Twenty-eight players were announced Tuesday as semifinalists for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
More than a quarter of them played at least part of their careers with the New England Patriots.
Among the former Patriots to reach the semifinal round of Hall of Fame voting were safety Rodney Harrison and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, both of whom already are enshrined in the Patriots Hall of Fame. It was the second semifinal nod for each player, with both falling short of the final round last year.
Head coach Bill Belichick has publicly made Hall of Fame cases for Harrison and Wilfork in the past, saying both "absolutely" would get his vote.
"Vince is almost impossible -- he's impossible to block in the running game, and in the passing game, there's some guys that match up against him, but his overall strength and athleticism for his size was pretty impressive," Belichick said last year. "... I've coached some of the other safeties that have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and not taking anything away from them, but certainly Rodney Harrison belongs in that conversation."
Super Bowl XLIX champion Darrelle Revis also made the cut in his first year of eligibility. Revis spent just one season in New England but was one of the best players on a title-winning defense.
Rounding out the list of Patriots alums on this year's semifinal ballot were running back Fred Taylor, linebacker James Harrison, wide receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne and tight end Henry Ellard, all of whom logged short stints in Foxboro, Mass.
Taylor finished his career with the Patriots in 2008 and 2009. Harrison joined them just before the 2017 playoffs and retired after Super Bowl LII. Ellard played half of his final season in New England in 1998, and Holt and Wayne both had a cup of coffee with the Patriots in training camp after stellar runs with the St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.
This pool of 28 NFL greats will be trimmed to 15 finalists before the official 2023 class is announced next August.
Former Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year, joining ex-teammates Ty Law, Randy Moss and Junior Seau in Canton.
