South Carolina football greats move one step closer to Hall of Fame

The South Carolina football program does not have an alum in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That will change eventually as cornerback Stephon Gilmore is a Hall of Fame lock. However, before Gilmore is eligible, a few other Gamecocks could find their way to Canton.

Three former Gamecocks are still eligible for consideration as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2025. EDGE John Abraham, wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, and coach Dan Reeves all are still alive in this year’s voting process.

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Hall of Fame voters whittled the modern-era class of 2025 list to 50 quarterfinalists, and Abraham made the cut. The semifinal voting will cut the group in half later in November. The former Gamecock has been a semifinalist before but has never advanced to the final voting stage.

Abraham’s HOF case is simple: he is one of the best pass rushers in NFL history. He is 13th all-time in sacks, and every player ahead of him already is in the Hall or expected to be inducted (Jared Allen is expected in this year, and Terrell Suggs is in his first year of eligibility). Abraham also has more sacks than both Dwight Freeney and Rickey Jackson. Freeney and Jackson earned their gold jackets already. Abraham was incredibly durable, too, logging 9.5 sacks or more ten separate times. The former NFL Draft first-rounder made five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams.

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Last week, Sharpe also advanced to another round of voting by the senior committee. In November, the current list of 31 senior candidates will become nine. From those nine, the committee will choose three finalists eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame.

Frankly, Hall of Fame induction is long overdue for Sterling Sharpe. Surpassed among early-90s receivers only by Jerry Rice, Sharpe was a record-setting pass-catcher for the Green Bay Packers. At the time, his 108 catches in 1992 was an NFL record; he broke it again with 112 in 1993. Sharpe also became just the fifth receiver in the Super Bowl era to win the receiving triple crown. He led the league in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 1992 and paced the NFL in catches two other times and touchdown receptions one additional time. A neck injury ended his stellar career after just seven years, but, nonetheless, he was a Pro Bowler five times.

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Most recently, nine former NFL coaches advanced to the semifinal stage in the coach category. Former South Carolina football standout Dan Reeves earned his way from the list of 14 to the list of nine. Later in November, one finalist will advance to the last stage of voting. Reeves joins semifinalists Marty Schottenheimer, Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, George Seifert, Clark Shaughnessy, and Mike Shanahan.

Reeves belongs in the Hall of Fame. He spent about 40 years in the NFL as a successful player and coach. After being a champion and an All-Pro with the Dallas Cowboys and then winning a Super Bowl as an assistant coach with the franchise, Reeves led four teams (the Denver Broncos three times and the Atlanta Falcons once) to the Big Game as a head coach. He also is one of just ten head coaches to win 200 games in NFL history. Reeves’ candidacy is only as a coach, but considering his resume as a player and as an assistant, the former South Carolina All-ACC quarterback is even more deserving of a spot in Canton.

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