Jaguars Legends Take This Major Step Toward Hall of Fame

A day after former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin advanced in his Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy, two more Jaguars legends have done the same.

Hall of Fame News

Jacksonville Jaguars legends Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith each took a key step toward their hall of fame candidacy, joining a group of 52 players who have advanced in Hall of Fame voting.

"Fifty-two Modern-Era Players have advanced in the voting process for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 presented by Visual Edge IT. Candidates for the Hall in this category last could have appeared in a professional football game in the 2020 season," the Hall of Fame said.

fred taylor jaguars — 97 Jason Fisk, DT (How many Titans have worn the number: 6) Here, Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Fisk (97) tackles Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor in their 33-14 victory in the AFC Championship game Jan. 23, 2000 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville. Nfl Playoffs Jacksonville Jaguars Vs Tennessee Titans | Delinda Karnehm / Florida Today via Imagn Content Services, LLC

"Each member of the Modern-Era Players Screening Committee, an entity created a year ago to make the first reductions from the original list of nominees, cast a ballot for 50 individuals whom they believe should be considered for election. This year’s roster of nominees included 128 names — 77 offensive players, 42 defensive players and nine special teams players

During Smith's epic run with the Jaguars, he made five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1997-2001 and led the NFL at that time with a combined 479 catches and 6,728 yards, along with 34 touchdown catches.

Sep 19, 1999; Charlotte, NC, USA; FILE PHOTO: Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith (82) in action against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James D. Smith-Imagn Images | James D. Smith-Imagn Images

In total, Smith ended his career holding essentially every major Jaguars receiving record and as of today he is No. 51 all-time in career receiving touchdowns (67), No. 24 in receptions (862), No. 24 in receiving yards (12,287), No. 10 in yards per reception (16.1) and No. 23 in receiving yards per game (22).

Taylor recorded 13,632 total yards and 70 touchdowns in his career, with the vast majority of those coming with Jacksonville. He is the all-time leading rusher in franchise history with 11,271 yards, more than 3,000 more than the back behind him. He ranks No. 17 in rushing yards all-time.

When it comes to his production during his career, which spanned from 1998 to 2010, Taylor marked most of the boxes. He ran for at least 1,000 yards in seven of his 13 seasons and scored 32 rushing touchdowns in his first three seasons alone.

"In the next step of the process, each member of the Hall of Fame’s full 50-person Selection Committee will review the above list and cast a vote for the 25 nominees each believes should advance to the Semifinalist stage," the Pro Football Hall of Fame said.

"The names of the 25 Semifinalists (plus ties, if any, for the 25th position) will be announced in about five weeks. Because they reached the final list of seven Modern-Era Players under consideration for the Class of 2025 but were not elected, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri automatically advance to the final 15 this election cycle. Reduction votes also are occurring in the Seniors, Coach and Contributor categories."

"On Tuesday, the Hall of Fame released the list of 12 Coach candidates still under consideration. Later this week, progress in the Seniors and Contributor categories will be announced. Eventually, 20 Finalists will be presented at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting next year in advance of Super Bowl LX: 15 Modern-Era Players, three Seniors, one Coach and one Contributor. While there is no set number of enshrinees for any class, the Hall of Fame’s selection process bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new members will be selected," the Hall of Fame said.

"This year’s voting will be completed with oversight from the firm Ernst & Young LLP, a Hall partner since 2019. EY’s Agreed-Upon Procedures include validating the completeness of the ballots and tabulating the ballots in accordance with the bylaws established by the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors. The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 will be enshrined next August in Canton."

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