Doug Williams named semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame

The other semifinalists are K.S. “Bud” Adams, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Modell, Art Rooney Jr., Seymour Siwoff and John Wooten.

Williams, who played at Grambling State for legendary coach Eddie Robinson, played with Tampa Bay (1978-1982) and Washington (1986-89) in the NFL.

It was his historic performance in Super Bowl XXII, when he completed 18 of 29 passes for a Super Bowl record 340 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception. He guided Washington to a 42-10 win over Denver on Jan. 31, 1988. (The record was later surpassed Joe Montana and is currently held by Tom Brady with 505 yards.)

Williams was the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl and helped to pave the way for today’s generations of quarterbacks across the NFL. His son, D.J. Williams, who also played at Grambling State, is currently the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Falcons.

Falcons chief executive officer Rich McKay was in the group of contributors, but did not advance.

Kilroy, Kraft, Rooney and Wooten reached this point in the selection process last year, when coaches and contributors were in the same category.

The Hall of Fame’s board of directors voted earlier this year to separate the groups and send one finalist from each through to the annual selection meeting to determine the new class.

Here are brief bios on the nine semifinalists:

Adams: During his 54 years as founder, owner, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of the Titans/Oilers franchise, Adams was a pivotal figure in the formation of the AFL and its merger with the NFL.

Hay: Owned the Canton Bulldogs from 1918-1922 and hosted the NFL’s formational meeting in his automobile dealership in downtown Canton.

Kilroy: Worked in player personnel and scouting for Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas. Also, he was New England’s general manager from 1979 to 1982 and vice president from 1983 to 1993.

Kraft: Owner, chairman and chief executive officer of New England since 1994. His teams have won six Super Bowls. Key member of several influential NFL owners’ committees.

Modell: Owner of the Cleveland Browns from 1961-1995 and Baltimore Ravens from 1996-2011. Key figure in transformational broadcast deals between NFL and networks.

Rooney Jr.: Employed with the Steelers since 1961, from 1964 through 1986, worked in the Steelers’ scouting department. Currently a Steelers vice president and member of the board of directors.

Seymour Siwoff: Owner and president of Elias Sports Bureau, the official statisticians of the NFL, from 1952-2019.

Williams: Career with Tampa Bay (1978-1982) and Washington (1986-89) included historic moment as first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl (XXII) with an MVP performance; credited with creating opportunities for future Black athletes at the quarterback position.

Wooten: Director of pro scouting for Dallas from 1975 to 1991. Created player development programs for the NFL in 1991. Vice president/player personnel for Philadelphia in 1992 and assistant director of pro/college scouting for the Baltimore Ravens until his retirement in 2002. In 2003, became chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, a position he held until 2019.

Reduction votes also are occurring in the modern-era players, seniors and coach categories. Eventually, 20 Finalists will be presented at the selection committee’s annual meeting next year in advance of Super Bowl LIX: 15 Modern-Era Players, three seniors, one coach and one contributor.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 will be announced at “NFL Honors” in New Orleans, La., in February and enshrined in August in Canton, Ohio.