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

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

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.