Former Packers Woodson, Butler named 2021 Hall of Fame finalists

Former Green Bay Packers defensive backs Charles Woodson and LeRoy Butler are among 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2021.

Woodson played for Green Bay from 2006 to 2011 and made four Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2009 and 2011. During his green and gold tenure, he helped the Packers win Super Bowl XLV and intercepted 37 passes.

Butler spent his entire career with the Packers from 1990 to 2001. He finished his career with 38 interceptions, made four Pro Bowls and four First-Team All-Pro, and helped the Packers win Super Bowl XXXI.

Four defensive backs, including current 49ers general manager John Lynch, advanced. This will be Lynch’s eighth time as a finalist, while it’s the first for Woodson in his initial year of eligibility, and Ronde Barber, and the second for appearance in the finals for Butler.

“I am just enjoying this moment, sitting here watching those highlights and what you immediately do is kind of reliving some of those moments,” Woodson said. “To me it is not lost to be in this moment, to be a Hall of Fame finalist in the first year; it takes a lot to get to this point. You really have to make an impact on the game and I am excited to be in this moment.”

Peyton Manning, owner of a record five NFL Most Valuable Player awards and two Super Bowl titles, was the first finalist revealed by the hall on Tuesday night.

Manning, of course, was one of the most prolific passers in NFL history. In 18 pro seasons and 265 starts out of 266 games played since being the top overall draft choice by Indianapolis in 1998, he had 14 seasons with 4,000-plus yards passing.

When he retired following leading Denver to the 2015 league title, Manning held NFL records for career passing yards (71,940), career passing touchdowns (539) and consecutive seasons with at least 25 passing touchdowns (13).

Joining Manning as a finalist was one of the players he threw to, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, a finalist for the second time. First-year eligible Calvin Johnson and second-time finalist Torry Holt also made the cut among receivers.

Wayne played in two Super Bowls with Manning.

Voting on the entrants to the hall will be conducted later this month, with the inductees announced during Super Bowl week. A maximum of five modern-day players can be chosen, along with three previously announced candidates should they get the required votes: coach Tom Flores, contributor Bill Nunn, and senior Drew Pearson.

Inductions are scheduled for next August, when the 2020 class and a special centennial class also will be enshrined after the COVID-19 pandemic forced postponement of those ceremonies last summer.