The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its newest members on Saturday, with Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson leading the way in their first year of eligibility.
Also elected was former Pittsburgh offensive lineman Alan Faneca and Tampa Bay safety John Lynch. Raiders and Seahawks coach Tom Flores was chosen from the coaching category, while former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson was elected in the seniors’ category. Journalist/scout Bill Nunn was named in the contributors category.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s 20-member Hall of Fame class will be inducted in Canton, Ohio, in August. The Class of 2021 will also be inducted in Canton on Aug. 8.
This year’s members were selected by a 48-member panel during a virtual meeting on Jan. 19, ESPN reported.
Manning, 44, was a five-time league MVP during his 17 seasons in the NFL. He threw for 71,940 yards and 539 touchdowns during the regular season. He directed 43 comebacks and engineered 54 game-winning drives.
His 55 touchdown passes in 2013 remain an NFL single-season record.
Manning went 14-13 in the playoffs and reached four Super Bowls, going 2-2. He led the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos to the big game two times. In the postseason, Manning threw for 7,339 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Woodson, 44, was a standout defensive back over 18 seasons. He starred for 11 seasons with the Oakland Raiders in two different tours of duty (1998 to 2005 and 2013 to 2015) and played in between for the Green Bay Packers. Woodson won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2009 and led the Packers to a Super Bowl title the following season.
Woodson had 65 interceptions during the regular season and returned 11 picks for touchdowns. He also recovered 18 fumbles and returned two for scores.
With his election, Woodson joins Paul Hornung, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett and Marcus Allen as the only Hall of Famers who won a Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl championship, NFL.com reported.
Johnson, 35, played nine seasons for the Detroit Lions. “Megatron” led the NFL in receiving in 2011 and 2012. He caught passes for more than 1,000 in each of his final six seasons in Detroit. From 2007 to 2015, Johnson caught 731 passes for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.
Faneca, 44, was an offensive lineman for 13 seasons, mostly with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for nine consecutive seasons and was a first-team All-Pro six times.
Faneca missed only two games during his 10 seasons in Pittsburgh and started every game during his final six years with the team.
Lynch, 49, is the current general manager of the San Francisco 49ers. He was elected after finishing as a finalist for eight consecutive seasons. The hard-hitting safety was a nine-time Pro Bowl player and one of the leaders of a Bucs defense that was among the best in the NFL for a decade.
Lynch made 26 interceptions during his 15-year career in Tampa Bay and Denver. Four of those picks came with Denver, where he also forced nine fumbles in four seasons. Lynch had 16 forced fumbles during his career.
Lynch played for the Buccaneers the last time they reached the Super Bowl, during the 2002 season.
Pearson was the senior finalist on this year’s ballot and needed 80% of the votes from the Hall of Fame committee. He was a three-time All-Pro, and led the Dallas Cowboys to seven NFC championship games, three NFC titles and a victory in Super Bowl XII.
Pearson caught 489 passes for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns with the Cowboys from 1973 to 1983. He caught eight touchdown passes during the postseason, including a “Hail Mary” pass against the Minnesota Vikings in the 1975 playoffs.
Pearson was a finalist among 12 senior nominees whose careers ended at least 25 years ago
Flores, who was a coaching finalist on this year’s ballot, was an assistant on the Raiders’ first Super Bowl championship and guided the team to two titles as head coach. His 1980 squad became the first wild-card team to win the Super Bowl, and the 1983 team defeated Washington in the first Super Bowl game played in Tampa.
Flores coached the Raiders for nine seasons and added three with the Seattle Seahawks. He went 97-87 during the regular season and 8-3 in the playoffs. He is also the first Latino coach to win the Super Bowl. He was the first Latino quarterback in NFL history, starting 13 games for the Raiders as a rookie in 1960. He also played for the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Only Flores and Hall of Famer Mike Ditka have been Super Bowl winners as players, assistant coaches and head coaches, ESPN reported.
Nunn was a candidate in the contributor category. Before being known as the Steelers’ “Super Scout,” Nunn was a successful sportswriter and managing editor of The Pittsburgh Courier, one of the nation’s most influential Black publications. Nunn used his deep knowledge of historically Black college football programs to create an annual “Black College All-America Team.”
Other 2021 finalists included Tampa Bay defensive back Ronde Barber, New England defensive end, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Tony Boselli, Packers safety LeRoy Butler, St. Louis Rams receiver Torry Holt, Cleveland Browns linebacker Clay Matthews Jr., New Orleans Saints linebacker Sam Mills, Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas and Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne.
The Hall’s Class of 2020 includes Steve Atwater, Isaac Bruce, Steve Hutchinson, Edgerrin James and Troy Polamalu. The Centennial class includes Harold Carmichael, Jim Covert, Bill Cowher, Bobby Dillon, Cliff Harris, Winston Hill, Jimmy Johnson, Alex Karras, Steve Sabol, Donnie Shell, Duke Slater, Mac Speedie, Ed Sprinkle, Paul Tagliabue and George Young.