Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers headline semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

One of the most prolific pass-catchers in NFL history and a top-five sack artist are among the 25 semifinalists selected as candidates for election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tight end Antonio Gates and legendary edge rusher Julius Peppers made the cut in their first year of eligibility.

An eight-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time All-Pro, Gates totaled 955 receptions for 11,841 yards and 116 touchdowns, the most TD catches by a tight end in NFL history. Gates is also a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team (2000-09). He spent all 16 of his NFL seasons with the Chargers.

Selected No. 2 overall in the 2003 draft by the Carolina Panthers, Peppers also played for the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers before finishing his 17-year career back in Carolina.

Peppers totaled 159.5 sacks, No. 4 in league history since sacks became an official statistic. He finished with double-digit sacks in 10 seasons. Only Hall of Famers Bruce Smith (13) and Reggie White (12) had more.

Both Gates and Peppers were standout basketball players in college before developing into elite football players in the NFL. Gates played at Kent State, where he took the Golden Flashes to the Elite Eight in 2002. Peppers played at North Carolina, where he was a reserve on the 1999-2000 Tar Heels team that made the Final Four.

The list of semifinalists was reduced from an initial group of 173 nominees announced in September and includes 18 players who were semifinalists for the class of 2023.

To be considered for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a nominated individual must not have participated as an active player for five consecutive seasons.

One other player reached the Semifinalist stage for the first time: Tiki Barber, who retired following the 2006 season.

That list will be trimmed to 15 early next year, with the class of 2024 announced in advance of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas live on the NFL Honors telecast scheduled for Feb. 8.

Joining the 25 semifinalists are four candidates recommended by the Hall of Fame’s coach/contributor committee: Buddy Parker, Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael and Art Powell.

Here’s the full list:

Eric Allen, CB — 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2021-24)

Jared Allen, DE — 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2021-24)

Willie Anderson, T — 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2021-24)

Tiki Barber, RB — 1997-2006 New York Giants (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2024)

Anquan Boldin, WR — 2003-09 Arizona Cardinals, 2010-12 Baltimore Ravens, 2013-15 San Francisco 49ers, 2016 Detroit Lions (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2022-24)

Jahri Evans, G — 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2023-24)

London Fletcher, LB — 1998-2001 St. Louis Rams, 2002-06 Buffalo Bills, 2007-2013 Washington (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2023-24)

Dwight Freeney, DE — 2002-2012 Indianapolis Colts, 2013-14 San Diego Chargers, 2015 Arizona Cardinals, 2016 Atlanta Falcons, 2017 Seattle Seahawks, 2017 Detroit Lions (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2023-24)

Antonio Gates, TE — 2003-2018 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2024)

Eddie George, RB — 1996-2003 Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans, 2004 Dallas Cowboys (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2022, 2024)

James Harrison, LB — 2002-2012, 2014-17 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2013 Cincinnati Bengals, 2017 New England Patriots (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2023-24)

Rodney Harrison, S — 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2021, 2023-24)

Devin Hester, PR/KR/WR — 2006-2013 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Atlanta Falcons, 2016 Baltimore Ravens (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2022-24)

Torry Holt, WR — 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars (Times as a Semifinalist: 10 – 2015-2024)

Andre Johnson, WR — 2003-2014 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Tennessee Titans (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2022-24)

Robert Mathis, DE/LB — 2003-2016 Indianapolis Colts (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2022-24)

Julius Peppers, DE — 2002-09, 2017-18 Carolina Panthers, 2010-13 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Green Bay Packers (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2024)

Steve Smith Sr., WR — 2001-2013 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore Ravens | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2022-24)

Fred Taylor, RB — 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2020-24)

Hines Ward, WR — 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers (Times as a Semifinalist: 8 – 2017-2024)

Ricky Watters, RB — 1992-94 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-97 Philadelphia Eagles, 1998-2001 Seattle Seahawks (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2020, 2022-24)

Reggie Wayne, WR — 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2020-24)

Vince Wilfork, DT — 2004-2014 New England Patriots, 2015-16 Houston Texans (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2022-24)

Patrick Willis, LB — 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2020-24)

Darren Woodson, S — 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys (Times as a Semifinalist: 8 – 2015, 2017, 2019-2024)

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.