The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 130 Modern-Era nominees for its Class of 2021 Wednesday, and the list includes multiple former Rams: Running back Steven Jackson, wide receiver Torry Holt, outside linebacker London Fletcher, defensive lineman La'Roi Glover, wide receiver/punt returner Henry Ellard, punter Sean Landeta and wide receiver Wes Welker.
One of 14 first-year eligible players nominated, Jackson played nine of his 12 NFL seasons with the Rams and finished as the club's all-time leading rusher with 10,138 yards in 131 games. He is also tied with Eric Dickerson for second on the franchise's career rushing touchdowns list with 56.
Holt receives inclusion after being one of 15 Modern-Era finalists for the Class of 2020. He played 10 of his 11 seasons with the Rams, hauling in 869 receptions for 12,660 yards and 74 touchdowns during that stretch. His career receptions and receiving yards both rank second all-time in franchise history behind Isaac Bruce's 942 and 14,109, respectively.
Fletcher played four seasons with the Rams, first joining the club as an undrafted free agent signee in 1998. He went on to start all 16 games during their 1999 Super Bowl-winning season and lead the team in tackles in both 1999 and 2000. Fletcher then played five seasons with the Buffalo Bills, followed by seven seasons in Washington which included four Pro Bowl nods. When he retired in 2013, he heldthe NFL record for most consecutive games started at linebacker with 215.
Glover played the final three years of his 13-year NFL career with the Rams, making 91 solo tackles and 12 sacks in 48 games. Overall, he finished his career with 433 tackles, 83.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles and two interceptions.
A second-round draft pick in 1983, Ellard was a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro in 11 seasons with the Rams. His 9,761 receiving yards rank third all-time in club history. He then played five seasons in Washington and one in New England, ending his 17-year pro career with 814 career receptions, 13,777 receiving yards, and 65 touchdowns.
Punter Sean Landeta, who played six seasons with the Rams in two separate stints (1993-96, 2003-04), also made the list. After making the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1980s, he was named to the All-Decade team of the 1990s as the second punter after averaging at least 42 yards per punt between 1990 and 1999. In those six seasons with the Rams, he averaged 44.1 yards per punt.
Wide receiver Wes Welker, who spent his 12th and final NFL season with the Rams before retiring, joins Jackson as one of the 14 first-year eligible players.
According to a press release from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the list of Modern-Era nominees will be trimmed to 25 semifinalists in November. From there, those 25 semifinalists will be narrowed down to 15 finalists in January.
The complete list of 2021 Modern-Era nominees can be viewed here.
