The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced their semifinalists today and once again there is a black and gold feel.
Alan Faneca, a finalist the last five years, and Hines Ward, a semifinalist for the fifth time, are semifinalists for the Class of 2021.
In addition, Bill Nunn was selected as the Contributor Finalist for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021, something that was previously announced. The Coach Finalist, Contributor Finalist and Senior Finalist are voted "yes" or "no" for election at the annual selection meeting and must receive at least 80% support from the Committee to be elected.
The next step is when the semifinalists will be trimmed to 15 Modern-Era finalists.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee will hold their annual meeting the Saturday before the Super Bowl. The finalists will go from 15 to 10, and then down to five. The Class of 2021 will be announced during the 'NFL Honors' show that evening.
The Steelers have three members of the Class of 2020, which is the Hall of Fame's Centennial Class, including Bill Cowher, Troy Polamalu and Donnie Shell. All three were to have been enshrined in August, but that ceremony will now take place in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 Hall of Fame Weekend will take place Aug. 5-8, 2021 in Canton, Ohio. The Steelers will play in the Hall of Fame game on Thursday, Aug. 5, against the Dallas Cowboys after the 2020 game was canceled. The Class of 2020 will be enshrined on Saturday, Aug. 7 and the Class of 2021 on Sunday, Aug. 8.
