Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and
Sterling Sharpe lead group of Seniors nominees for the Hall of Fame
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[October 23, 2024]
By JOSH DUBOW
Versatile running back Roger Craig, former MVP Ken Anderson and
prolific receiver Sterling Sharpe are among the players who advanced
to the next stage in the seniors category for the 2025 Pro Football
Hall of Fame class.
The Hall released a list of 31 players on Tuesday cut down from 60
nominees made last month by a newly created Seniors Screening
Committee.
A nine-person Senior Blue Ribbon Committee will be reducing the list
to nine in a few weeks and then nominate three finalists to be
considered by the full selection committee in early 2025. The three
seniors will be grouped with one coach and one contributor with at
least one and no more than three of those finalists getting in based
on voting.
Craig, Anderson and Sharpe are among the 10 players on this year’s
list of nominees who made it to the seminal stage of 12 candidates
last year when Steve McMichael and Randy Gradishar were voted in as
seniors.
The other returning semifinalists are Maxie Baughan, Joe Jacoby,
Albert Lewis, Eddie Meador, Art Powell, Otis Taylor and Al Wistert.
Powell made it to the final cut but didn’t get the 80% threshold
needed for induction.
Players eligible for the seniors category must have finished their
playing career by the end of the 1999 season.
Craig was a key part of San Francisco’s dynasty in the 1980s with
his ability as a physical runner and as a receiver out of the
backfield. Craig was the first player ever to have 1,000 yards
rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season in 1985, and
led the NFL with 2,036 yards from scrimmage in 1988 when he helped
the 49ers win the Super Bowl.
Craig was also part of the title-winning teams in San Francisco in
the 1984 and 1989 seasons. His 410 yards from scrimmage in those
Super Bowl wins are the third-most ever behind only Hall of Famers
Jerry Rice and Franco Harris.
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Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowler for Cincinnati
and won the MVP in 1981 when he helped the Bengals reach their first
Super Bowl before losing to San Francisco. When Anderson retired
after the 1986 season he ranked sixth all time with 32,838 yards
passing and 13th with 197 TD passes.
Sharpe had a short but productive career for the Green Bay Packers
from 1988-94. His best season coming in 1992 when he became the
sixth player to win the receiving triple crown, setting set an NFL
record with 108 catches for 1,461 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He broke his own record with 112 catches in 1993 and led the NFL
with 18 touchdown receptions his final season in 1994 before a neck
injury cut his career short.
Sharpe was a three-time All-Pro and had 595 catches for 8,134 yards
and 65 TDs. He trailed only Rice over his seven-year career in
receptions and TD catches.
Powell was one of the most prolific receivers in the pass-happy AFL.
His 81 touchdowns rank second best in AFL history behind Don
Maynard, and his 8,015 yards receiving were third behind only
Maynard and Hall of Famer Lance Alworth.
The other players who made the cut are Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks,
Charlie Conerly, Ox Emerson, Chuck Foreman, Larry Grantham, Lester
Hayes, Cecil Isbell, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Mike Kenn, Bob
Kuechenberg, George Kunz, Jim Marshall, Harvey Martin, Clay Matthews
Jr., Stanley Morgan, Tommy Nobis, Jim Plunkett, Jim Tyrer, Everson
Walls and Paul “Tank” Younger.
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