LaDainian Tomlinson headlines Hall of Fame finalists; Warner, Terrell Davis make it again

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has whittled its list of 26 semifinalists down to 15 finalists, five of whom will be voted in during Super Bowl Week and inducted into Canton this coming summer.

The list of 15 features three big-name newcomers who were eligible for the first time — running back LaDainian Tomlinson, safety Brian Dawkins and defensive end Jason Taylor. Tomlinson, as one of the best two-way backs of his generation, is a near-mortal lock; Dawkins and Taylor figure to get in eventually, if not this year.

But the debate will run hot for some others who deserve strong debate to get in, including finalists from last year’s crop: running back Terrell Davis, quarterback Kurt Warner, wide receiver Terrell Owens, offensive tackle Joe Jacoby, safety John Lynch, offensive guard Alan Faneca, coach Don Coryell and kicker Morten Andersen. Of those, Davis, Warner, Jacoby, Lynch and Coryell all made the final 10 before missing the Hall call when the list was pared down to five inductees.

First-time finalist LaDainian Tomlinson should make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (AP)

Among those missing the cut from 26 to 15 this year: wide receiver Hines Ward, running back Roger Craig, wide receiver Torry Holt, coach Jimmy Johnson, linebacker Clay Matthews, safety Steve Atwater, running back Edgerrin James, offensive tackle Chris Hinton, offensive tackle Mike Kenn, safety Darren Woodson and linebacker Karl Mecklenburg.

Owens deserves to get in. He’s second all-time in receiving yards, third in receiving touchdowns and eighth all-time in receptions. Like him or not, Owens absolutely was one of the most dominant pass catchers of his time.

A fascinating debate continues to brew for Davis and Warner. The two NFL Network analysts each have strong postseason runs and brilliant, but brief stretches where they were among the handful of best players in the league. But their limited runs could hurt them.

Davis, who is 55th all time in rushing (just behind Chris Warren), played only parts of seven seasons and a mere 17 games in his final three seasons combined. But Davis’ 97.5 rush yards per game rank third in NFL annals, and his postseason average of 142.5 in eight playoff games show how pivotal he was during the Denver Broncos two Super Bowl runs, including his famous migraine game in which he was named Super Bowl MVP in the upset over the Green Bay Packers.

Warner didn’t break out until age 27 in his brilliant MVP season in 1999, leading the St. Louis Rams to their only Super Bowl victory. Over the following two seasons, Warner was mostly great again and he got the Rams back in the Super Bowl a second time. He’d return for a third appearance with the Arizona Cardinals in their only time making it, and though Warner owns the three highest passing-yard totals in Super Bowl history, his teams were only 1-2. Are his two incredible stretches to bookend his career — with injuries and limited opportunities in the middle — enough to push him through? It’s a tough call, and voters clearly are divided.