Two-time Super Bowl-winning stars Hines Ward and James Harrison headline 10 former Pittsburgh Steelers players among 173 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
Ward is the Steelers’ leader in career receptions with 1,000. Harrison was the franchise’s career sacks leader before being bypassed Monday by T.J. Watt. Each was one of 25 semifinalists for induction last year. Ward is an eight-time nominee.
Ward was named most valuable player of Super Bowl XL, was four times named to the Pro Bowl and three times a second-team NFL All-Pro. He joined Harrison as members of the Steelers’ Super Bowl winning teams at the end of the 2005 and 2008 seasons as well as the 2010 AFC championship squad.
Harrison was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, when he had 16 of his 84 career sacks (80 1/2 with the Steelers). Harrison added 11 sacks in 22 career playoff games.
Prominent players from that era of the Steelers also nominated for this year’s Hall of Fame class include nose tackle Casey Hampton, outside linebacker Joey Porter and inside linebacker James Farrior.
Others most identified with the Steelers among the list of nominees are safety Carnell Lake and kicker Gary Anderson.
Others who played for the Steelers but made more significant impacts elsewhere include inside linebacker Hardy Nickerson, outside linebacker Mike Vrabel and fullback John Kuhn.
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Other former players with local ties among the nominees:
• Former Pitt offensive linemen Ruben Brown and Mark Stepnoski.
• Former Penn State players linebacker NaVorro Bowman and guard Steve Wisniewski.
• Former West Virginia standouts who attended WPIAL high schools: Marc Bulger (Central Catholic) and Pat McAfee (Plum).
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Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris by email at cadamski@triblive.com or via Twitter .