Bruce a finalist for the Hall of Fame

Isaac Bruce, Don Coryell among Hall of Fame finalists

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/isaac-bruce-don-coryell-among-hall-of-fame-finalists/article_76c32338-07f5-5625-89a2-edd23122eff7.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

Former St. Louis Rams receiver Isaac Bruce and former St. Louis Cardinals coach Don Coryell are among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2019.

First-time eligibles Tony Gonzalez, Ed Reed and Champ Bailey are also among the finalists.

They will be joined in balloting on Feb. 2 by Lutheran North High’s Steve Atwater, Tony Boselli, Alan Faneca, Tom Flores, Steve Hutchinson, Edgerrin James, Ty Law, John Lynch, Kevin Mawae, and Richard Seymour. Although previously eligible, Flores — who coached two Oakland Raiders teams to Super Bowl titles — and longtime defensive lineman Seymour are finalists for the first time.

Bruce is the only wide receiver on this year’s ballot.

Also being considered for induction are senior committee nominee Johnny Robinson, a star safety for Dallas/Kansas City from 1960-71, and contributors finalists Gil Brandt, former personnel director for the Cowboys and now the NFL’s top draft consultant, and Broncos owner Pat Bowlen.

A maximum of eight new members can be elected, five from the modern-era group. Inductions will be Aug. 3 in Canton, Ohio.

Bruce, third-time finalist, spent 13 seasons with the St. Louis Rams and 16 in the NFL. He made the Pro Bowl four times and had 1,024 career receptions for 15,208 yards and 91 TDs. He was the 1996 NFL pass receiving yardage leader.

Coryell, who coached the high-powered offenses of the Cardinals and Chargers in the 1970s and ‘80s, is a five-time finalist.

Gonzalez played 17 seasons with the Chiefs and Falcons, but never made a Super Bowl. No matter: he holds the career record for catches by a tight end with 1,325, second overall behind Jerry Rice, and gained 15,127 yards while scoring 111 touchdowns. His string of 211 straight games with a catch lasted from 2000-13.

Reed spent 12 seasons with the Ravens, Texans and Jets, winning an NFL title in 2012. He’s one of two players to lead the NFL in interceptions three times (2004, 2008, 2010) and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2004.

Bailey played 15 seasons with Washington and Denver and was a three-time All-Pro. Considered one of the game’s best cover cornerbacks, he had a career-high 10 interceptions in 2006.

Lynch, a standout safety for Tampa Bay and Denver, becomes a finalist for the sixth straight year.

At Lutheran North, Atwater starred in football as a quarterback and also played basketball, baseball and ran track. He was also the school’s Post-Dispatch Scholar-Athlete in 1984. He made the transition from QB to safety at Arkansas, where he was a three-time all-conference player and a two-time All-American. Drafted 20th overall in 1989 by the Denver Broncos, the hard-hitting Atwater was named to eight Pro Bowls and won two of the three Super Bowls he appeared in. A member of the NFL’s 1990’s All-Decade team, he was a first-team All-Pro in 1991 and 1992 and earned second-team honors in 1996, Atwater spent 10 of 11 NFL seasons with the Broncos, finishing up in 1999 with the New York Jets. He wrapped up his career with 1,074 solo tackles and 24 interceptions.

In all there, are three safeties, two cornerbacks, two offensive tackles, two coaches, one guard, one center, one tight end, one running back, one wide receiver and one defensive lineman as finalists.