Former Steelers guard Alan Faneca made it to the final step for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the fourth consecutive year. And for the fourth-straight time, he was denied enshrinement.
Aliquippa native Ty Law, a cornerback for the Patriots, Jets, Chiefs and Broncos, was selected among the five modern-day candidates.
Faneca fell short of the votes needed for inclusion in the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame class that was announced Saturday in Atlanta, getting passed over in favor of Law, former Ravens safety Ed Reed, tight end Tony Gonzalez, cornerback Champ Bailey and center Kevin Mawae. Former Chiefs star Jimmy Robinson and Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and former Cowboys personnel man Gil Brandt also were selected.
Faneca played 13 seasons, including 10 for the Steelers, helping them to a win in Super Bowl XL. He also played two seasons for the Jets and one for the Cardinals before retiring in 2010.
It sucks and it hurts, but don’t feel sorry for me. Life moves on, and we find the next challenge in front of us. I’m thankful for all I’ve been blessed with. #ThankYou #GeauxTigers #SteelersNation
— Alan Faneca (@afan66) February 3, 2019
A first-round draft pick in 1998, Faneca appeared in 206 games, including 201 starts. He missed two games in his career. Faneca was a named to the All-Decade Team of the 2000s and was an eight-time All-Pro. He was voted to the Pro Bowl nine times. Only five guards in league history were named to the Pro Bowl nine or more times and all five are in the Hall of Fame.
The selection of Mawae over Faneca is the most troubling. Mawae was named to the Pro Bowl eight times in his career and was named All-Pro just three times, both fewer than Faneca.
Things won't get easier for Faneca next year, either. Not only will he have to contend with the other finalists who weren't elected this year, but there will be a number of former stars who are eligible for the first time, including former teammate Troy Polamalu and former Colts receiver Reggie Wayne.
Law, who played collegiately at Michigan, played for 15 years in the NFL, being named All-Pro twice and to the Pro Bowl five times. He finished his career with 53 interceptions, twice leading the league in that statistic.
