Dolphins great Zach Thomas named Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist for fifth time
Dolphins great Zach Thomas was named one of 28 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 on Tuesday. It’s the fifth consecutive year the 13-year linebacker has been named a semifinalist.
Thomas, 49, has been on the ballot for a decade now and advanced to the 15-person modern-era final ballot for the third consecutive time last year before falling short of the honor.
“Man, I don’t ever want anybody to feel sorry for me,” Thomas told the Miami Herald in February after he was denied entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022. “I got the best out of myself and the game gave me so much. I can put time in with my kids because of football. Why would I ever complain on a game that’s the best honor in the world? That’s just not me. The game’s been so good to me.”
Thomas, a fifth-round pick by the Dolphins in the 1996 NFL Draft, totaled 1,734 total tackles, 20.5 sacks, 17 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and four touchdowns during his 13-year career — the first 12 of which were with the Dolphins (1996-2007).
A member of the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 2000s, Thomas was also named first- or second-team All-Pro seven times and a seven-time Pro Bowler.
The next step in the selection process is cutting the list to 15 modern-era player finalists. Then, there is a vote that reduces the modern-era finalists list from 15 to 10. Another vote reduces the list to five finalists and the remaining finalists are voted on individually. A finalist must receive at least 80 percent of the vote from the selection committee for enshrinement.
The Hall of Fame’s 49-person selection committee will select the Class of 2023 in advance of Super Bowl 57 in Glendale, Arizona. The class will be announced live on the “NFL Honors” telecast at 9 p.m. on Feb. 9.
Three former Miami Hurricanes — Devin Hester, Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne - were also named semifinalists for the Class of 2023 again. It’s the second consecutive year Hester and Johnson have been named semifinalists and the fourth consecutive time for Wayne.
Class of 2023 Modern-Era Player Semifinalists
- Eric Allen, CB – 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders
- Jared Allen, DE – 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers
- Willie Anderson, T – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
- Ronde Barber, CB/S – 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Anquan Boldin, WR – 2003-09 Arizona Cardinals, 2010-12 Baltimore Ravens, 2013-15 San Francisco 49ers, 2016 Detroit Lions
- Henry Ellard, WR – 1983-1993 Los Angeles Rams, 1994-98 Washington Redskins, 1998 New England Patriots
- Jahri Evans, G – 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers
- London Fletcher, LB – 1998-2001 St. Louis Rams, 2002-06 Buffalo Bills, 2007-2013 Washington Redskins
- Dwight Freeney, DE – 2002-2012 Indianapolis Colts, 2013-14 San Diego Chargers, 2015 Arizona Cardinals, 2016 Atlanta Falcons, 2017 Seattle Seahawks, 2017 Detroit Lions
- James Harrison, LB – 2002-2012, 2014-17 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2013 Cincinnati Bengals, 2017 New England Patriots
- Rodney Harrison, S – 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots
- Devin Hester, PR/KR/WR – 2006-2013 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Atlanta Falcons, 2016 Baltimore Ravens
- Torry Holt, WR – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars
- Andre Johnson, WR – 2003-2014 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Tennessee Titans
- Albert Lewis, CB – 1983-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-98 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
- Robert Mathis, DE/LB – 2003-2016 Indianapolis Colts
- Darrelle Revis, CB – 2007-2012, 2015-16 New York Jets, 2013 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2014 New England Patriots, 2017 Kansas City Chiefs
- Steve Smith Sr., WR – 2001-2013 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore Ravens
- Fred Taylor, RB – 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots
- Joe Thomas, T – 2007-2017 Cleveland Browns
- Zach Thomas, LB – 1996-2007 Miami Dolphins, 2008 Dallas Cowboys
- Hines Ward, WR – 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers
- DeMarcus Ware, LB/DE – 2005-2013 Dallas Cowboys, 2014-16 Denver Broncos
- Ricky Watters, RB – 1992-94 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-97 Philadelphia Eagles, 1998-2001 Seattle Seahawks
- Reggie Wayne, WR – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts
- Vince Wilfork, DT – 2004-2014 New England Patriots, 2015-16 Houston Texans
- Patrick Willis, LB – 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers
- Darren Woodson, S – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys
