NEWSLETTER
Yeah, I’m still pretty steamed that Devin Hester wasn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Even still … it is only a matter of time before Hester gets the knock and an invite to Canton where he will be enshrined to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Hester, and 27 other modern-era Hall of Fame candidates took another step toward the hallowed halls of Canton on Tuesday. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 28 semifinalists for the Class of 2023, which includes The Greatest Return Specialist in the History of the World:
Hester, who is in the second year of eligibility, joins yet another star-studded class. First-year candidates Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis, Jahri Evans, Dwight Freeney, and James Harrison are among the headliners of this group. Other notable semifinalists whose names might ring a bell include Jared Allen, Torry Holt, Patrick Willis, Zach Thomas, Steve Smith, and Darren Woodson.
You can see the full list of semifinalists below:
What’s next for Hester and the gang? This collection of semifinalists will get trimmed to 15 Modern-Era Player finalists. From there, the Hall of Fame’s 49-person selection committee will make their picks to be announced on Feb. 9 — just one day before Super Bowl LVII. It’ll take 80 percent of the vote from the committee to ultimately make the cut. And while Hester should’ve made it last year, he has gotten assurances that his time will come. Maybe it’ll be more fitting if No. 23 headlines the Class of ’23. We’ll see how it plays out.
