Two former Miami Hurricanes anchor 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class

On Thursday night, the Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed the names of seven new members of its esteemed fraternity. Devin Hester and Andre Johnson, two former Hurricanes from the University of Miami, are among the football immortals who will be inducted this summer in Canton.

There are two senior entrants among the seven former players in this year’s class, which leans heavily toward defense. Steve “Mongo” McMichae and Randy Gradishar are the senior entrants. Patrick Willis, Julius Peppers, and Dwight Freeney complete the remaining students in the class.

Johnson arrives in Canton as the first Houston Texan. He caught 1,062 passes for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns in his 14-year career. Selected third in the NFL Draft, he was a two-time First Team All-Pro and elected to seven Pro Bowls.

In contrast, Hester is the first member of the special teams or kick return squad to be elected into the Hall of Fame. He was regarded by many in NFL circles as the best return guy in league history. Over the course of his 11-year career, he had five touchdown kickoff returns and 14 punt returns. His 92-yard touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts on the first kickoff of Super Bowl XLI may have been his most thrilling touchdown.

In the NFL for 16 years, Freeney was a powerful pass rusher who spent his first 11 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He was a three-time All-Pro and was chosen for seven Pro Bowls. When playing for the Colts, Freeney also helped them win Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears and Hester. At the end of his career, Freeney had 128 tackles for loss and 125.5 sacks.

Peppers, who played a stellar career for the Carolina Panthers, ended his career with 159.5 sacks, good for fourth place on the all-time list.

Both Gradishar and McMichael were chosen in their final year of eligibility from the senior ballot.

Gradishar was a finalist for the fourth time, whereas McMichael was a finalist prior to 2023 but was chosen on this ballot. Gradishar spent the 1970s and 1980s as a player for the Broncos. In addition to winning two All-Pro selections and being chosen for seven Pro Bowls, he was the 1978 AP Defensive Player of the Year.