On the eve of Super Bowl 53, former New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But while the three-time Super Bowl winner finally earned the famed gold jacket, one of his former teammates and fellow finalists was denied the honor for the time being: former defensive lineman Richard Seymour missed the cut in his first year of eligibility. He will have another chance in 2020, however.
As was announced by the Hall of Fame on Thursday, Seymour once again has made the cut as one of the 15 finalists for induction — a list that also includes short-time offseason Patriots Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne and John Lynch. On February 1, Seymour and the other finalists will be voted on in two rounds and subsequently notified of their status and whether or not they have made it into pro football’s hallowed halls.
The Patriots’ first-round selection in 2001, Seymour spent the first eight seasons of his 12-year career in New England and appeared in 126 games for the franchise before getting traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2009. He played a key role in the New England’s first three Super Bowl-winning runs, was voted to seven Pro Bowls and named to the NFL’s team of the 2000s. He also is a member of both the Patriots’ team of the 2000s and the franchise’s 50th anniversary team.
The full list of Hall of Fame finalists looks as follows:
DB Steve Atwater
OL Tony Boselli
WR Isaac Bruce
DB Leroy Butler
OL Alan Faneca
WR Torry Holt
OL Steve Hutchinson
DB John Lynch
RB Edgerrin James
LB Sam Mills
DB Troy Polamalu
DT Richard Seymour
LB Zach Thomas
WR Reggie Wayne
DT Bryant Young