Nine players from Alabama high schools and colleges were among the 167 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.
Four remain in consideration after that list of candidates was trimmed to 50, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday. The 50 remaining candidates include running back Shaun Alexander (Alabama), offensive tackle Willie Anderson (Vigor, Auburn), defensive end/outside linebacker Robert Mathis (Alabama A&M) and linebacker Cornelius Bennett (Ensley, Alabama).
Among the 117 nominees eliminated from consideration for the Class of 2025 included running back Stephen Davis (Auburn), linebacker Takeo Spikes (Auburn), fullback Tony Richardson (Daleville, Auburn), defensive end Justin Tuck (Central-Coosa) and wide receiver Roddy White (UAB).
The continuing 50 were chosen by a vote of the Modern-Era Players Screening Committee, with each member casting a ballot for 50 candidates.
The process now moves to the full Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, which will winnow the candidates to 25 semifinalists next month. That group then will be reduced to the 15 modern-era finalists who will be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, along with three seniors nominees, one coach candidate and one contributor candidate, at the Selection Committee’s meeting before Super Bowl LIX.
At the annual selection meeting, the modern-era finalists will be reduced from 15 to 10 to seven, with members asked to vote for five of the seven remaining nominees.
A player is considered modern era if he was active within the past 25 seasons. Players must be retired for at least five seasons to be eligible for nomination.
Anderson has been a modern-era finalist for the past three years. But he has not garnered the support to pass the final threshold for enshrinement.
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Mathis has reached semifinalist status in each of the past three years.
Alexander went to the Pro Bowl in 2003, 2004 and 2005, when his career hit its peak. In 2005, Alexander won The Associated Press NFL MVP Award and the Bert Bell Award as the NFL Player of the Year as the league’s leader in rushing yards. He set an NFL single-season record with 28 touchdowns and led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl in 2005. Alexander’s 100 rushing touchdowns rank eighth in NFL history.
Anderson became a fixture at right offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals after joining the team as the 10th pick in the 1996 NFL Draft. Anderson started every Cincinnati game except for two from 1997 through 2006. From 2003 through 2006, he was on the AFC Pro Bowl team and, in 2004, 2005 and 2006, he made first-team All-Pro. Anderson blocked in two record-setting games for running back Corey Dillon — an NFL rookie record 246 rushing yards against the Tennessee Oilers in 1997 and an NFL record 278 rushing yards versus the Denver Broncos in 2000.
Bennett was the second player picked in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played in four straight Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills and was a Pro Bowl selection in each of those seasons – 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993. He also was an All-Pro in 1988, played in 206 regular-season games and appeared in another Super Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons.
Mathis played in 13 NFL seasons for the Indianapolis Colts and is the NFL’s career leader for forced fumbles with 54. Mathis recorded 123 sacks, which ranks 19th in NFL history, and led the league in that stat with 19.5 in 2013, when he was a first-team All-Pro selection. A five-time Pro Bowler, Mathis played in two Super Bowls, including the Colts’ 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in the 2006 NFL championship game, and Indianapolis won 68 percent of the 192 regular-season games in which he played.
Sixteen men who played at Alabama high schools and colleges are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The state’s Hall of Famers are Robert Brazile (Vigor), Buck Buchanan (Parker High School in Birmingham), Frank Gatski (Auburn), Kevin Greene (Auburn), John Hannah (Albertville High School, Alabama), Don Hutson (Alabama), Walter Jones (Aliceville High School), Joe Namath (Alabama), Ozzie Newsome (Colbert County High School, Alabama), Terrell Owens (Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City), Ken Stabler (Foley High School, Alabama), John Stallworth (Tuscaloosa, Alabama A&M), Bart Starr (Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, Alabama), Dwight Stephenson (Alabama), Derrick Thomas (Alabama) and DeMarcus Ware (Auburn High, Troy).
The remaining modern-era candidates include:
Quarterbacks: Eli Manning, Steve McNair
Running backs: Shaun Alexander, Tiki Barber, Eddie George, Marshawn Lynch, Fred Taylor, Ricky Watters
Wide receivers: Anquan Boldin, Torry Holt, Jimmy Smith, Steve Smith, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne
Tight end: Ben Coates, Antonio Gates
Offensive linemen: Willie Anderson (T), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Jahri Evans (G), Olin Kreutz (C), Logan Makins (G), Jeff Saturday (C), Joe Staley (T), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), Marshal Yanda (G)
Defensive linemen: John Abraham, Jared Allen, Robert Mathis, Haloti Ngata, Simeon Rice, Neil Smith, Vince Wilfork, Kevin Williams
Linebackers: Cornelius Bennett, London Fletcher, James Harrison, Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs
Defensive backs: Eric Allen, Kam Chancellor, Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Troy Vincent, Darren Woodson
Special teams: Gary Anderson (K), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR), Adam Vinatieri (K)
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
