University of Tennessee Athletics
Jamal Lewis Among 1st-Time HOF Candidates
September 17, 2014 | Football
VFL Jamal Lewis is listed among the newest candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as announced on Tuesday. Lewis starred for nine seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns.
Lewis is seeking to become the third Tennessee legend to be enshrined in Canton. He would join Doug Atkins and Reggie White.
Lewis is one of five running backs to gain 2,000 yards or more in a season. Drafted by Baltimore in the first round in 2000, he once held the single-game NFL rushing record after gaining 295 yards in a 2003 Week 2 win over the Browns. He was signed by Cleveland in 2007 and spent his final three seasons with the Browns. He had six 100-yard games and his 1,304 yards in 2007 are the most by a Browns running back since they returned in 1999.
He is among the 15 first-year eligible modern-era candidates who have been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2015. The complete list of 113 nominees was announced by the Hall on Tuesday evening.
First-Year Nominees: Offense #PFHOF15 pic.twitter.com/vOjR8GKWFj
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 17, 2014This year's modern-era nominees list includes 98 players and 14 coaches. To be considered, a modern-era candidate must be retired for at least five consecutive seasons.
From this list, the Hall's Board of Selectors will choose 25 candidates who will advance as semifinalist nominees that will be announced in late November. That semifinalist list will be further reduced by a mail ballot to 15 modern-era finalists and announced in early January.
The Class of 2015 will be selected from the list of the 15 modern-era finalists plus the one senior finalist (former Minnesota Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff) and two yet-to-be-determined contributor finalists. Like the modern-era finalists, the senior and contributor nominees must receive an 80 percent positive vote to be elected. This is the first year that contributors have received their own category separate from modern-era candidates.
The selection meeting will be held on Jan. 31, 2015, in Phoenix, which is the day before Super Bowl XLIX. The results will be announced that evening.
Also listed is former Tennessee star Terry McDaniel.
Here's the complete list of nominees
Quarterbacks: (4) - Randall Cunningham, Rich Gannon, Phil Simms, Kurt Warner.
Wide Receivers: (9) - Tim Brown (also KR), Isaac Bruce, Gary Clark, Henry Ellard (also PR), *Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt, Sterling Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith.
Tight End: (1) - Mark Bavaro.
Running Backs: (14) - Shaun Alexander, Ottis Anderson, Tiki Barber, Jerome Bettis, Roger Craig, Stephen Davis, Terrell Davis, Eddie George, Priest Holmes, Edgerrin James, Daryl Johnston, Jamal Lewis, Herschel Walker (also KR), Ricky Watters.
Offensive Linemen: (23) - Willie Anderson (T), Tony Boselli (T), Jeff Bostic (C), Lomas Brown (T), Jim Covert (T), Bill Fralic (G/T), Jay Hilgenberg (C), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), Joe Jacoby (T), Jon Jansen (T), Mike Kenn (T), Jim Lachey (T), Kevin Mawae (C/G), Mark May (G/T/C),Tom Nalen (C), Nate Newton (G), Orlando Pace (T), Chris Samuels (T), Mark Schlereth (G), Will Shields (G), Tra Thomas (T), Steve Wisniewski (G).
Defensive Linemen: (12) - Al "Bubba" Baker (DE), Jerome Brown (DT), Carl Hairston (DE/DT), Charles Haley (also LB), Jevon Kearse (DE), Dexter Manley (DE), Charles Mann (DE), Steve McMichael (DT/NT), Fred Smerlas (NT), Greg Townsend (DE), Ted Washington (DT/NT), Bryant Young (DE).
Linebackers: (13) - Cornelius Bennett, Tedy Bruschi, Kevin Greene (also DE), Ken Harvey, Clay Matthews, Willie McGinest (also DE), Karl Mecklenburg, Matt Millen, Sam Mills, Junior Seau, Chris Spielman, Darryl Talley, Zach Thomas.
Defensive Backs: (16) - Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Joey Browner (S), LeRoy Butler (S), Thomas Everett (S), Rodney Harrison (S), Ty Law (CB), Albert Lewis (CB), John Lynch (S), Terry McDaniel (CB), Tim McDonald (S), Frank Minnifield (CB), Shawn Springs (CB), Troy Vincent (CB/S), Everson Walls (CB), Darren Woodson (S).
Kickers/Punters: (5) - Morten Andersen (K), Gary Anderson (K), Jason Elam (K), Sean Landeta (P), Nick Lowery (K).
Special Teams/Position Players: (2) - Brian Mitchell (RB/PR/KR), Steve Tasker (also WR).
Coaches: (14) -Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, Tom Flores, Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Lou Saban, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil.
