The Pro Football Hall of Fame released an initial list of 108 nominees for the Class of 2018. Eleven first-year eligible players highlight the list, including receiver Randy Moss, linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher and cornerback Ronde Barber.
The list includes 53 offensive players, 38 defensive players, five special teams players and 12 coaches.
The 48 selectors will reduce the list to 25 semifinalist with a mail-in ballot in November. In January, they will select 15 finalists to vote on the day before Super Bowl LII.
Fred Taylor, who went on Twitter rant this summer about not being nominated, was on the list for the first time in his three years of eligibility. Anyone, including fans or former players themselves, can nominate a player who has been retired for at least five years.
Here is the full list:
*Finalist in 2017; Italics indicates first year of eligibility.
QUARTERBACKS
(5) – Randall Cunningham, Rich Gannon, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair, Phil Simms
RUNNING BACKS
(10) – Tiki Barber, Earnest Byner, Roger Craig, Corey Dillon, Eddie George, Edgerrin James, Lorenzo Neal, Fred Taylor, Herschel Walker (also KR), Ricky Watters
WIDE RECEIVERS
(13) – *Isaac Bruce, Donald Driver, Henry Ellard (also PR), Torry Holt, Chad Johnson, Randy Moss, *Terrell Owens, Sterling Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Smith, John Taylor, Hines Ward
TIGHT END
(4) – Mark Bavaro, Ben Coates, Ferrell Edmunds, Jay Novacek
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
(21) – Willie Anderson (T), Matt Birk (C), *Tony Boselli (T), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Ray Donaldson (C), *Alan Faneca (G), Bill Fralic (G/T), Jay Hilgenberg (C), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), Steve Hutchinson (G), *Joe Jacoby (T), Mike Kenn (T), *Kevin Mawae (C/G), Tom Nalen (C), Nate Newton (G), Bart Oates (C), Jeff Saturday (C), Richmond Webb (T), Steve Wisniewski (G)
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
(11) – La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Leonard Marshall (DE/DT), Keith Millard (DT/NT/DE), Leslie O’Neal (DE), Michael Dean Perry (DT/DE), Simeon Rice (DE), Richard Seymour (DT), Neil Smith (DE), Greg Townsend (DE/NT/LB), Kyle Vanden Bosch (DE), Bryant Young (DT)
LINEBACKERS
(15) – Carl Banks, Cornelius Bennett, Tedy Bruschi, Seth Joyner, Ray Lewis, Greg Lloyd, Wilber Marshall, Clay Matthews, Willie McGinest (also DE), Karl Mecklenburg, Sam Mills, Joey Porter, Darryl Talley, Zach Thomas, Brian Urlacher
DEFENSIVE BACKS
(12) – Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Ronde Barber (CB/S), LeRoy Butler (S), *Brian Dawkins (SS), Rodney Harrison (S), *Ty Law (CB), Albert Lewis (CB), *John Lynch (S), Dennis Smith (S), Everson Walls (CB), Darren Woodson (S)
KICKERS/PUNTER
(3) – Gary Anderson (K), Sean Landeta (P), Nick Lowery (K)
SPECIAL TEAMS
(2) – Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB), Steve Tasker (ST also WR)
COACHES
(12) – *Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, Tom Flores, Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil