JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fred Taylor’s await the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame continues.
The previous Jaguars working again was a finalist for the second consecutive season however missed out on enshrinement to Canton when the nominees have been introduced in the course of the NFL Honors present on Thursday night time.
Edge Jared Allen (Vikings), receiver Sterling Sharpe (Packers), cornerback Eric Allen (Eagles) and tight finish Antonio Gates (Chargers) have been the choices. Solely 4 gamers have been voted for enshrinement as a substitute of the utmost of 5. Not entering into to Canton this time was Giants quarterback Eli Manning, considerably of a shock as a two-time Tremendous Bowl champ.
It was disappointing however not solely sudden for Taylor.
Taylor rushed for 11,695 yards in his profession, a quantity that ranks seventeenth in NFL historical past. Taylor scored 66 speeding touchdowns and had one other eight receiving throughout a profession that spanned from 1998 to 2010. He spent all however two of these seasons in Jacksonville, ending up his time with New England. The knock on Taylor’s candidacy is that he performed in small market Jacksonville, made only one Professional Bowl in 13 seasons and struggled with accidents.
Of the 16 gamers forward of Taylor on the profession speeding checklist, 14 are within the Corridor of Fame. The one two who aren’t, Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson, aren’t but eligible.
It was additionally a tough path to the Corridor for Jacksonville’s lone participant in Canton, Tony Boselli. Boselli was a five-time Professional Bowl choice and a three-time All-Professional whose profession was minimize quick by shoulder accidents when the Jaguars made him obtainable for the Texans within the NFL enlargement draft in 2002. Houston took him first within the draft however Boselli by no means performed for the workforce. Boselli was elected in his sixteenth 12 months of eligibility and his sixth time as a finalist in 2022.
For Taylor, the trail is for certain to get more difficult within the coming years.
The checklist of gamers eligible for the Corridor for the primary time subsequent 12 months embody quarterbacks Drew Brees and Phillip Rivers, receiver Larry Fitzgerald, working again Gore and middle Maurkice Pouncey. In 2027, working again Peterson, tight finish Rob Gronkowski, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and security Eric Weddle are among the many eligible first timers on the poll.
Exterior of Boselli, the realm has a handful of gamers who starred at native excessive faculties have been elected to Canton.
Bob Hayes of Matthew Gilbert, Champ Bailey of Charlton County Excessive, Lee’s LeRoy Butler and Raines’ Brian Dawkins and Harold Carmichael) have been enshrined within the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame. The subsequent native participant who may attain the Corridor is working again Derrick Henry, who ranks nineteenth in NFL historical past with 11,423 speeding yards (11,423). Henry has reached 5 Professional Bowls, been a primary workforce All-Professional as soon as and a second-team choice twice. Henry was additionally the Offensive Participant of the 12 months in 2020 when he rushed for a career-high 2,027 yards.
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