Alan Faneca Hines Ward among the finalists for HOF

[fordfixer]

Former Steelers guard Alan Faneca and wide receiver Hines Ward are among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Faneca was a finalist in 2016 and Ward is a finalist in his first year of eligibility.

Faneca is excited and honored to be in the mix again, but also understands it's a process after going through it last year and knows that patience is a key.

“You have to take it in stride and enjoy the process,” said Faneca. “There is nothing you can do except keep moving along with what you are doing every day.”

Ward, who watched Jerome Bettis wait five years to be enshrined, also understands the process.

"I have been through the process and watched him go through it, waiting to get that phone call," said Ward. "I am going to sit back and wait."

The Hall of Fame Selection Committee will hold their annual meeting on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017 in Houston, Texas, the site of Super Bowl LI. The finalists will go from 15 to 10, and then down to no more than five. The Class of 2017 will be announced during the “NFL Honors” show that evening.

The 2017 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony will be held in Canton, Ohio on Saturday, Aug. 5.

The Steelers have been well represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame the last few years, with Jerome Bettis a member of the Class of 2015 and Kevin Greene a member of the Class of 2016. The Steelers currently have 24 individuals in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Steelers in the Hall of Fame (http://www.steelers.com/history/steelers-hall-of-fame.html).

[buccoray61]

This report is wrong. Ward did not make the final 15.

[buccoray61]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000769131/article/pro-football-hall-of-fame-class-of-2017-finalists

[fordfixer]

[QUOTE=buccoray61;682341]http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000769131/article/pro

Thanks for setting that straight

[papillon]

I would have been shocked for Ward to make the final 15. I believe he will wait even longer than Bettis before he gets the call or even before he gets to the final 15. I just don't think people believed he was great, because he didn't have eye-popping numbers and regardless of his toughness and blocking ability that intangible stuff doesn't carry much weight.

Pappy

[RuthlessBurgher]

I'll go ahead and predict that Faneca makes the cut to the final 10, but they ultimately enshrine:

LaDainian Tomlinson
Terrell Owens
Kurt Warner
John Lynch
Morten Andersen
Kenny Easley
Paul Tagliabue
Jerry Jones

Faneca gets in next year.

[NorthCoast]

I'll go ahead and predict that Faneca makes the cut to the final 10, but they ultimately enshrine:

LaDainian Tomlinson
Terrell Owens
Kurt Warner
John Lynch
Morten Andersen
Kenny Easley
Paul Tagliabue
Jerry Jones

Faneca gets in next year.

was K warner really that good over the entirety of his career ?

[RuthlessBurgher]

was K warner really that good over the entirety of his career ?

Joe Namath wasn't really that good over the entirety of his career (in fact, he was pretty darn awful for a lot of it).

Warner won league MVP honors twice, won a Super Bowl with the Rams, and took the Cardinals (who were essentially a Browns-level laughingstock of a team up to that point) to the Super Bowl as well. That's a pretty strong resume for an undrafted guy who had to come up through the Arena League circuit.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Warner won league MVP honors twice, won a Super Bowl with the Rams, and took the Cardinals (who were essentially a Browns-level laughingstock of a team up to that point) to the Super Bowl as well. That's a pretty strong resume for an undrafted guy who had to come up through the Arena League circuit.

Yep. I think he gets in. Maybe not this time around, but he'll make it.

And if the *'s hadn't cheated, I think he'd have a second Super Bowl victory on his resume.

[Captain Lemming]

I would have been shocked for Ward to make the final 15. I believe he will wait even longer than Bettis before he gets the call or even before he gets to the final 15. I just don't think people believed he was great, because he didn't have eye-popping numbers and regardless of his toughness and blocking ability that intangible stuff doesn't carry much weight.

Pappy

I agree. I will take your point further. He might get to top 15 but will never get in.
With the rule changes, his highlight blocks, legal at the time, look "dirty" under todays changed lense. They will have less bearing than it would in times past.
As a pure receiver he was never "great", more like consistently very good. Numbers wont get him in.

As far as SB MVP, he got it, not because he had an unforgettable game like Lynn Swann or even Santonio Holmes. While a deserving MVP, it was a game without a truly dominant performance. Even the bomb is most memorable more because of the receiver throw from Randall El than the reception.

[buccoray61]

Joe Namath wasn't really that good over the entirety of his career (in fact, he was pretty darn awful for a lot of it).

Warner won league MVP honors twice, won a Super Bowl with the Rams, and took the Cardinals (who were essentially a Browns-level laughingstock of a team up to that point) to the Super Bowl as well. That's a pretty strong resume for an undrafted guy who had to come up through the Arena League circuit.

Warner is a Hall of Famer in my book.His play from 99-01 was an amazing run,add in what Ruth said about his play with the Cards,I believe he gets in.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

I'll go ahead and predict that Faneca makes the cut to the final 10, but they ultimately enshrine:

LaDainian Tomlinson
Terrell Owens
Kurt Warner
John Lynch
Morten Andersen
Kenny Easley
Paul Tagliabue
Jerry Jones

Faneca gets in next year.

you know how i'd choose the HOF players...who would you rather have on your team for a career at position X - in the case of WR, TO or Hines Ward? I choose Hines, then TO competes with next year's WRs.

[feltdizz]

I agree. I will take your point further. He might get to top 15 but will never get in.
With the rule changes, his highlight blocks, legal at the time, look "dirty" under todays changed lense. They will have less bearing than it would in times past.
As a pure receiver he was never "great", more like consistently very good. Numbers wont get him in.

As far as SB MVP, he got it, not because he had an unforgettable game like Lynn Swann or even Santonio Holmes. While a deserving MVP, it was a game without a truly dominant performance. Even the bomb is most memorable more because of the receiver throw from Randall El than the reception.

i think everyone voting for the Hall appreciates Hines style of play. I don't think his hits looking dirty have any impact because they weren't dirty at the time. Hell, most fans miss those types of hits.

I think Hines gets in due to size, passion and grit. He is respected and hated which means he did his job well.

[Slapstick]

I have pointed this out in years past, but if the HoF voters look at postseason accomplishments as well as regular season, they will see that Ward elevated his game for the playoffs, performing better on a per game average than he did in the regular season...

[Shoe]

Ward should be a first ballot HOF. He checks every box, including statistically.

The man took 4.7 speed, a position change, and a missing ACL, and fashioned a 12+ year career and 1,000 receptions! That is a HOF. It is more of a HOF than a guy blessed with ultra physical talent, who just had to drive the boat straight basically. Hines fought the current the entire way!