Brett Favre, eight ex-Chiefs on initial 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot
Brett Favre, the NFL’s career leader in passing yards, completions and attempts, leads the list of first-time eligible modern-era candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame released Wednesday night.
Favre, who retired after the 2010 season, is joined on the ballot by 10 other first-year eligible players, including wide receiver Terrell Owens, guard Alan Faneca and safety Lawyer Milloy. Former Patriots and Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel is also a first-year eligible player.
The ballot also includes all 10 of last year’s modern-era finalists who were not elected to the Hall: kicker Morten Andersen, who played for the Chiefs among other teams; coaches Don Coryell, Tony Dungy and Jimmy Johnson; running back Terrell Davis; linebacker/defensive end Kevin Greene; wide receiver Marvin Harrison; safety John Lynch; tackle Orlando Pace and quarterback Kurt Warner.
The 108 modern-era nominees will be trimmed to 25 semifinalists in November and to 15 finalists in January. The 15 finalists will be presented to the hall’s selection committee on the eve of Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, Calif., and trimmed to 10 and then five. After the cut to five, each finalist needs 80 percent of the vote to be elected to the hall.
Former Chiefs guard Will Shields was one of five modern-era players elected in February and was inducted in August in Canton, Ohio.
Four other players and two coaches associated with the Chiefs are back on the ballot after not making the cut to the final 15 last year: Running back Priest Holmes, cornerbacks Albert Lewis and Ty Law, kickers Nick Lowery and former coaches Marty Schottenheimer and Dick Vermeil.
Modern-era nominees for 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame
▪ QUARTERBACKS (6): Drew Bledsoe, Brett Favre**, Steve McNair, Phil Simms, Vinny Testaverde, Kurt Warner*
▪ RUNNING BACKS (15): Shaun Alexander, Ottis Anderson, Tiki Barber, Roger Craig, Stephen Davis, Terrell Davis*, Eddie George, Priest Holmes, Edgerrin James, Daryl Johnston, Jamal Lewis, Clinton Portis**, Herschel Walker (also kick returner), Ricky Watters, Brian Westbrook**
▪ WIDE RECEIVERS (9): Isaac Bruce, Gary Clark, Henry Ellard (also punt returner), Marvin Harrison*, Torry Holt, Terrell Owens**, Sterling Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith
▪ TIGHT ENDS (2): Mark Bavaro, Jay Novacek
▪ OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (19): T Tony Boselli, C Jeff Bostic, T Jim Covert, G Alan Faneca**, C Jay Hilgenberg, G/T Chris Hinton, C Kent Hull, T Joe Jacoby, T Jon Jansen, T Mike Kenn, T Jim Lachey, C/G Kevin Mawae, G/T/C Mark May, C Tom Nalen, G Nate Newton, T Orlando Pace*, T Chris Samuels, G Mark Schlereth, G Steve Wisniewski
<bullet>DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (6): DE Dexter Manley, DE Charles Mann, DE Leslie O’Neal, DE Simeon Rice, NT Fred Smerlas, DT Bryant Young
▪ LINEBACKERS (13): Cornelius Bennett, Tedy Bruschi, Keith Bulluck**, Kevin Greene* (also DE), Ken Harvey, Levon Kirkland, Clay Matthews, Willie McGinest (also DE), Karl Mecklenburg, Matt Millen, Sam Mills, Zach Thomas, Mike Vrabel**
▪ DEFENSIVE BACKS (14): CB Eric Allen, S Steve Atwater, S Joey Browner, S LeRoy Butler, S Rodney Harrison, CB Ty Law, CB Albert Lewis, S John Lynch*, SS Lawyer Milloy**, FS Darren Sharper**, CB Shawn Springs, CB/S Troy Vincent, CB Everson Walls, S Darren Woodson
▪ KICKERS/PUNTER (6): K Morten Andersen*, K Gary Anderson, K John Carney**, K Jason Elam, P Sean Landeta, K Nick Lowery (K)
▪ SPECIAL TEAMS (3): LS Ethan Albright**, KR/PR Brian Mitchell (also RB), Steve Tasker (also WR)
▪ COACHES (15): Don Coryell*, Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy*, Tom Flores, Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson*, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Pete Rodriguez, Lou Saban, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil
*Finalist in 2015; **First-year eligible
This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 2:05 PM with the headline "Brett Favre, eight ex-Chiefs on initial 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot."