Kurt Warner, Junior Seau, Orlando Pace and Jamal Lewis are 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.
This 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.
Lewis played nine seasons and 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.
Warner is looking to become the first quarterback selected since Troy Aikman and Warren Moon in 2006.
Seau, who passed away in 2012, played 20 seasons and was a 12-time Pro Bowl selection along with being the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1992.
Pace, the top-overall pick in the 1998 draft by the Rams, will attempt to become the 10th representative from Ohio State to be elected. The left tackle was in the league for 12 seasons, spending his final year with the Bears.
Former Bengals offensive lineman Willie Anderson is on the list for the second straight year.
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.
First-Year Eligibles
Quarterbacks: Kurt Warner
Wide Receivers: Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt,
Running Backs: Edgerrin James, Jamal Lewis
Offensive Linemen: Jon Jansen (T), Kevin Mawae (C/G), Orlando Pace (T), Chris Samuels (T), Tra Thomas (T)
Defensive Linemen: Jevon Kearse (DE)
Linebackers: Junior Seau
Defensive Backs: Ty Law (CB), Shawn Springs (CB)
Kickers/Punters: Jason Elam (K)
Class of 2014 Finalists
Wide Receivers: Tim Brown (also KR), Marvin Harrison
Running Backs: Jerome Bettis
Offensive Linemen: Will Shields (G)
Defensive Linemen: Charles Haley (also LB)
Linebackers: Kevin Greene (also DE)
Defensive Backs: John Lynch (S),
Kickers/Punters: Morten Andersen (K)
Coaches: Tony Dungy
Remainder of List
Quarterbacks: Randall Cunningham, Rich Gannon, Phil Simms,
Wide Receivers: Gary Clark, Henry Ellard (also PR), Sterling Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith
Tight End: Mark Bavaro
Running Backs: Otis Anderson, Shaun Alexander, Tiki Barber, Roger Craig, Stephen Davis, Terrell Davis, Eddie George, Priest Holmes, Edgerrin James, Daryl Johnston, Herschel Walker (also KR), Ricky Watters
Offensive Linemen: 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), Mike Kenn (T), Jim Lachey (T), Mark May (G/T/C),Tom Nalen (C), Nate Newton (G), Mark Schlereth (G), Steve Wisniewski (G)
Defensive Linemen: Al "Bubba" Baker (DE), Jerome Brown (DT), Carl Hairston (DE/DT), Dexter Manley (DE), Charles Mann (DE), Steve McMichael (DT/NT), Fred Smerlas (NT), Greg Townsend (DE), Ted Washington (DT/NT), Bryant Young (DE)
Linebackers: Cornelius Bennett, Tedy Bruschi, Ken Harvey, Clay Matthews, Willie McGinest (also DE), Karl Mecklenburg, Matt Millen, Sam Mills, Chris Spielman, Darryl Talley, Zach Thomas
Defensive Backs: Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Joey Browner (S), LeRoy Butler (S), Thomas Everett (S), Rodney Harrison (S), Albert Lewis (CB), Terry McDaniel (CB), Tim McDonald (S), Frank Minnifield (CB), Troy Vincent (CB/S), Everson Walls (CB), Darren Woodson (S)
Kickers/Punters: Gary Anderson (K), Sean Landeta (P), Nick Lowery (K)
Special Teams/Position Players: Brian Mitchell (RB/PR/KR), Steve Tasker (also WR)
Coaches: Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, Tom Flores, Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Lou Saban, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil
