The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee elected five Modern-Era Players to round out the Class of 2020 on Saturday in Miami.
The honorees include safety Steve Atwater, wide receiver Isaac Bruce, guard Steve Hutchinson, running back Edgerrin James and safety Troy Polamalu. The newly elected Hall of Famers were chosen from a list of 15 finalists, which were determined by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee.
Atwater played 11 seasons in the NFL (10 with the Denver Broncos, one with the New York Jets) and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s. Bruce, a receiver with both the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49ers played 16 seasons with eight 1,000-yard campaigns. Hutchinson played 12 seasons in the NFL including stops with the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans prior to being named to NFL All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
James won four division titles with the Indianapolis Colts, playing 11 years in the league en route to being selected to the NFL’s All Decade Team of the 2000s. And lastly, Polamalu, who played all 12 years of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was voted to eight Pro Bowls, named First-Team All-Pro four times and was a member of the NFL’s All Decade Team of the 2000s.
Former New England Patriot Richard Seymour was snubbed by the Hall of Fame as a second-year finalist.
The five Modern-Era players will represent the Class of 2020 along with the Centennial Slate of 15 Hall of Famers, who were picked by a special Blue-Ribbon Panel in January.
Those inductees include coaches Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson, contributors Steve Sabol, Paul Tagliabue and George Young, as well as seniors Harold Carmichael, Jimbo Covert, Bobby Dillon, Cliff Harris, Winston Hill, Alex Karras, Donnie Shell, Duke Slater, Mac Speedie and Ed Sprinkle.
The Modern-Era players for the Class of 2020 can be seen on stage during the two-hour NFL Honors awards special, which will air tonight at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
