Pro Football Hall of Fame 2015: Date, Start Time, TV Info and More

For any NFL player, reaching the Hall of Fame represents the highest culmination of achievement one could hope for.  Many fans and analysts measure success by wins and rings, but in reality, being elected to the Hall validates a player as one of the defining athletes of his generation.

The 2015 class promises to provide a tight vote, as a rich first-year class could create a bit of a logjam for some deserving candidates further down the ballot.  As a reminder, there are 15 modern-era finalists, one senior finalist and two finalists in the newly created contributor category, making for a grand total of 18 nominees.  A minimum 80 percent vote is required for induction, with at least four but no more than seven inductees in a given class.

For fans wanting to see the announcement, check out full TV information below via the Hall of Fame website, as well as predictions and analysis on some of the more intriguing nominees.

Date: Saturday, Jan. 31

Time: 9-11 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Player/Position	Team(s)/Years
Junior Seau, Linebacker	Chargers (90-02), Dolphins (03-05), Patriots (06-09)
Orlando Pace, Offensive Tackle	Rams (97-08), Bears (09)
Kurt Warner, Quarterback	Rams (98-03), Giants (04), Cardinals (05-09)
Tim Brown, Wide Receiver	Raiders (88-03), Buccaneers (04)
Mick Tingelhoff, Center	Vikings (62-78)

Locks: Junior Seau and Kurt Warner

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Among the first-year nominees, Junior Seau and Kurt Warner look like the biggest shoo-ins for the Hall.  The late Seau will likely be this class' defining face, as he was a six-time first-team All-Pro selection and racked up 1,522 career tackles.  Among linebackers, those marks rank sixth and fourth all time, respectively.

According to Pro-Football-Reference's Approximate Player Value metric, Seau also ranks as the third-most valuable linebacker in NFL history.  Indeed, a pair of future Hall of Famers went out of their way in the lead-up to the Super Bowl to praise Seau's accomplishments:

Warner should also make the Hall in his first year of eligibility, though his highly unusual career arc raises some doubt, with many fallow seasons in between a pair of superb runs with the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals.  Thus, his raw volume of stats are not particularly impressive; apart from Troy Aikman, no quarterback whose career ended in the 1980s or later has made the Hall of Fame with as few passing yards or touchdowns as Warner.

Doug Mills/Associated Press

However, Warner's peak and rate stats are certainly Hall-worthy.  As Football Outsiders' Scott Kacsmar illustrated earlier this summer, Warner ranked as the NFL's second-best playoff quarterback since 1984 based on the site's DVOA metric, behind only Joe Montana.  Moreover, as Kacsmar notes, the media's perception and storyline behind a player's career plays an important role in close cases:

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Remembering this is the Hall of Fame, this is a classic argument that Warner has in spades. Warner defined a transitional era in NFL history when the stalwarts of the position moved on to retirement, and new quarterbacks emerged from unusual origins. None were more impressive than Warner's journey from stocking groceries to Super Bowl MVP. When the game said goodbye to John Elway, Steve Young, Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Troy Aikman, it was Warner taking over the mantle (for a limited time) as the best quarterback. Brett Favre's MVP reign was over and Peyton Manning's had yet to begin. Other quarterbacks rose to unexpected success...but Warner was the most dominant of that era. 

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Indeed, when considering that the "Greatest Show on Turf" era, in which the Rams ushered in the transition toward the NFL's current pass-heavy identity, it would seem foolish to leave out the defining player of those teams.  Thus, look for Warner to cap the greatest Cinderella story in league history with a golden jacket.

Most Controversial: Tim Brown

PAUL SAKUMA/Associated Press

Statistically, Tim Brown should not still be out of the Hall in his sixth year of eligibility.  The longtime Oakland Raider ranks fifth all time in receptions (1,094), sixth in receiving yards (14,394) and seventh in touchdowns (100); however, much like with Warner, SI.com's Chris Burke argued after his snub in 2014 that Brown's case transcends mere statistics:

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For me, the pro-Brown argument transcends those numbers. From the moment he joined the Raiders in 1988 on through his prime in the '90s, Brown was one of the most electrifying players to ever set foot on an NFL field. A glut of receivers seeking entrance to the Hall had roadblocked him from his own honor, but Brown has plenty on his résumé -- and even more on his highlight reel -- for a place in Canton.

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Brown stunningly finished with no first-team All-Pro appearances in his career and just one second-team showing.  Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens combined for 12 first-team All-Pro appearances during Brown's career, while short, yet historic peaks from the likes of Sterling Sharpe and Cris Carter also took away appearances from Brown.

Perhaps the most compelling case for Brown's induction comes from PFR's player similarity scores, which essentially links players with the most statistically similar careers.  Brown's 10 closest career comparisons seem to portray a clear picture about his Hall status:

Player	Hall of Fame?
Steve Largent	Yes
James Lofton	Yes
Isaac Bruce	No (2015 was 1st year of eligibility)
Cris Carter	Yes
Andre Reed	Yes
Henry Ellard	No
Art Monk	Yes
Terrell Owens	Eligible 2016
Raymond Berry	Yes
Jimmy Smith	No

It's understandable that Brown may have missed out his first couple of years on the ballot, given the recent logjam of wide receivers to enter the Hall, but with no other clear-cut candidates at the position in 2015, Brown's case is stronger than ever.