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Ken Anderson, L.C. Greenwood among among 9 Pro Football Hall of Fame senior semifinalists
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- Ken Anderson, L.C. Greenwood among among 9 Pro Football Hall of Fame senior semifinalists
Ken Anderson , the quarterback who led the Cincinnati Bengals to the first Super Bowl appearance by an Ohio team, is one of nine semifinalists in the seniors category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame 's Class of 2026.
Anderson advanced from a group of 31 from a previous reduction vote. Iconic Browns linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. was in the group of 31 but did not advance to the semifinals.
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L.C. Greenwood, a defensive end from the "Steel Curtain" defense that led Pittsburgh to four Super Bowl wins in the 1970s, did advance.
Anderson was in his 11th year with the Bengals when they advanced from a 12-4 regular season to a spot in Super Bowl XVI, in which they lost a late lead and fell to the 49ers 26-21 on Jan. 24, 1982.
The Bengals since have been in two competitive Super Bowl losses, with Boomer Esiason and Joe Burrow at quarterback. Ohio's other NFL team, the Browns , has not been to a Super Bowl.
Sept. 21, 1975: Cincinnati Bengals head coach Paul Brown stands on the sideline with quarterback Ken Anderson (14) during the 1975 season at Riverfront Stadium. Malcolm Emmons/USA TODAY Sports
Anderson posted an 83-63 record in his 11 seasons as the Bengals' primary starter. He played 16 years overall, 1971-86.
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Joining Anderson and Greenwood as semifinalists are Roger Craig, Henry Ellard, Joe Jacoby, Eddie Meador, Stanley Morgan, Steve Tasker and Otis Taylor.
Prior to the Super Bowl, 20 overall finalists for the Class of 2026 will be presented at the selection committee's annual meeting: 15 modern-era players, three seniors, one coach and one contributor
Here are short bios on each of the nine seniors semifinalists:
Dec 1977; Cincinnati, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson (14) in action during the 1977 season at Riverfront Stadium.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 seniors semifinalists
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Ken Anderson:Quarterback (1971-86) A four-time pro-bowler who started at quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1971-86. League MVP for the 1981 season. Finished career with 32,838 passing yards and 197 passing touchdowns.
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Roger Craig:Running back (1983-93) First NFL player to total 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season and won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. Spent eight seasons with the 49ers (1983-90), one with the Los Angeles Raiders (1991) and two with the Minnesota Vikings (1992-93). Totaled 13,100 yards from scrimmage and scored 73 TDs.
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Henry Ellard:Wide receiver (1983-98) In 228 career games, totaled 814 receptions for 13,777 yards and 65 TDs. Yardage total still ranks 15th in NFL history. Surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in a season seven times, with a league-leading 1,414 yards in 1988.
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L.C. Greenwood:Defensive end (1969-81) Four-time Super Bowl winner as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers' "Steel Curtain" defense. First-team All-Pro twice and six-time Pro Bowl honoree. A 10th-round draft pick, he recorded 78 career sacks (unofficially, as the statistic wasn't recognized until 1982).
Nov 21, 1976; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle L.C. Greenwood (68) in action against the Houston Oilers at Three Rivers Stadium.
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Joe Jacoby:Offensive lineman (1981-93) During his 13-year career, all with the Washington , Jacoby won three Super Bowls, twice earned first-team All-Pro honors and was named to the Pro Bowl four consecutive seasons (1983-86).
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Eddie Meador:Cornerback (1959-70) Meador played his entire career with the Los Angeles Rams , where he earned two first-team All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowl invitations. He is a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s who finished his career with 46 interceptions, which remains a Rams franchise record.
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Stanley Morgan:Wide receiver (1977-90) Posted the most yards per reception (19.2) in NFL history among players with more than 500 career receptions and made four Pro Bowls with the New England Patriots . He is still New England's all-time leader in receiving yards (10,352). He played his final NFL season with the Indianapolis Colts .
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Steve Tasker:Special teams/wide receiver (1985-97) Elected to seven Pro Bowls, six consecutively (1990-95), as a special teams phenom for the Buffalo Bills during their run to four Super Bowl appearances in the 1990s. Spot contributor at wide receiver and in return game but known best for kick and punt coverage on special teams.
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Otis Taylor:Wide receiver (1965-75) Taylor won a Super Bowl IV ring with the Kansas City Chiefs , earned two Pro Bowl selections, two first-team All-Pro selections, an AFL All-Star selection and won two AFL championships during his 10-year career. He led the AFL in TD receptions in 1967 and the NFL in receiving yards in 1971
1974; Unknown location, USA; FILE PHOTO; Kansas City Chiefs receiver Otis Taylor (89) on the field during the 1974 season.
Pro Football Hall of Fame seniors nominees selection process
Members of the seniors committee, who also serve on the Hall's full selection committee, will meet virtually Nov. 25 to discuss these nine semifinalists and choose three finalists for the Class of 2026. Those three finalists will be revealed Dec. 3. The seniors category this cycle began with 182 candidates before a series of reduction votes this fall took the number down to the current nine.
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Class of 2026 Hall of Fame coach, contributor semifinalists
The coach and contributor categories also recently were reduced to nine semifinalists. From each of those categories, one finalist will emerge for consideration to be in the Class of 2026.
The nine coaches are Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Mike Shanahan.
The nine contributor semifinalists are K.S. "Bud" Adams, Roone Arledge, Ralph Hay, Frank "Bucko" Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Rooney Jr., Clark Shaughnessy, Seymour Siwoff and Buddy Young.
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Hall of Fame selection process
Eventually, 20 finalists will be presented at the selection committee's annual meeting next year in advance of Super Bowl 60: 15 modern-era players, three seniors, one coach and one contributor. While there is no set number of enshrinees for any class, the Hall of Fame's selection process bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new members will be selected.
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ken Anderson, L.C. Greenwood among 9 Hall of Fame senior semifinalists
