The NFL announced its list of finalists for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. WR Hines Ward and OLB James Harrison were both named to the semifinalist list in late November. But neither will be moving onto the finalist ballot, unable to crack the top 15.
The top 15 were announced tonight on NFL Network, with the PPG’s Gerry Dulac confirming that neither Ward nor Harrison were part of the list.
There were three wide receivers who made the final list: Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne, and Andre Johnson. Devin Hester also made it as a receiver/returner. It’s the same final four as last year, with Ward at the back of the group, and it’ll be extremely tough for him to crack through this list.
Ward was selected in the third round of the 1998 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played his entire 14-season career in Pittsburgh and is currently a member of the Steelers Hall of Honor. His career stat line and accolades have been enough for him to receive eight straight semifinalist bids, but he has never moved past that stage. In his career, he had 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns.
He won MVP of Super Bowl XL, in which the Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks to bring home a fifth Lombardi Trophy. He was also a part of the Super Bowl XLIII-winning Steelers team. He retired in 2012 following the Steelers’ stunning loss to the Denver Broncos in an AFC Wild-Card Playoff game. He was a part of one of the game-changing plays in Super Bowl XL. It was a trick play with WR Antwaan Randle El passing to Ward for a 43-yard touchdown.
He was named to the Pro Bowl four times from 2001-2004 and made the second-team All-Pro list three times from 2002-2004. His best single season came in 2002 when he caught 112 passes for 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns. That was the second-most receptions that year behind Randy Moss and the fourth-most yards behind Marvin Harrison, Moss, and Amani Toomer.
Recently, Jerome Bettis discussed how Ward’s path to the Hall of Fame is made harder because he played in two different eras of football. When he started his career, it was still a running league, the Steelers a run-heavy team. Ward is also well-known for his punishing blocks he would throw in the running game, so much so that the NFL changed rules on crackback blocks.
Harrison entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State University. He bounced on and off the practice squad of the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens before he finally stuck in Pittsburgh as a special teamer in 2004. It wasn’t until 2007 that he became a full-time starter, but he immediately made a large impact, making the Pro Bowl and the second-team All-Pro list that season. The following season, he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. For his career, he had 811 total tackles, 583 solo tackles, 84.5 sacks, 34 forced fumbles, and eight interceptions.
Similar to Ward, he was a part of one of the best plays in Super Bowl history. In Super Bowl XLIII, he intercepted QB Kurt Warner and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. He is also a member of the Steelers Hall of Honor.
In addition to the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2008, his career accolades include five straight Pro Bowl appearances from 2007-11, two first-team All-Pro selections, and two second-team All-Pro honors. He also received a few MVP votes in 2008, which is a rare feat for a defensive player. This was his second straight time being named a semifinalist.
We’ll update this post will the full list of finalists throughout the night.
UPDATE (8:09 PM): Per this list, here are the final 15. The 2024 class will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony in February.
CB Eric Allen
DE Jared Allen
OT Willie Anderson
OG Jahri Evans
DE Dwight Freeney
DE Julius Peppers
TE Antonio Gates
S Rodney Harrison
WR/KR Devin Hester
WR Torry Holt
WR Reggie Wayne
WR Andre Johnson
RB Fred Taylor
LB Patrick Willis
S Darren Woodson
