Four Georgia alums nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame 2026 class
In total, 128 players made the cut for the modern-era list, with at most five getting enshrined in Canton, Ohio.
Of those 128 nominees, four played at the University of Georgia: wide receiver Hines Ward, defensive tackle Geno Atkins, linebacker Thomas Davis and kicker John Kasay.
Ward was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft after a stellar career at Georgia, where he starred as a running back, wide receiver and, briefly, quarterback. At the time he left Athens, only Herschel Walker had more all-purpose yards.
Ward would spend his entire 14-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He won two Super Bowls and was the MVP of Super Bowl 40. He made three All-Pro teams and was a four-time Pro Bowler. He finished his career with 1,000 receptions, 12,083 yards and 85 receiving touchdowns. Ward is already a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hall of Fame.
Atkins is on the ballot in his first year of eligibility, one of 13 players to accomplish the feat. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft after spending four years in Athens. He made First Team All-SEC in 2007 while at Georgia.
Like Ward, Atkins spent his entire career with the same franchise. In his 11 seasons with the Bengals, Atkins was an eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro. He was also named as a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2010s. In 161 career games, Atkins had 75.5 sacks as a defensive tackle.
Davis also is on the ballot in his first year of eligibility. He enjoyed a 16-year career, with 14 of those seasons being with the Carolina Panthers. At Georgia, Davis earned First Team All-SEC honors in 2003 and 2004 before being taken in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. He was a consensus All-American in 2004 for the Bulldogs.
Davis battled injury early in his career but developed into a three-time Pro Bowler and 2015 First Team All-Pro. Davis also won the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2014. He finished his career with 1,212 tackles, 29.5 sacks, 13 interceptions and 18 forced fumbles.
Kasay played at Georgia from 1987 through 1990 and is the only player on the list to have played for Vince Dooley. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft. After four years in Seattle, he signed as a free agent with the Carolina Panthers, where he spent the next 16 seasons. He was a Pro Bowler and Second Team All-Pro in 1996. Kasay spent his final NFL season with the New Orleans Saints in 2011.
At most, five modern-era players can be enshrined in the 2026 class. Among some of the other notable first-time nominees are wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, quarterback Drew Brees and quarterback Phillip Rivers.
The list of nominees will be cut from 128 to 50 in mid-October before being cut to 25 and then a final group of 15. The finalists will be discussed ahead of Super Bowl LX in February.
Five Georgia players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Champ Bailey, Fran Tarkenton, Terrell Davis, Richard Seymour and Charley Trippi.
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
