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Jaguars' Fred Taylor named semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2025 class
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- Jaguars' Fred Taylor named semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2025 class
Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor has been named a semifinalist among the 25 modern-era players for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 . The announcement was made Wednesday.
This will be the sixth time Taylor has been named a semifinalist since his retirement in 2011.
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Jaguars legend, wide receiver Jimmy Smith , failed to make the semifinalist list again, edged out by multiple other receivers from his era including former Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne , Arizona Cardinals ' Anquan Boldin , St. Louis Rams' Torry Holt, Carolina Panthers ' Steve Smith and Pittsburgh Steelers ' Hines Ward.
WHO'S UP NEXT? With Tony Boselli in, which Jags should be next for the Hall of Fame? | Gene Frenette
Former Jaguars' running back Fred Taylor (28), ranked 17th all-time with 11,695 rushing yards, is a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist for the second time. History says he will eventually make it to Canton, but Taylor may have to wait a while longer with such a stacked group of stars vying to get into the 2025 class.
Taylor, 48, was selected by the Jaguars in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft (ninth overall). He played 11 years in Jacksonville, becoming the team's franchise leader in rushing yards with 11,271. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Taylor added 62 rushing touchdowns, 286 receptions for 2,361 yards and eight receiving touchdowns with Jacksonville.
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Taylor was instrumental in the team's playoff runs during the 98-99 seasons and again in 2005 and 2007.
Taylor gained 11,695 rushing yards and 14,079 yards from scrimmage in his career. He played his final two seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots , gaining 424 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Taylor ranks 17th all-time in NFL rushing yards. Every player besides RB Frank Gore (eligible in 2026) ahead of Taylor on the list is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Fred Taylor will know his Pro Football Hall of Fame fate early in 2025
The 25 players nominated, reduced from 167 initial candidates , will be whittled down to 15 finalists presented at the Selection Committee's annual meeting next year in advance of Super Bowl LIX. The shrink-down will also include three seniors, one coach and one contributor.
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Former Jaguars head coach, general manager and executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin is among the coaching candidates to be selected from during the meeting. The finalists for the Seniors, Coach and Contributor categories will be announced sometime in December.
Once the finalist lists are set in stone, the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 will be announced at "NFL Honors" in New Orleans , La., in February, enshrined in August in Canton.
The Jaguars have one former player in the Hall of Fame, former Jaguars left tackle Tony Boselli. Boselli was inducted in 2022.
Who else was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
The semifinalists also include CB Eric Allen , DE Jared Allen , OT Willie Anderson, G Jahri Evans, TE Antonio Gates , LB James Harrison , S Rodney Harrison, LB Luke Kuechly , QB Eli Manning , DE/LB Robert Mathis , LB/DE Terrell Suggs , DB Earl Thomas , PK Adam Vinatieri , RB Ricky Watters, OT Richmond Webb, DT Vince Wilfork , OG Steve Wisniewski, S Darren Woodson and G/T Marshal Yanda .
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Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars' Fred Taylor named 2025 Hall of Fame semifinalist
