INDIANAPOLIS — A pair of Indianapolis Colts legends are one step closer to the Hall of Fame.
Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne were named as finalists for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Tuesday evening. The former teammates are among 15 modern-era finalists, who will be considered for induction by the selection committee during Super Bowl week next month.
Between four and eight new members will be selected in the run-up to this year's Super Bowl in Tampa. They will be inducted along with the 2020 class, which includes former Colts running back Edgerrin James, on Aug. 8, 2021 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Manning and Wayne connected for a 53-yard touchdown to help the Colts defeat Chicago in Super Bowl XLI in Miami in 2007.
A five-time league MVP, Manning held several career passing records when he retired after 17 seasons in the NFL. He played in four Super Bowls, including two with the Colts. He also won Super Bowl 50 as a member of the Denver Broncos. He was a quarterback on the All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
Picked in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, Wayne played all of his 14 seasons in Indianapolis, amassing 14,345 receiving yards and catching 82 touchdowns.
Cornelius Bennett, who was picked second by Indianapolis in the 1987 NFL Draft but was traded to Buffalo before the season and played his final two seasons with the Colts, was also among the semifinalists. He did not make the list of 15 finalists.
The committee will select up to five inductees from the modern-era finalists. Coach Tom Flores, contributor Bill Nunn and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson are also up for consideration. Voting will be held individually and candidates must receive at least 80 percent of the vote for election to the Hall of Fame.
2021 Hall of Fame finalists
QB: Peyton Manning
WR: Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt, Calvin Johnson
OL: Tony Boselli, Alan Faneca
DB: Ronde Barber, LeRoy Butler, John Lynch, Charles Woodson
DL: Jared Allen, Richard Seymour
LB: Clay Matthews Jr., Sam Mills, Zach Thomas
