Former St. Louis Rams Kurt Warner and Orlando Pace Among 2016 Hall of Fame Finalists
The two former St. Louis Rams join Brett Favre and Terrell Owens among the finalists.
Quarterback Kurt Warner and offensive tackle Orlando Pace are among the finalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. The pair were among the final 10 nominees for selection in 2015, but were eliminated; greats such as San Diego Chargers LB Junior Seau and Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jerome Bettis were among the five “Modern Era” nominees elected to the Hall last year. Five is the maximum number of nominees from the “Modern Era” that can be elected; for the purposes of election, the “Modern Era” is defined as the last 25 years.
Both Warner and Pace were on the 1999 Super Bowl-winning team, Warner being one of the driving forces behind the Greatest Show on Turf. Aside from his time with the Rams, Warner also spent playing in NFL Europe with the Amsterdam Admirals, and in the Arena Football League as quarterback for the Iowa Barnstormers.
While with the Barnstormers, he would throw 183 touchdowns and over 10,000 yards, and greatly increased interest in the league around the new millennium. As a Ram, Warner threw 102 touchdowns and 63 interceptions; in the 1999 Super Bowl against the Tennessee Titans, Warner threw two touchdowns and for 414 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown pass to Issac Bruce with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for St. Louis. Warner would reach the Super Bowl again in 2008 as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
Pace manned the left tackle position on the Rams for 12 years, before playing with the Chicago Bears for one season in 2008. The Ohio native was tapped as a Pro-Bowler on seven straight occasions, from 1999-2005.
The vote will be held on February 6, and the induction ceremony will be held this August.