Steelers: James Harrison, Hines Ward named Pro Football HOF semifinalists
Once teammates who helped win the Pittsburgh Steelers two rings in the mid to late 2000s, Hines Ward and James Harrison will always be legends in the Steel City. But when you leave behind the resumes they did, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is sure to come knocking at your door at some point. […]
Once teammates who helped win the Pittsburgh Steelers two rings in the mid to late 2000s, Hines Ward and James Harrison will always be legends in the Steel City.
But when you leave behind the resumes they did, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is sure to come knocking at your door at some point.
Well, that knock could be coming sooner rather than later for one of these players, even if it means beating out a former teammate to do so:
Down to 25
Tuesday marked the release of the top 25 modern players for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class.
And while there were plenty of great names and nominees, the two in black and gold are sure to generate headlines:
Hines Ward
A two-time SB Champ who was also named to two Pro Bowls, Ward's stats may not jump off the page but his play did, something Mike Tomlin couldn't help but mention when he heard the news during his weekly presser on Tuesday:
“Stats are just a component of the story in terms of the type of player that he was,” Tomlin told reporters. “Ask the men that played football against them, in their generation. Their impact on the game, how the game was played and in some instances, how the game was officiated…
"…Hines was a football player first and a receiver second and I used to say that to describe him all the time, just because of the ridiculous consistency of his toughness in the passing game, the running game, running the football after the catch, blocking, he is well-deserving of consideration and I hope it happens for him this time.”
James Harrison
The more decorated of the two, Harrison has 5 Pro Bowls, two first-team All-Pro awards, and a defensive MVP to his name along with the hardware on his ring fingers.
But according to the main man himself, that may not be enough:
"It's a numbers thing," Harrison said on Cam Heyward's Not Just Football podcast back in October. "I understand accolades and everything and the impact and all, but another part is numbers. And when you look at numbers, the numbers do not equate to what Hall of Fame numbers should look like."
Harrison was likely referring to the sack total he ended his career with at 84.5, the number is impressive, but it is tied for 100th all time among pass rushers.
So we'll see if either of these Steelers legends can break through and get into Canton come August. Even making it this far is an honor, but something tells me these two will have the Steelers lore on their sides, foreshadowing an eshrinement at one point or another.
