineman for much of Barry Sanders’ career
🏈 In 7-year stretch, named All Pro 1st or 2nd team six times
🏈 8-year stretch as All Pro or Pro Bowl
🏈 3x 1st team All Pro, 7x Pro Bowl
C Tom Nalen

🏈 Starting center for 2x run-dominant SB champ
🏈 In 12 full seasons as Broncos starting center, Denver had a 1,000-yard back in 11 of them
🏈 Blocked for 6 different 1,000-yard backs including HOFer and 2k man Terrell Davis
🏈 2x 1st team All Pro, 5x Pro Bowl
DL @JaredAllen69

🏈 One of the best pass rushers of his day
🏈 2x sack champ; averaged 13 sacks per year for 1st 10 seasons
🏈 12th all-time in sacks, but tough against the run too
🏈 4x 1st team All Pro, 5x Pro Bowl
DL @bigsey93

🏈 Arguably top player in the front 7 for 3x champ
🏈 Versatile d-lineman helped Pats win titles as both 4-3 D and 3-4 D
🏈 1st team All-Decade 2000s, opposite HOFer Warren Sapp
🏈 3x 1st team All Pro, 7x Pro Bowl
DL Kevin Williams

🏈 Arguably top interior defensive lineman in NFL for much of his first 8 seasons
🏈 Perhaps the best lineman on vaunted Vikings front unit, which included Jared Allen and Pat Williams
🏈 2nd team All-Decade 2000s
🏈 5x 1st team All Pro, 6x Pro Bowl
LB Zach Thomas

🏈 5th in solo tackles since 1994; only HOFers ahead of him are Ray Lewis and Derrick Brooks
🏈 Named 1st team All Pro in three seasons when both Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher were playing
🏈 2nd team All-Decade 2000s
🏈 5x 1st team All Pro, 7x Pro Bowl
LB @patrickwillis52

🏈 Best ILB in the league in his prime
🏈 In his seven full seasons, named All Pro six times
🏈 #1 defender on a top 3 defense three years in a row
🏈 SB runner-up
🏈 NFL All-Decade 2010s
🏈 5x 1st team All Pro, 7x Pro Bowl
LB @PatSwilling56

🏈 In an era with LT and Derrick Thomas, Swilling was a top NFL OLB for five straight years
🏈 1991: DPOY, sack champ
🏈 #1 defender on NFL’s #1 defense in 1991 and 1992
🏈 Per PFR's AV stat, best player in the NFL in 1991
🏈 2x 1st team All Pro, 5x Pro Bowl
DB @CharlesWoodson

🏈 One of the greatest CBs and most versatile DBs ever, with All Pro seasons at both corner and safety
🏈 Slot CB great
🏈 2009 DPOY
🏈 2x INT champ
🏈 2x SB, 1x champ
🏈 Tied 5th all-time in INT
🏈 NFL All-Decade 2000s 1st team
🏈 3x 1st team All Pro, 9x PB
S @leap36

🏈 Peaked as NFL's top safety
🏈 Arguably top player on NFL’s top defense in 1996
🏈 Per Pro Football Reference’s AV stat, best player in the NFL in 1996
🏈 2x SB, 1x champ
🏈 NFL All-Decade 1990s 1st team
🏈 4x 1st team All Pro, 4x Pro Bowl
S @JohnLynch49ers

🏈 Leader and standout on one of the great defensive runs in league history
🏈 Barry Sanders: “John was as good as any safety I ever played against.”
🏈 SB champ
🏈 2x 1st team All Pro, 9x Pro Bowl
CB @rondebarber

🏈 Star CB on great Bucs defense
🏈 Great durability: 241 regular season games played, played 16 in all but rookie year
🏈 Nickel blitzer; 28 career sacks
🏈 2001 INT champ
🏈 SB champ
🏈 NFL All-Decade 1990s 2nd team
🏈 3x 1st team All Pro, 5x Pro Bowl
CB @peanuttillman

🏈 Changed the way DB is played/taught
🏈 44 FF 2nd in career only to Robert Mathis
🏈 Tied for NFL record w/10 FF in a season
🏈 Held Calvin Johnson in record 2012 to a 3/11 catch night, 34 yards, 0 TD
🏈 2x SB runner-up
🏈 1x 1st team All Pro, 2x Pro Bowl
ST @stevetasker89

🏈 Definitive special teams coverage man — perhaps ever
🏈 Only special teamer ever named Pro Bowl MVP (1993)
🏈 Key member of 4x Super Bowl runner-up
🏈 7x 1st team PFWA All Pro, 7x Pro Bowl
So that's our list of 25! I think it's a great list. Again, it's not MY 25. Our four unanimous picks were @afan66, @calvinjohnsonjr, @CharlesWoodson and Peyton Manning.

For everyone else, there were spirited debates and tough choices. https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1326725698761928707
If you know me, you know some of my other choices who I was unable this time to argue through, including Lance Briggs, Olin Kreutz, Ruben Brown, Lorenzo Neal and Brian Mitchell. https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1322239693224923139
And there are other guys who I've come to appreciate more just since doing this, namely Willie Anderson.

But in any case, it's a good list and I'm looking forward to the rest.
You can follow @readjack.
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