Mark Clayton, who has the second-most receiving yards in Dolphins historical past, and Bob Kuechenberg, a sturdy guard throughout Miami’s championship seasons, had been amongst 54 seniors, coaches and contributors named as semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 on Thursday.
Clayton, who was an eighth-round decide within the 1983 draft that introduced the Dolphins Dan Marino, had 5 seasons of a minimum of 1,000 yards receiving and 4 the place he had a minimum of 10 touchdowns. His 18 receiving scores in 1984 was an NFL report and stood until 1987 when Jerry Rice scored 22 occasions by means of the air in solely 12 video games throughout that strike-shortened season. Clayton made 5 Pro Bowls.
Kuechenberg, a six-time Pro Bowl choice who died at 71 in 2019, missed solely 5 video games of the 201 the Dolphins performed within the common season throughout his profession, and he began the 1974 Super Bowl towards the Minnesota Vikings carrying a solid on an arm he fractured in December of that common season. A month later, Kuechenberg and firm opened massive holes for Larry Csonka in Houston and Miami rolled 24-7 to finish a 32-2 two-year run (a .941 win proportion) with two NFL titles, unmatched in league historical past for 2 seasons.
Kuechenberg was an eight-time Hall finalist in common voting, along with his closing flip getting turned away on the ultimate minimize being in 2009. No different participant who has been a finalist as many as eight occasions has been denied enshrinement in Canton, Ohio.
Among the best-credentialed of the 25 former gamers are four-time Pro Bowl Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson; do-it-all working again Roger Craig, who scored three touchdowns towards the Dolphins within the San Francisco 49ers’ 38-16 win within the 1985 Super Bowl; return specialist Billy “White Shoes” Johnson; and Raiders five-time Pro Bowl CB Lester Hayes.
The remaining checklist of gamers are linebackers Randy Gradishar, Maxie Baughan, Clay Matthews Jr., Tommy Nobis and Chuck Howley; huge receivers Otis Taylor, Sterling Sharpe and Stanley Morgan; finish LaVern Dilweg; offensive lineman Chris Hinton; two-way participant Cecil Isbell; offensive tackles Joe Jacoby, George Kunz and Mike Kenn; defensive linemen Joe Klecko and Jim Marshall and cornerbacks Eddie Meador, Ken Riley and Everson Walls.
Mike Shanahan, who coached the Denver Broncos to consecutive Super Bowl titles within the late Nineties, and Mike Holmgren, who took the Green Bay Packers to their first NFL title in 29 years in 1997, had been named as coach/contributor semifinalists, joined by 27 others, together with New England Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft and longtime Raiders CEO Amy Trask.
The remaining checklist of coaches/contributors: former Oilers/Titans proprietor Ok.S. “Bud” Adams Jr.; tv government and producer Roone Arledge; longtime Oilers/Titans scout C.O. Brocato; coach Don Coryell; athletic coach Otho Davis; former Canton Bulldogs proprietor Ralph Hay; front-office executives John McVay, Carl Peterson and Frank “Bucko” Kilroy; scout Eddie Kotal; basic supervisor Rich McKay; former Browns/Ravens proprietor Art Modell, Cowboys founder Clint Murchison Jr.; coach Buddy Parker; coach Dan Reeves; journalist Lee Remmel; Steelers vice chairman Art Rooney Jr.; coach Marty Schottenheimer; officers Jim Tunney and Jerry Seeman; coach Clark Shaughnessy; Elias Sports Bureau proprietor Seymour Siwoff; scouts Jack Vainisi and Lloyd Wells and John Wooten.
The respective choice committees will vote to ship 12 seniors and 12 coach/contributors to the finalists stage. Those outcomes shall be introduced July 27.
Each semifinalist performed his final recreation in skilled soccer no later than the 1996 season.
The Seniors Committee will meet Aug. 16 to pick as much as three seniors for closing consideration as members of the Class of 2023. Expansion of the seniors pool for election to the Hall was authorized earlier this 12 months for the Classes of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Coach/Contributor Committee members will meet Aug. 23 to pick one coach or contributor for closing consideration for the Class of 2023.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com