09/18/24 04:42:00
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09/18 13:16 CDT Eli Manning leads group of 1st time nominees for Pro Football
Hall of Fame
Eli Manning leads group of 1st time nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Pro Football Writer
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke
Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and postseason kicking hero Adam Vinatieri are among
the first-time nominees for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Hall announced 167 modern era candidates for the class on Wednesday that
included 16 players nominated for the first time, including two-time All-Pro
guard Marshal Yanda.
A screening committee will reduce the list of nominees to 50 players next
month. Then the full 50-person selection committee will cut the list down to 25
semifinalists and then 15 finalists for the annual meeting before the Super
Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to get in
with between three and five players getting in as modern era candidates.
There will also be three senior candidates, grouped with one coach and
contributor with at least one and no more than three of those finalists getting
in based on voting.
The other first-time candidates are offensive linemen Travis Frederick, Ryan
Kalil and Joe Staley; running backs Darren Sproles and Marshawn Lynch; receiver
Demaryius Thomas; tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker; and defensive
backs Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib and Earl Thomas.
There are also 10 players back under consideration who were finalists a year
ago with tight end Antonio Gates, receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne;
offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans; defensive backs Darren
Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison; defensive lineman Jared Allen; and
running back Fred Taylor back on the list.
Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall following a
standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was picked first overall in
the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an
upset win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following
the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in the
final minute.
He led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots four years
later. Manning is one of 13 QBs to win multiple Super Bowls with eight of the
nine who are eligible for the Hall getting inducted.
Only Jim Plunkett has not been inducted along with more recent players such as
Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who aren't eligible.
Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made All-Pro or led the league in
a major statistical category in a season but finished his career with 57,023
yards passing and 366 TDs.
His best moments were in those two postseason runs. Manning joined Brady
(five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry
Bradshaw (two) as the only multiple winners of Super Bowl MVP awards.
Kuechly and Suggs were among the top defensive players of their era with
Kuechly selected as the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.
Kuechly's career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by Carolina in
2012 was an All-Pro five times in his eight-year career with seven Pro Bowl
nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles
(1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).
Suggs was one of the top pass rushers in the league over his 17-year career,
with his 139 sacks ranking eighth best since they became an official stat in
1982.
Suggs had seven double-digit sack seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore,
including 14 in 2011 when he was selected as the top defensive player in the
league and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.
He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and helped the Ravens win the Super
Bowl in the 2012 season. He finished his career in Kansas City where he helped
the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.
Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making the
game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during New
England's dynasty.
He helped launch the run with one of the game's greatest kicks --- a 45-yarder
in the snow to force overtime in the "Tuck Rule" game against the Raiders in
the 2001 divisional round. He made the game-winning kick in OT to win that game
and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play of a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl
against the Rams.
He then made a 41-yarder two years later to give the Patriots a 32-29 win in
the Super Bowl against Carolina. Vinatieri also won Super Bowls in 2004 with
New England and in the 2006 season with Indianapolis.
Vinatieri is the NFL's all-time leader in points (2,673) and made field goals
(599) over a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads
all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.
Yanda was a member of the 2010s all-decade team as a key of Baltimore's
success. He also was selected second-team All-Pro five times and made the Pro
Bowl in eight of his final seasons, missing in 2017 when he played only two
games of an injury.
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