The finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 have been named. Shockingly, two Philadelphia Eagles all-time greats were missing once again while one of their most hated opponents made the cut. Ho-hum.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber is a name that still draws ire among the Philly faithful. His 92-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 2002 NFC Championship Game ended any hope of an Eagles’ comeback. It also silenced the rowdy crowd at Veterans Stadium in the last game ever played there. Barber picked off Donovan McNabb that day with 3 minutes, 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
“When you put stuff on me, it just gives me more opportunities to make plays,” Barber said, via the Buccaneers website. “And Donovan never learned to look the other way, so it was just a matter of time until I hit him with something big.”
The 15-player list of finalists includes Ronde Barber, DeMarcus Ware, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Torry Holt, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Zach Thomas, Reggie Wayne, Patrick Willis, Bryant Young. The list will be whittled down to five players ahead of the August enshrinement ceremony in Canton, Ohio.
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Asante Samuel, Eric Allen Snubbed Again
In a slight of passage, Eric Allen and Asante Samuel failed to make the list of finalists. It would be surprising except for the fact it happens every single year around this time.
For Allen – arguably the best ball-hawking corner not named Deion Sanders – this marks the 14th straight year he didn’t make the cut since becoming eligible in 2007. Allen retired with 54 career interceptions, good for 21st on the all-time leaderboard. And he has seven more picks than Barber.
Meanwhile, Samuel didn’t make it after getting endorsed loudly by his new hype man Darius Slay. The four-time Pro Bowler has 51 career picks in 157 games during stints with the Eagles, Patriots, Falcons. He recorded 23 of them in a midnight green jersey while flashing plenty of his trademark swagger in the process. He was the ultimate playmaker in the secondary. Samuel is tied for No. 32 on the all-time list. And he has four more picks than Barber.
Dick Vermeil Named Senior Finalist
Former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil was named a finalist by the Hall of Fame’s Senior Committee back in August. He and Raiders great Cliff Branch (deceased) are the two “senior finalists” this year. They must receive 80% of the vote from the 49-member selection committee to get in.
“I am overwhelmed,” Vermeil said in a press release. “I’m not sure I belong there.”
Vermeil is one of only six NFL coaches to lead two different franchises to the Super Bowl. He won one for the St. Louis Rams in 2000 and lost one with Philly in 1980. His overall coaching record stands at 126-144 (including postseason games). In addition to crying at press conferences, Vermeil might be best known for a wild publicity stunt that turned Vince Papale into a household name.
Hated Ex-Buccaneer Finalist for HOF, 2 Eagles Greats Snubbed