The Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists for the class of 2024 are out, and two former Falcons have soared into the running. Defensive end Dwight Freeney and kick return specialist Devin Hester, both late-career Falcons, are looking to lock in their legacies with football's most hallowed recognition, as reported by Sports Illustrated.
Landing in Atlanta towards the tail end of their careers, the pair didn't just coast on past achievements. Freeney, age 43, joined the Falcons in 2016, immediately helping them punch a ticket to Super Bowl 51 with his pass-rushing prowess. Although he's primarily remembered for his time shredding offensive lines for the Indianapolis Colts, he didn't shy away from making his mark in Atlanta, tallying three sacks in just three regular-season games and adding one more in the playoffs, Sports Illustrated detailed.
Meanwhile, Hester, the 41-year-old record holder for most all-time return touchdowns, remains the NFL's poster child for special teams dominance. With the Falcons from 2014 to 2015, Hester didn't just rest on his laurels; he led the league in kickoff return yards in 2014, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl. According to Sports Illustrated, Hester's name is synonymous with a ballistic return game, from his storied eight seasons with the Chicago Bears to his high-velocity one-year stints with both the Baltimore Ravens and the Seattle Seahawks.
Despite the cutthroat competition for a spot in the Hall, Freeney and Hester are positioned to potentially add their names to the exclusive list of players donned in Falcon's threads to be enshrined. With Freeney in his second year of eligibility and Hester in his third awaits for the NFL Honors on Feb. 8, when selections are unveiled right before the spectacle of the Super Bowl, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The Hall of Fame's dance card is diverse, including first-year eligibles like defensive titan Julius Peppers and offensive artisan Antonio Gates. Among the hopefuls are notable names such as Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, and Jahri Evans, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted in their coverage of this prestigious football milestone.
