South Carolina football legend nominated again for Pro Football Hall of Fame

South Carolina football legend John Abraham has been nominated again for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 167 total "modern era" players were nominated by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, and Abraham made the cut. He has been nominated every year since becoming eligible in 2019, but somehow the all-time great pass rusher has never been a finalist.

John Abraham belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is 13th in league history in sacks, and the only two men above him on that list who are not in the Hall of Fame are Jared Allen and Terrell Suggs, two players who are expected to be inducted this year. Pass rush-only players like Dwight Freeney and Rickey Jackson are in the Hall of Fame but totaled fewer sacks in more games than Abraham.

Abraham's career was one of consistent excellence. Illustrating this fact, he made Pro Bowls 12 years apart (posting a 13-sack season at age 23 and an 11.5-sack campaign at age 35) and had 10 separate seasons with at least 9.5 sacks. He also made the Pro Bowl with three different teams (New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals), something that has only been accomplished a handful of times by fellow all-time greats such as Brett Favre, Warren Moon, Deion Sanders, Darrell Revis, and Terrell Owens.

It is beyond surprising that Abraham hasn't garnered more consideration for the Hall, but perhaps 2024 can be the year in which a wrong can be made right.

25 semifinalists for Hall of Fame induction will be announced in October, and 25 finalists will be revealed soon thereafter.

During his South Carolina football career, John Abraham was an All-SEC performer and finds himself near the top of the Gamecock record books in several categories despite not picking up the sport of football until high school. He was the first USC defensive lineman (either defensive end or defensive tackle) to be selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft.