Dolphins greats once again named semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Dolphins legends Mark Clayton and Bob Kuechenberg were named semifinalists Wednesday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
The two were among 31 candidates listed in the seniors category. The 12-person Seniors Committee will now vote to reduce the group to 12 players for the finalists stage. Every member of the seniors category last played professional football no later than the 1998 season. The finalists will be announced July 27.
Clayton, 62, is tied for 21st in NFL history in receiving touchdowns (84) and he holds Dolphins franchise record for touchdown catches, as well as receptions (550). His 8,643 receiving yards rank second in Dolphins history, just behind Mark Duper. The 223rd overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, Clayton played in Miami from 1983 to 1992.
“I believe there are certain boxes a Hall of Fame receiver has to check,” Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott told the Miami Herald in 2021. Lott, as well as Hall of Famers such as Eric Dickerson, Mike Haynes and former teammate Dan Marino, have previously advocated for Clayton to be in the Hall.
Lott added: “It starts with you got to have all the ingredients Clayton had that. And your stats have to be in the same vein as the other receivers that are a part of it. And knowing that his statistics are in the vein of Drew Pearson and Lynn Swann and Michael Irvin and many of the great receivers, that tells me Mark Clayton belongs.”
Kuechenberg was a member of the Dolphins’ undefeated team in 1972 and played 196 games on the offensive line, primarily at guard, for Miami in the 1970s and early years of the 80s. A two-time champion, six-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro selection, Kuechenberg was a finalist for the Hall of Fame from 2002 to 2009. Kuechenberg, a fourth-round pick in the 1969 Draft, died in 2019 of a heart attack.
“I’ve coached a lot of Hall of Fame players, including a number of offensive linemen, and Kooch was as good as any of them. I hope one day he gets that ultimate recognition,” the late Don Shula, who coached Kuechenberg, told the Miami Herald in 2019.
The Seniors Committee will meet on Aug. 22 to select up to three seniors for final consideration as members of the Class of 2024. Expansion of the Seniors pool for election to the Hall was approved in 2022 for the Classes of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The other semifinalists for the seniors category are Ken Anderson, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Maxie Baughan, Larry Brown, Charlie Conerly, Roger Craig, Henry Ellard, Randy Gradishar, Lester Hayes, Chris Hinton, Cecil Isbell, Joe Jacoby, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Mike Kenn, George Kunz, Albert Lewis, Jim Marshall, Clay Matthews Jr., Steve McMichael, Eddie Meador, Stanley Morgan, Tommy Nobis, Art Powell, Sterling Sharpe, Steve Tasker, Otis Taylor, Everson Walls and Al Wistert.
