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Jacksonville Jaguars' Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame
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- Jacksonville Jaguars' Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pride of the Jaguars members Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith have been nominated for another round of Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration.
Taylor, the Jacksonville Jaguars ' all-time leading rusher, and Smith, the team's all-time leading receiver, were among the 128 Modern-Era NFL players on the list of Hall of Fame nominees released on Sept. 24. They joined 75 other offensive players.
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A Hall of Fame screening committee will pare the list to 50 in mid-October, the 50-person Hall of Fame Selection Committee will cut that list to 25 semifinalists later in the fall. Another vote will cut it to 15 Modern Era players and the final list of up to five Modern Era players will be released the week of the Super Bowl.
How many times has Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith been nominated?
Taylor was a finalist for the Class of 2025, the second time he has reached the final list. Smith has not yet made the list of semifinalists. Taylor has been nominated eight times and Smith seven.
Taylor is 17th on the all-time NFL career rushing list with 11,695 ( Derrick Henry of Yulee is 30 yards behind). Every player ahead of him on the list except for Frank Gore is in the Hall of Fame.
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Taylor scored 62 touchdowns for the Jaguars and averaged 4.6 yards per carry.
Smith caught 862 passes for 12,287 yards and 67 touchdowns with the Jaguars. He's 27th all-time in receiving yards.
Tony Boselli , the Jaguars Vice-President for Football Operations, is the only Jaguar in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Who is new on the 2026 list of nominees?
There are 13 players nominated for the first time: QBs Drew Brees , Philip Rivers and Alex Smith ; wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald ; tight ends Greg Olsen and Jason Whitten; running backs Gore and LeSean McCoy ; offensive linemen Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro ; defensive linemen Geno Atkins and Jurrell Casey ; and linebacker Thomas Davis .
The total list also includes 42 defensive players and nine specialists.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith on initial Pro Football Hall of Fame list
