Richard Seymour
FILE - Minnesota Vikings' Jared Allen reacts after sacking Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers during the second half of an NFL football game in Minneapolis, in this Monday, Oct. 5, 2009, file photo. The Vikings won 30-23. Allen is a 2021 finalist for entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid, File)
Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson top Hall of Fame candidates

By Barry Wilner Feb. 05, 2021 11:46 AM EST

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021 file photo, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, right, watches quarterback Patrick Mahomes warm up before an NFL divisional round football game against the Cleveland Browns in Kansas City. On Feb. 7, 2021, the Kansas City Chiefs will be the latest franchise to attempt winning successive Super Bowls when they take on the Buccaneers. In Tampa, of all places. Against Tom Brady, of all people. Only twice since the Patriots pulled off the last repeat in the 2003 and 2004 season has a champion gotten back to the big game. Seattle failed in 2014 against New England, no less; remember Malcolm Butler's goal-line interception? and the Patriots in 2017, the Super Bowl featuring the Philly Special. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Chiefs trying for first Super Bowl repeat win in 16 years

By Barry Wilner Jan. 28, 2021 01:53 PM EST

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2016, file photo, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in NFL football's Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, Calif. Manning, in his first-year of eligibility, was selected as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2021 on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)
No surprise: Peyton Manning a Hall of Fame finalist

By Barry Wilner Jan. 05, 2021 06:02 PM EST

FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2009, file photo, Green Bay Packers' Charles Woodson reacts during the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Green Bay, Wis. Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Jared Allen and Calvin Johnson are first-year eligible players to make the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2021. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching, File)
Manning, Woodson, Megatron are Hall of Fame semifinalists

By Barry Wilner Nov. 24, 2020 01:00 PM EST

FILE - In this Dec. 29, 2013, file photo, Oakland Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson (24) talks with Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) after an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif. Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson are among 14 first-year eligible candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson 2021 Hall of Fame candidates

By Barry Wilner Sep. 16, 2020 01:03 PM EDT

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2020, file photo, Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown (5) runs during the second half of the Outback Bowl NCAA college football game against Minnesota in Tampa, Fla. The Carolina Panthers selected Brown with the seventh pick in the first round of the NFL draft. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
Panthers make history, use all 7 picks on defensive players

By Steve Reed Apr. 25, 2020 09:21 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2001 file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) passes during Brady's first start of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Foxborough, Mass. Six quarterbacks were taken ahead of the future first-ballot Hall of Famer Brady in 2000 before the Patriots selected him 199th overall in the sixth round of the NFL draft, forever altering the course of their franchise’s history. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)
Patriots' draft history features many hits, a few misses

By Kyle Hightower Apr. 21, 2020 05:22 PM EDT

FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2013, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers' Troy Polamalu follows the action during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Pittsburgh. John Lynch, now the general manager of the 49ers who will play the Chiefs in Sunday's Super Bowl, is up for the seventh time. Steve Atwater is a finalist for the third time. LeRoy Butler and first-year eligible Troy Polamalu complete the quartet of safeties among the 15 final candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
4 safeties vying for Hall of Fame spot, 3 WRs and OLs

By Barry Wilner Jan. 31, 2020 12:53 PM EST

FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2014, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu watches from the bench in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Brownsin Cleveland. First-time eligibles Reggie Wayne and Polamalu are among 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's modern-day 2020 class. (AP Photo/David Richard, File)
Wayne, Polamalu finalists for HOF 2020 in 1st year eligible

By Barry Wilner Jan. 02, 2020 07:04 PM EST

FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2009, file photo, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne, right, reaches out while attempting a catch under the defense of Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Derek Cox in the second half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis. Safety Troy Polamalu, wide receiver Reggie Wayne and linebacker Patrick Willis are first-year eligible players among the 25 semifinalists of the modern era for the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/AJ Mast, File)
Polamalu, Wayne, Willis 1st year eligible for Hall of Fame

By Barry Wilner Nov. 26, 2019 01:03 PM EST

Hall of Fame announces 122 nominees for class of 2020

Sep. 12, 2019 01:01 PM EDT
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — First-time eligible candidates Troy Polamalu and Patrick Willis are among 122 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of...

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2002, file photo, New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law (24) is trailed by St. Louis Rams' Isaac Bruce (80) as he scores a touchdown during second-quarter play of Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Law will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
HOF Preview: Ty Law's path to greatness guided by big dreams

By Dennis Waszak Jr. Aug. 01, 2019 02:12 AM EDT

Former Philadelphia Eagles NFL football running back Brian Westbrook, left, talks with former Philadelphia Phillies baseball first baseman Ryan Howard, center, and Wayne Kimmel, partner at SeventySix Capital, during a panel talking about the move from professional athlete to entrepreneur at the Betting On Sports America conference, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Secaucus, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Abc FC RN vs America FC RN 4/24/2019

Apr. 24, 2019 12:35 PM EDT

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Linda Holliday arrive for a NFL football walkthrough, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, in Atlanta, ahead of Super Bowl 53 against the Los Angeles Rams. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams 2/3/2019

Feb. 13, 2019 06:14 AM EST

Patriots, Rams don't break sweat on day before Super Bowl

Feb. 02, 2019 04:01 PM EST
ATLANTA (AP) — Neither the New England Patriots nor the Los Angeles Rams broke a sweat Saturday in what was their final "practice" for the Super Bowl. ...

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2002, file photo, New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law (24) is trailed by St. Louis Rams' Isaac Bruce (80) as he scores a touchdown during the second quarter of NFL football's Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. In the last decade, four defensive backs from the modern era have made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On Saturday, five of them are up for consideration. Cornerback Champ Bailey and safety Ed Reed are in their first year of eligibility. Cornerback Ty Law and safeties John Lynch and Steve Atwater each have been this route before and fallen short. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
Strong field of DBs and OLs for Hall of Fame election

By Barry Wilner Feb. 01, 2019 05:26 PM EST

FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2017, file photo, New England Patriots' Tom Brady holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Houston. The NFL’s inexorable trend of going younger and cheaper does not bypass the best in the league. No team does it with quite the high-profile zeal as the Patriots, who have collected five Super Bowl titles since 2002, and will be going for No. 6 on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, against the Rams. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
In the younger, cheaper NFL, Super Bowl champs get cut, too

By Eddie Pells Jan. 29, 2019 03:36 AM EST

Gonzalez, Reed, Bailey 1st-time eligible finalists for hall

By Barry Wilner Jan. 03, 2019 07:15 PM EST
First-time eligibles Tony Gonzalez, Ed Reed and Champ Bailey are among 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2019. They...