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Two Steelers Legends Named Hall of Fame Semifinalists

The Pittsburgh Steelers have two greats among the 25 semifinalists.

Noah Strackbein

Feb 5, 2006; Detroit, MI, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver (86) Hines Ward is tackled by Seattle Seahawks safety Michael Coulware (28) in the third quarter of Super Bowl XL at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
Feb 5, 2006; Detroit, MI, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver (86) Hines Ward is tackled by Seattle Seahawks safety Michael Coulware (28) in the third quarter of Super Bowl XL at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- Two Pittsburgh Steelers legends have been named as class of 2025 Hall of Fame semifinalists. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced their list of the 25 modern-era semifinalists for 2025, which includes Pittsburgh greats James Harrison and Hines Ward.

For Ward, the wide receiver has now been named a Hall of Fame semifinalist nine times. The Super Bowl XL MVP racked up 1,000 catches, 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns throughout his 14-year career. His resume also includes two Super Bowl rings, three All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl appearances.

Possibly the hardest hitting wide receiver the NFL has ever seen, there has been an argument for Ward to make the Hall of Fame since he retired. However, with Anquon Boldin, Steve Smith Sr., Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne also named semifinalists, he'll have competition once again.

As for Harrison, this is his second nomination as a semifinalist, with his first year of eligibility coming last year. The five-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year was one of the most historic names in Pittsburgh history. Within a franchise full of legendary defensive players, Harrison finished his career near the top.

The edge rusher and four-time All-Pro finished his career with 84.5 sacks, which was the franchise's all-time record until broken by T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward.

The 25 semifinalists will be trimmed to a list of 15 finalists near the end of the year. Then, the 2025 class will be announced during the NFL Honors in February.

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

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