Roger Craig's wait continues. The legendary San Francisco 49ers running back was not among the 10 seniors named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2020. Craig was named as a finalist in December.
Five modern-era players, three Contributors, two coaches, and the 10 seniors make up the centennial class.
Craig was the first to record a "thousand-thousand" season when he had 1,050 rushing yards and 1,016 receiving yards in 1985. He also had 2,036 total yards from scrimmage in 1988 with 1,502 of those yards coming on the ground.
"I think it's going to happen,"
Craig said on January 8 regarding his chances of making it into the Hall of Fame this year. "I thank all the people out there that stand up for me and support me. ... They're all voicing their opinion on why I should be in the Hall of Fame.
"I'm not one of those guys that promotes myself because I'm from the Midwest. I'm always going to be a humble human being. I don't really care about what I did on the football field. It's what I do off the field that impacts people's lives. That's what I care about the most."
Craig does a lot of work in the community, including working with the Golden Heart Fund and supporting the homeless.
In 11 NFL seasons, Craig accumulated 4,911 receiving yards and 17 touchdown receptions to go along with his 8,189 rushing yards and 56 touchdowns on the ground. He added 606 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions to his 841 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 18 career playoff appearances.
Craig, a second-round pick by the 49ers in 1983, went on to win three Super Bowls, was selected to four Pro Bowls, and was named a first-team All-Pro in 1988.
Each of Craig's NFL teams made the playoffs every season he played in the league.
Below is the list of coaches, contributors, and seniors who will be part of the Class of 2020.
Coaches
Bill Cowher – 1992-2006 Pittsburgh Steelers
Jimmy Johnson – 1989-1993 Dallas Cowboys, 1996-99 Miami Dolphins
Contributors
Steve Sabol, Administrator/President – 1964-2012 NFL Films
Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
George Young, Contributor/General Manager – 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-78 Miami Dolphins, 1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 National Football League
Seniors
Harold Carmichael, WR – 1971-1983 Philadelphia Eagles, 1984 Dallas Cowboys
Jim Covert, T – 1983-1990 Chicago Bears
Bobby Dillon, S – 1952-59 Green Bay Packers
Cliff Harris, S – 1970-79 Dallas Cowboys
Winston Hill, T – 1963-1976 New York Jets, 1977 Los Angeles Rams
Alex Karras, DT – 1958-1962, 1964-1970 Detroit Lions
Donnie Shell, S – 1974-1987 Pittsburgh Steelers
Duke Slater, T – 1922 Milwaukee Badgers, 1922-25 Rock Island Independents, 1926-1931 Chicago Cardinals
Mac Speedie, E – 1946-1952 Cleveland Browns [AAFC/NFL]
Ed Sprinkle, DE/LB/E – 1944-1955 Chicago Bears
Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz reports that the San Francisco 49ers were among several NFL teams in attendance for former Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton's pro day workout. The defender also goes by the name "Johnny."
Illinois DT Johnny Newton, a projected 1st-round pick, just wrapped up an impressive Pro Day — showcasing elite explosion and power after a Jones fracture that he's fully healed from.I'm told the following teams were in attendance, among others:BillsCowboys49ersJets… pic.twitter.com/ggMIiIBkub—
NFL Communications has officially announced the "NFL legends and active players" who will announce selections during Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Representing the San Francisco 49ers will be former defensive tackle Anthony "Spice" Adams, who spent four seasons with the team and nine in the NFL.
San Francisco selected Adams out of Penn State in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft.
The NFL's full announcement is below.
In the NFL's continuous effort to connect the game's greats with the next generation of stars, NFL Legends and active players will add to the excitement of the 2024 NFL Draft by announcing various selections and participating in festivities in Detroit.
Pro Football Hall of Famers Isaac
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
George Kittle made his sentiments clear in a recent conversation about his teammate, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The tight end emphasized that he couldn't picture the San Francisco 49ers without Aiyuk and spoke highly of him in a discussion with Fox News Digital's Scott Thompson.
Throughout the offseason, Kittle has had several conversations with Aiyuk and empathizes with his situation. Reflecting on his own contract negotiation in 2020 before reaching an agreement with the 49ers, Kittle offered his best advice to Aiyuk: "Hey, be patient."
Kittle added, "It's just kind of the way the Niners do things. I didn't
