January 02, 2018
For the second straight year, a pair of former Eagles players are among the 15 finalists for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
After being snubbed – for a kicker, no less – in their first year on the ballot, safety Brian Dawkins and wide receiver Terrell Owens will find out whether or not they'll be receiving gold jackets and busts in Canton.
The other 13 modern-era finalists are:
• WRs Randy Moss, Isaac Bruce (and Owens)
• RB Edgerrin James
• LBs Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher
• OTs Tony Boselli, Joe Jacoby
• OGs Alan Faneca, Steve Hutchinson
• C Kevin Mawae
• CBs Ty Law, Everson Walls
• S John Lynch (and Dawkins)
Anywhere from four and eight players are expected to get the call, but those won't be announced until February 3, the day before Super Bowl LII, in Minneapolis.
Brian Dawkins has been named a #PFHOF18 Finalist! pic.twitter.com/m4bu9yLTGS
— Pro Football HOF (@ProFootballHOF) January 3, 2018
Dawkins, drafted out of Clemson by the Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft, posted some impressive numbers during a 16-year career in which he was selected to nine Pro Bowls and named first-team All-Pro four times. He still holds the Eagles records for interceptions and forced fumbles and recorded an impressive 21.5 sacks from the safety position. He was also the first player in NFL history with a sack, interception, fumble recovery and touchdown catch in the same game (2002 vs. HOU).
In 2012, his number was retired by the Eagles, with whom he played 13 seasons. And he has been named a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s, which shouldn't be surprising when you look at his numbers compared to the other top safeties of his era.
| Player (yrs) | Tackles | Sacks | FF-FR | INT |
| Brian Dawkins (16) | 1131 | 26 | 37-16 | 37 |
| Rodney Harrison (15) | 1198 | 30.5 | 16-6 | 34 |
| John Lynch (15) | 1051 | 13 | 16-8 | 26 |
| Troy Polamalu (12) | 771 | 12 | 14-7 | 32 |
| Ed Reed (13) | 644 | 6 | 11-10 | 64 |
Currently, Dawkins works as a Football Operations Executive for the Eagles, where he helps with player development. For an in-depth look back at his career, check out this feature on him from back when he was voted the "Greatest Living Eagle" in 2015.
.@terrellowens has been named a #PFHOF18 Finalist! pic.twitter.com/jzWvJiMlSm
— Pro Football HOF (@ProFootballHOF) January 3, 2018
Owens had a much shorter stint with the Birds, only spending two seasons in Philly. But, like Dawkins, he was a member of the 2004 team that reached the Super Bowl. And while he had one of the best seasons ever for an Eagles wideout that year, the bulk of his stats came elsewhere.
| YR | TM | REC | YDS | TD |
| 1996 | SFO | 35 | 520 | 4 |
| 1997 | SFO | 60 | 936 | 8 |
| 1998 | SFO | 67 | 1097 | 14 |
| 1999 | SFO | 60 | 754 | 4 |
| 2000 | SFO | 97 | 1451 | 13 |
| 2001 | SFO | 93 | 1412 | 16 |
| 2002 | SFO | 100 | 1300 | 13 |
| 2003 | SFO | 80 | 1102 | 9 |
| 2004 | PHI | 77 | 1200 | 14 |
| 2005 | PHI | 47 | 763 | 6 |
| 2006 | DAL | 85 | 1180 | 13 |
| 2007 | DAL | 81 | 1355 | 15 |
| 2008 | DAL | 69 | 1052 | 10 |
| 2009 | BUF | 55 | 829 | 5 |
| 2010 | CIN | 72 | 983 | 9 |
| TOT | - - - | 1078 | 15934 | 153 |
They're not going to be able to justify keeping a guy with that kind of resume out of Canton much longer.
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