ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Three former Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday reached the next round of Pro Football Hall of Fame voting, which shrunk a list of 128 names down to 52.
John Abraham (defensive end/linebacker), Warrick Dunn (running back) and Asante Samuel (cornerback) advanced along with wide receiver Hines Ward, who played at Forest Park and UGA, and defensive end Robert Mathis, who played at McNair High School in Atlanta.
Abraham recorded 133.5 sacks and reached five Pro Bowls. He was twice an All-Pro across 15 seasons in the NFL from 2000-2014 with the Falcons, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.
Dunn was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 12th overall pick in 1997 and went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. He went to three Pro Bowls, and racked up 10,967 yards and 49 touchdowns across 12 seasons - six with the Bucs and six with the Falcons. Dunn reached a Pro Bowl with the Falcons in 2005, when he set career-highs in yards (1,416) and yards per game (88.5).
Samuel, who wrapped up his 11-year career with two seasons in Atlanta, has been vocal about his Hall of Fame case, which include four Pro Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl rings. Samuel earned an All-Pro selection in 2007 with the New England Patriots, with whom he played with from 2003-2007 before spending four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles prior to his stint in Atlanta.
Former Falcons standouts Roddy White, Steven Jackson, Eric Metcalf, DeAngelo Hall and Allen Rossum came up short of making the cut.
The names of the 25 semifinalists will be announced in the coming weeks.
Additionally, the Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced the 12 coaching candidates remain under consideration, including former Falcons head coach Dan Reeves and former offensive line coach Alex Gibbs. Soon, the seniors and contributor categories will be announced.
Ultimately, the selection committee will present 20 finalists next year at their annual meeting ahead of Super Bowl LX, including 15 modern-era players, three seniors, one coach and one contributor.
Having made the final list for the 2025 Hall of Fame class, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri automatically advance as part of the 15 modern-era players.
#### **Full list of nominees:**
Here’s the full list of nominees (\* indicates finalist for the Class of 2025. Italics indicate first year of eligibility):
**QUARTERBACKS** (3): _Drew Brees_, \*Eli Manning, _Philip Rivers_.
**RUNNING BACKS** (8): Warrick Dunn, Eddie George, _Frank Gore_, Marshawn Lynch, _LeSean McCoy_, Lorenzo Neal (FB), \*Fred Taylor, Ricky Watters.
**WIDE RECEIVERS** (7): Anquan Boldin, _Larry Fitzgerald_, \*Torry Holt, Jimmy Smith, \*Steve Smith Sr., Hines Ward, \*Reggie Wayne.
**TIGHT ENDS** (2): _Greg Olsen_, _Jason Witten_.
**OFFENSIVE LINEMEN** (12): \*Willie Anderson (T), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), \*Jahri Evans (G), Olin Kreutz (C), Nick Mangold (C), Logan Mankins (G), _Maurkice Pouncey_ (C), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), \*Marshal Yanda (G).
**DEFENSIVE LINEMEN** (6): John Abraham (DE also LB), Robert Mathis (DE), Haloti Ngata (DT), Simeon Rice (DE), Vince Wilfork (DT/NT), Kevin Williams (DT).
**LINEBACKERS** (4): London Fletcher, James Harrison, \*Luke Kuechly, \*Terrell Suggs.
**DEFENSIVE BACKS** (6): Rodney Harrison (S), Asante Samuel (CB), Earl Thomas (S), Charles Tillman (CB), Troy Vincent (CB), \*Darren Woodson (S).
**PUNTERS/KICKERS** (3): Gary Anderson (K), Shane Lechler (P), \*Adam Vinatieri (K).
**SPECIAL TEAMS** (1): Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB).
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