Patriots Legends Among Pro Football Hall of Fame Seminfinalists

The Pro Football Hall of Fame narrowed their list of Modern Era candidates for the Class of 2025 to 50 last month. On Wednesday, that group was cut in half. The Hall of Fame announced their 25 semifinalists to be included among the inductees next year. The New England Patriots were well-represented on the list.

Vince Wilfork, Rodney Harrison, and Adam Vinatieri all won multiple Super Bowls as part of the Patriots dynasty. All three advanced in the voting to become semifinalists. Wilfork and Harrison became semifinalists for the fourth team each. Vinatieri joins the group in his first year of eligibility.

Two more former Patriots were among the Hall of Fame semifinalists, though both are better known for their time with other franchises. Fred Taylor (Jacksonville Jaguars) and James Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers) became stars elsewhere before winding down their NFL careers with the Patriots.

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Wednesday’s announcement also brought some disappointment from the New England perspective. Tight end Ben Coates and offensive lineman Logan Mankins enjoyed outstanding careers with the Patriots. They were among the previous list of 50 candidates but did not advance to the group of 25.

Rodney Harrison

Harrison played nine seasons with the San Diego Chargers (1994-2002) to begin his NFL career. He helped them win the 1994 AFC Championship, advancing to Super Bowl 29. Harrison made two Pro Bowls and was a 1998 All-Pro with the Chargers. The Patriots signed Harrison as a free agent in 2003.

Rodney Harrison would play his final six seasons in Foxboro, playing a key role in the 2003 and 2004 Patriots win back-to-back Super Bowls. During those championship runs, Harrison had six interceptions in six postseason games. He earned All-Pro honors in 2004. Harrison was the starting safety on the 2007 Patriots, the first NFL team to finish with a 16-0 regular season record.

Along with Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, Rodney Harrison is one of only two players to record at least 30 sacks and 30 interceptions during their NFL careers. He was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2019.

Adam Vinatieri

Two placekickers are already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So it is difficult to imagine Vinatieri, widely considered the greatest kicker in league history, will not join them. The only question is whether it happens in his first year of eligibility. He played ten seasons for the New England Patriots, helping them with the 1996 AFC Championship as a rookie. Vinatieri went on to win three Super Bowls with New England, including game-winning field goals in two. He went on to play 14 more seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, playing in two more Super Bowls and winning his fourth.

Vinatieri was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in field goals (599) and points scored (2,673). Vinatieri was one of two kickers chosen for the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019,

Vince Wilfork

New England made Vince Wilfork a first-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played the first 11 of his 13 NFL seasons with the Patriots before joining the Houston Texans for the final two. Wilfork helped the Patriots win Super Bowl 39 as a rookie. He would add a second Super Bowl ring ten years later. Like Harrison, Wilfork was a starter on the 16-0 AFC Championship team in 2007. He made five Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro in 2012. He received second-team All-Pro honors three times.

Wilfork played in four Super Bowls and seven AFC Championship Games. He is one of ten players in NFL history to start 22 or more postseason games, and only one defensive player started more. New England inducted Wilfork into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2022.

Semifinalists

A look at the 25 players who advanced in the voting but position:

Quarterback (1) – Eli Manning
Running Back (2) – Fred Taylor, Ricky Watters
Wide Receivers (5) – Anquan Boldin, Torry Holt, Steve Smith Sr., Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne
Tight Eng (1) – Antonio Gates
Offensive Line (5) – Willie Anderson, Jahri Evans, Richmond Webb, Steve Wisniewski, Marshal Yanda

Defensive Line (4) – Jared Allen, Robert Mathis, Terrell Suggs, Vince Wilfork
Linebackers (2) – James Harrison, Luke Kuechly
Defensive Backs (4) – Eric Allen, Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Darren Woodson

Placekicker (1) – Adam Vinatieri

The 15 Modern Era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will be announced in late December.