Alan Faneca, perhaps the greatest guard in Steelers history, is among the 25 semifinalists for the next Pro Football Hall of Fame class in his first year of eligibility.
Faneca joins a handful of men with ties to the Steelers or Western Pennsylvania on the list. The others include former Steelers linebacker Kevin Greene, former Steelers player and assistant coach Tony Dungy and Aliquippa native Ty Law.
This is Greene’s 10th time in the semifinals, the third for Dungy and the second for Law. Greene and Dungy were among the 15 finalists last year.
Faneca was the Steelers first-round draft pick in 1998 from LSU and played for them 10 seasons beforehe joined the New York Jets in 2008 as a free agent and played for them two years before he finished up his NFL career in 2010 with the Arizona Cardinals.
He was first-team All-Pro six times, made nine Pro Bowls, made the Steelers 75th Anniversary all-time team and was on the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2000s.
The semifinalists will be reduced to the 15 modern-era finalists and from that group the Hall of Fame class of 2016 will be selected on Feb. 6 in San Francisco.
Quarterback Brett Favre and wide receiver Terrell Owens join Faneca among the semifnialists in their first year of eligibility.
The other 19 modern-era semifinalists are kicker Morten Anderson, safeties John Lynch and Steve Atwater, tackles Orlando Pace, Joe Jacoby, Mike Kenn and Tony Boselli, receivers Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, running backs Edgerrin James, Roger Craig and Terrell Davis, coaches Jimmy Johnson and Don Coryell, quarterback Kurt Warner, linebackers Sam Mills and Karl Mecklenburg and center/guard Kevin Mawae.
Eddie DeBartolo Jr., former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, previously was announced as the contributor finalist along with two senior finalists, quarterback Ken Stabler and guard Dick Stanfel.
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter @EdBouchette.
First Published: November 25, 2015, 1:19 a.m.
