Former MVP Ken Anderson, versatile running back Roger Craig and former AFL star Otis Taylor are among the nine semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 in the seniors category.
A blue-ribbon committee reduced the list down from 34 candidates of players who last could have appeared in a professional football game in the 2000 season.
The committee will cut down the list to three finalists who will advance to voting by the full selection committee to be conducted before the Super Bowl in February. There also will be 15 modern-era finalists, one coach and one contributor for the Class of 2026. Between four and eight new members will be elected in the second year of this current format.
The other semifinalists are former star receivers Henry Ellard and Stanley Morgan; special teams standout Steve Tasker; defensive lineman L.C. Greenwood, offensive lineman Joe Jacoby; and cornerback Eddie Meador.
The candidates revealed Wednesday didn't include returning finalists Maxie Baughan and Jim Tyrer, who were eliminated in the latest voting.
Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowler for Cincinnati and won the MVP in 1981, when he helped the Bengals reach their first Super Bowl before losing to San Francisco. When Anderson retired after the 1986 season, he ranked sixth all time with 32,838 yards passing and 13th with 197 TD passes.
Craig was a key part of San Francisco’s dynasty in the 1980s with his ability as a physical runner and as a receiver out of the backfield. Craig was the first player ever to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season, which happened in 1985, and he led the NFL with 2,036 yards from scrimmage in 1988 when he helped the 49ers win the Super Bowl.
Craig also was part of the title-winning teams in San Francisco in the 1984 and 1989 seasons. His 410 yards from scrimmage in those Super Bowl wins are the third-most ever behind Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Franco Harris.
Taylor spent his entire 11-year career with Kansas City, earning All-Pro honors in the AFL in 1966 and NFL in 1971. He led the AFL with 11 TD catches in 1967 and the NFL with 1,110 yards in 1971. He finished his career with 410 catches for 7,306 yards and 57 TDs and caught a touchdown pass to help the Chiefs win the Super Bowl following the 1969 season.
Ellard was a two-time All-Pro with the Rams and finished his 16-year career with 814 catches for 13,777 yards and 65 TDs.
Morgan spent most of his career with New England and is still the Patriots all-time leader with 10,352 yards receiving. His 19.2 yards per reception is the best ever among all 181 players with at least 500 receptions.
Tasker excelled on coverage of punts and kicks, recording seven blocked kicks and catching nine TD passes as a receiver on offense. He helped Buffalo win four straight AFC title games before losing in the Super Bowl and made seven Pro Bowls in his 13-year career.
Greenwood was a key part of Pittsburgh's famed “Steel Curtain” defense in the 1970s, earning two All-Pro honors and being part of four Super Bowl champions.
Jacoby was a two-time All-Pro and a main member of “The Hogs” offensive line that helped Washington win three Super Bowl titles.
Meador played with the Rams from 1959-70 and was an all-decade selection for the 1960s. He was a two-time All-Pro and finished his career with 46 interceptions.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Returning to the VIBE Center, the Foster City Senior Showcase is a great place to discover r… Read moreFoster City Senior Showcase
WHAT A holiday market showcasing Bay Area small businesses and featuring unique, handcrafted… Read more2025 Holiday Night Market by Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center at the Chan Zuckerberg Community Space
Aragon High School Theatre proudly presents Footloose, the Musical! Footloose is an energeti… Read moreAragon High School Theatre presents "Footloose"!
The San Mateo Union High School (SMUHSD) Sustainabilty Committee presents a community event:… Read moreWater is Life
The San Mateo County Blue Star Moms, a local military moms support group is holding a karaok… Read moreHelp Support our Troops
robertwhitehair said:
robertwhitehair said:
Dirk van Ulden said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.