New Hall of Fame rules could speed up Bill Belichick's possible induction
Bill Belichick could be eligible to be selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026 instead of 2029 following significant changes made to the selection process.
![The Latest: Peyton Manning gets Hall call](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/EFL4iu4acJunip5Zck17fHWp368=/1600x1333/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IUPFHVX7ORAEFGBGSCFP7HAU4Y.jpg)
The Latest: Peyton Manning gets Hall call
Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Jared Allen and Calvin Johnson are first-year eligible players to make the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fames class of 2021. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)TAMPA, Fla. โ The Latest on the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class announced Saturday during the NFL Honors TV show (All times EST):___10:49 p.m.Peyton Manning is heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an all-but-preordained honor for a quarterback who helped redefine offense in the 21st century. Manning spent his first 14 years in Indianapolis, where he won his first Super Bowl. ___10:08 p.m.Alan Faneca, the sturdy guard who spent years opening holes open for Jerome Bettis and protecting Ben Roethlisberger, is going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ___9:33 p.m.Calvin Johnson, the receiver better known as โMegatron,โ has been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
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Floyd Little, Syracuse and Broncos great, dies at 78
FILE - In this Sept.1969 file photo, Denver Broncos' Floyd Little avoids the tackle of New York Jets' Steve O'Neal (20) during a football game in Denver. Little, the Hall of Fame running back who starred at Syracuse and for the Denver Broncos, has died. (AP Photo/File)DENVER โ Floyd Little, the versatile running back who starred at Syracuse and for the Denver Broncos, has died after a long bout with cancer. โSo, I supposedly saved the franchise.โLittle was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. โFloyd Little was a true hero of the game," said David Baker, president and CEO of the pro hall.
![HOF linebacker, pass rush great Kevin Greene dies at 58](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/ps9FoEg1sEpdTI_uhRujAhsUMGY=/1600x1067/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HNLY27M5WVGL5FKEG7MJOBGHGE.jpg)
HOF linebacker, pass rush great Kevin Greene dies at 58
Greene died Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, the family confirmed, as did the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played for Los Angeles Rams (1985โ1992), Pittsburgh Steelers (1993โ1995), Carolina Panthers (1996, 1998-99) and San Francisco 49ers (1997). โWe lost an amazing player and person this morning with the passing of Kevin Greene,โ Rooney said. โSo sad to hear the news of Kevin Greene passing away,โ Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward said. Prayers to Kevin Greene a legend.โGreene had 14 or more sacks in three different seasons, including twice with the Panthers late in his career.
![Fred Dean, 68, fearsome pass rusher of 49ers' dynasty, dies](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/9Y7z-WCPwBFugr9-hLC7HQYnz_M=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OL6QBYCIZ5BUDMNX3OGQGY2NFM.jpg)
Fred Dean, 68, fearsome pass rusher of 49ers' dynasty, dies
FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008, file photo, former San Diego Chargers defensive end Fred Dean waves to fans after his speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio. Dean, the fearsome pass rusher who was a key part of the launch of the San Francisco 49ers' dynasty, has died. His death on Wednesday night, Oct. 14, 2020, was confirmed Thursday by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)
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Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson 2021 Hall of Fame candidates
Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson are among 14 first-year eligible candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The roster of nominees consists of 65 offensive players, 49 defensive players and 16 special teams players. A maximum of five modern-era players will be chosen when the selection committee meets the Saturday before the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida. Eighteen finalists will be presented to the full 48-member panel: the 15 modern-era finalists, and the recently nominated Drew Pearson (senior); Bill Nunn (contributor); and Tom Flores (coach). Enshrinement at the hall in Canton, Ohio, will take place next August, when members of the 2020 class and a special centennial class also will enter the football shrine.
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Hall of Famers reach out to youth with messages of strength
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will have three members livestream a session Friday, May 22, 2020, with Ohio youngsters as part of its Strong Youth Strong Community program. So the Pro Football Hall of Fame will have three members livestream a session Friday with Ohio youngsters as part of its Strong Youth Strong Community program. With so many youngsters still sheltering at home, the hall hopes Friday's session can reach at least 50,000 kids. Baker says the Strong Youth Strong Community initiative will continue and could involve many more Gold Jackets โ hopefully in person very soon. To understand that every city can have those same Hall of Fame attributes and make each other better.โ___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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On this day: September 27
1998: Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback and kicker Doak Walker, who won two NFL championships in his six years with the Detroit Lions, dies at the age of 71 as a result of injuries suffered previously in a skiing accident. Walker led the NFL in scoring twice (1950 and 1955) and tallied 534 points in his career (330 on field goals and extra points). He was named the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1950 and also earned the Heisman Trophy as a junior at Southern Methodist University in 1948. The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the top college football running back in America. Walker is also an inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame.