Five Miami Hurricanes legends among Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists

Miami Hurricanes legends, wide receivers Andre Johnson in his year of eligibility and Reggie Wayne, kick returner Devin Hester, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and punter Jeff Feagles are four of the 122 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All five are members of the Miami Sports Hall of Fame.

Johnson led the NFL twice in receptions, twice in receiving yards and three times in receiving yards per game. During a 14-year NFL career, Johnson was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and was All-Pro twice. Johnson finished his NFL career 11th with 1,062 receptions and 14,185 receiving yards.

Wayne is 10th in NFL history in receptions and receiving yards and 25th in receiving touchdowns. Prior to his NFL career, Wayne set the Miami Hurricanes record with 173 receptions and is second all-time just 37 yards behind his former Miami Hurricanes teammate Santana Moss with 2,510 receiving yards.

Hester ranks in the top 10 in nearly every return record in NFL History. There are no players who mostly were kick returners in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hester holds the NFL records for non-offensive touchdowns and punt return TDs. In nine NFL seasons, Hester made four Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro three times.

Wilfork was a key part of the Patriots dynasty at nose tackle. Playing in the middle of the Patriots’ defensive line, Wilfork did not put up big stats. In 13 NFL seasons, Wilfork made five Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro in 2012. Wilfork is ninth all-time with 22 playoff games started and 10th with 24 played.

Feagles played 21 years in the NFL with five different teams. The all-time leader in NFL history in punts and punting yards, Feagles ranks fourth in games played. Feagles was the punter for the Giants when they defeated the Patriots in Superbowl XLII. Feagles finished his career 109th averaging 41.6 yards per punt.

Johnson is the most likely of the four to get elected to the Hall of Fame. Hester has the resume. The candidacy for Hester will be if the electorate decides they want to add a player who was primarily a kick returner. Punter Ray Guy and kickers Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen are the only specialists in the Hall of Fame.

Being a part of the Patriots dynasty and reliable in the playoffs will help Wilfork. As a nose tackle, Wilfork did not put up the numbers electors will look at for the Hall of Fame. It would be shocking for Feagles to be elected based on his ranking of 109th in career punting average. The other numbers were a result of longevity.