S.D. PRODUCTS ON HALL LIST
Former San Diego County high school stars Eric Allen and John Lynch, along with longtime Chargers safety Rodney Harrison, are on the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2021.
This is the first time in the semifinals for Allen (Point Loma High), who made 54 interceptions in a 14-year NFL career, and Harrison, who had 34 INTs in his 15 seasons. Two other players who previously have been eligible also made the semifinals for the first time: Willie Anderson and Cornelius Bennett.
Lynch (Torrey Pines) not only has been in the semifinals in each of the last seven years, but he was among the 15 finalists each time.
Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Jared Allen and Calvin Johnson are f irstyear eligible players to make the list of 25.
A player must be retired for five seasons before being considered for entry to the Canton, Ohio, shrine.
The group of 25 announced Tuesday also includes Ronde Barber, Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Alan Faneca, Torry Holt, Clay Matthews, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Steve Tasker, Fred Taylor, Zach Thomas, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, Patrick Willis, Darren Woodson and Bryant Young.
Candidates will be trimmed to 15 modern-day finalists who will be considered for entry by the selection committee during Super Bowl week in February. 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.
Also on the voting ballot in the coaching category is Tom Flores; in the contributors category is Bill Nunn; and in the seniors category is Drew Pearson.
Between four and eight new members will be selected.
Schedule set for Week 15
The NFL has set its pairings for the league’s first Saturday doubleheader this season.
The Buffalo Bills will visit the Denver Broncos at 1:30 p.m. PT on Dec. 19, followed at 5:15 by the Carolina Panthers playing at Green Bay. Both Week 15 games will be televised on NFL Network.
The NFL had five games to choose from for that Saturday, with teams told only that they would play either Dec. 19 or Dec. 20. This decision now leaves Lions-Titans, Jets-Rams and Texans-Colts all set to play Dec. 20.
Normally, the NFL has that Saturday to itself, but this year there are several college football conference championship games set for Dec. 19.
Ravens update
The Baltimore Ravens have had 10 members of their organization — five players and five staff members — test positive for the coronavirus in recent days as they prepare for a Thanksgiving night matchup with the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Ravens returned to
conducting team operations remotely Tuesday, and the NFL said Thursday’s game in Pittsburgh remains as scheduled. But the league seemed to leave open the possibility of the game being rescheduled if needed, based on further test results.
Notable
The Cowboys canceled practice after what the club said was a non-coronavirus medical emergency involving one of their strength and conditioning coaches. The team said Markus Paul “experienced a medical emergency” Tuesday morning at the facility, where he was immediately treated by team medical personnel before being transported by ambulance to a hospital. No further information was released.
• Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, who leads the NFL in passes defensed and is coming off his best game this season, will miss time with a strained calf. The Browns are already missing dynamic end Myles Garrett, who will miss his second straight game this week as he recovers from COVID-19.
• Patriots running back Rex Burkhead says his re
cent knee injury will keep him sidelined for the rest of the season.
• For the first time in a month, running back Chris Carson (foot) was a healthy participant at practice, just one of a handful of players the Seahawks expect to have back in the next couple of weeks. Starting cornerback Shaquill Griffin (hamstring) and starting center Ethan Pocic (concussion) also took part in practice.
The Jaguars placed defensive end Josh Allen (knee), cornerback D.J. Hayden (hamstring) and safety Daniel Thomas (arm) on injured reserve. The Jaguars also placed kicker Chase McLaughlin on the COVID-19 list, possibly meaning Aldrick Rosas will kick against Cleveland.
• The Titans have placed a pair of starters on injured reserve in linebacker Jayon Brown and left tackle Ty Sambrailo.
• Injured 49ers cornerback K’Waun Williams and Cowboys special teams player Luke Gifford each have been suspended two games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.