The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2016 will be announced after the selection committee meets on Saturday, Feb. 6, in San Francisco. With all of the festivities surrounding Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium the following day, a top-notch class this year would be icing on the cake.
NFL Hall of Fame 2016: Brett Favre, Terrell Owens should be selected Saturday
Brett Favre and Terrell Owens headline what should be a stellar Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
With guys like Terrell Owens, Brett Favre and Orlando Pace among the finalists, a great class is virtually guaranteed.
To be elected to the Class, a finalist must receive a minimum positive vote of 80 percent during the selection meeting. The list of modern-era finalists was pared down to 15 in early January, from a group of 25 semifinalists. That group of semifinalists was itself reduced from an original list of 108 modern-era nominees.
The full list of people who made the cut to finalist: The full list of people who made it: kicker Morten Andersen, safety Steve Atwater, running backs Terrell Davis and Edgerrin James, wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens, offensive tackles Joe Jacoby and Orlando Pace, quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Brett Favre, guard Alan Faneca, linebacker/defensive end Kevin Greene, safety John Lynch and coaches Tony Dungy and Don Coryell.
On that list are a few players who are probably sure things, like Favre and Owens. Favre will be the headliner of the class, which shouldn't be surprising given the crazy career he had. He had a Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers, was named league MVP three consecutive times in the '90s, which means he was considered the best player in the league for three straight years.
Favre even threw for over 4,000 yards with 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions when he was 40 years old. His longevity as a quarterback was incredible and he’s a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame at this point.
Owens is a more divisive name, but it has nothing to do with his accomplishments on the field. He’s one of the most prolific wide receivers in NFL history and his on-the-field record speaks for itself. What many thought would keep him out is his attitude and actions off the field, which are a black mark in his history. Still, he’s made it this far in his first year of eligibility and he should be a shoo-in if football does, in fact, come first.
The other shoo-in candidates are offensive lineman Al Faneca and Orlando Pace. The offensive line competition is getting harder and harder, but Faneca made it to nine Pro Bowls, was named a first-team All-Pro six times. He was as steady as they get, and Orlando Pace was right there with him. Pace has a Super Bowl ring, was named to seven Pro Bowls and was a dominant tackle in the NFL.
Coryell and Dungy both have great resumes and either could make it and it wouldn’t be surprising. Some names that will likely miss the cut, as tough as it would be, include running backs Terrell Davis and Edgerrin James and wide receiver Marvin Harrison. All three are legendary players for their respective franchises, but a somewhat small body of work for Davis and stiff competition for Harrison and James could make getting in hard, if not impossible.
Eddie DeBartolo Jr., the legendary 49ers owner, is a contributor finalist, while Ken Stabler and Dick Stanfel are the two senior finalists.
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