STEVE HUTCHINSON

The Michigan Wolverines will have some critical alumni out on the field Sunday (Jan. 30) afternoon/evening as teams are gearing up for a chance to make it to the holy grail of football, the Super Bowl.

DeMarcus Ware, Andre Johnson and Devin Hester are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2022 all in their first year of eligibility.

For 18 seasons, whether playing cornerback or safety, Charles Woodson was as dependable as they come.

From bone-rattling tacklers Troy Polamalu, Steve Atwater and Cliff Harris to hard-charging runner Edgerrin James to the pass-catching brilliance of Isaac Bruce and Harold Carmichael, the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2020 has something for everyone.

The group of men entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend features everything.

The Pittsburgh Steelers followed a stumbling first half with a strong final 30 minutes to beat Dallas 16-3 in the first NFL preseason game in two years.

Two players from the University of Michigan have landed on the 2022 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame. Former offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson and defensive tackle Mark Messner are up for induction next year as part of the 78-player, seven-coach ballot released Wednesday by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. To be eligible, players must be former first-team All-Americans and 10 full seasons removed from their college career. Hutchinson, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, played at Michigan from 1996 to 2000 while racking up several awards. Michigan’s last College Football of Hame inductee was John “Jumbo” Elliott, in 2020.

Manning was selected Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2021. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)NFL greats elsewhere, Peyton Manning and John Lynch shared a second career in Denver. Close friends Manning and Lynch, who joke about drinking Mai Tai cocktails together at Pro Bowls in Hawaii and then charging them to hotel rooms of other players, are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2021. This is the ultimate that one player could ever achieve after their playing days are over.”Like Pearson, Flores and Lynch, Faneca had a lengthy wait. During the pandemic, Baker instead traveled to the houses of the four modern-day players and Flores, and he surprised Manning at the Broncos' stadium.

FILE - In this Dec. 29, 2013, file photo, Oakland Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson (24) talks with Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) after an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif. Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson are among 14 first-year eligible candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson are among 14 first-year eligible candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The roster of nominees consists of 65 offensive players, 49 defensive players and 16 special teams players. A maximum of five modern-era players will be chosen when the selection committee meets the Saturday before the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida. Eighteen finalists will be presented to the full 48-member panel: the 15 modern-era finalists, and the recently nominated Drew Pearson (senior); Bill Nunn (contributor); and Tom Flores (coach). Enshrinement at the hall in Canton, Ohio, will take place next August, when members of the 2020 class and a special centennial class also will enter the football shrine.