Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists Announced: List of Candidates and Reaction

A group of 15 former NFL players have taken the next step toward football immortality. 

The NFL announced the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2015 class. Here's a look at the legends who will vie for a spot in Canton, Ohio:

Player	Position	Team(s)
Morten Andersen	PK	Saints, Falcons, Chiefs, Giants, Vikings
Jerome Bettis	RB	Rams, Steelers
Tim Brown	WR	Raiders, Buccaneers
Don Coryell	Coach	Chargers
Terrell Davis	RB	Broncos
Tony Dungy	Coach	Buccaneers, Colts
Kevin Greene	DE/LB	Rams, Steelers, Panthers, 49ers
Charles Haley	DE	49ers, Cowboys
Marvin Harrison	WR	Colts
Jimmy Johnson	Coach	Cowboys, Dolphins
John Lynch	S	Buccaneers, Broncos
Orlando Pace	OT	Rams, Bears
Bill Polian**	GM	Chiefs, Bills, Panthers, Colts
Junior Seau	LB	Chargers, Dolphins, Patriots
Will Shields	OG	Chiefs
Mick Tingelhoff*	C	Vikings
Kurt Warner	QB	Rams, Cardinals, Giants
Ron Wolf**	GM	Raiders, Jets, Bucs, Packers

There is usually around one or two first-ballot inductees each year. There were two last year, three in 2013, zero in 2012 and two in 2011. 

That figures to ring true once again, with Junior Seau and Orlando Pace headlining the 2015 class of hopefuls. 

Seau's candidacy as a first-ballot Hall of Famer doesn't need much explaining. Widely regarded as one of the best linebackers ever, he made 12 Pro Bowls, six All-Pro first teams and the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-1990s first team. 

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, not always one for long-winded answers, put it best, via the U-T San Diego's Tom Krasovic:

"

[He's the] all-time leader in tackling, but more than stats, his love of the game, his passion for the game, and the high level that he played at a very difficult position. I mean, him, Clay Matthews [Jr.], guys to play as long as they did at that position as well as he did is phenomenal. He is so deserving. I hope it happens. 

"

Pace, along with fellow first-ballot inductees Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones, exemplified the importance of the left tackle position. The No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft, he quickly became the anchor of the St. Louis Rams offensive line, serving as the driving force of The Greatest Show on Turf.

Al Bello/Getty Images

That team, which boasted one of the best offenses of all time, may soon need its own wing in Canton. Marshall Faulk is already in, while Kurt Warner, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce will surely join him eventually. 

Without Pace, though, none of those players may have the same credentials they do now. Faulk recently talked about how easy it was to play behind him, via the Rams' official website:

"

He made playing left tackle look so easy. His footwork was always in the right place. I never had to help on his side. I remember how easy it was to run screen plays because he would always get out in front, and then his finishing blocks. People would always talk about his pass blocking, but the run blocking—that was his pride.

"

Holt and Bruce didn't make the finalists list due to a fairly spectacular logjam at wide receiver, while Warner, who entered the league at 27 but is still 34th all time in passing yards and won two MVPs, is expected to be right on the fringe in his first year eligible. 

Whether or not he makes it this year, he seems to be enjoying the process, according to Myles Simmons of the Rams' website:

Another team well-represented is the Indianapolis Colts, as both Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy are good bets to be elected. 

Harrison, who had eight consecutive seasons with at least 1,100 receiving yards, is currently third all-time in receptions (1,102), seventh in receiving yards (14,580) and fifth in receiving touchdowns (128). 

Dungy, the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl, took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Colts to 10 consecutive playoff appearances. His coaching tree includes Lovie Smith, Mike Tomlin, Jim Caldwell and Leslie Frazier, among others. 

All of the candidates now await their fate, as the official Class of 2015 will be announced on Jan. 31.

Only five modern-day finalists may be selected, but considering the astounding depth of this group—Holt, Bruce and Ty Law being left off the finalist list is a testament to that depth—many of those who don't get the nod will almost assuredly find their way into Canton in the very near future.