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NFL 2019 Hall of Fame Class first look: Ed Reed, Champ Bailey, Tony Gonzalez headline newest inductees

Tony Gonzalzez is the NFL all-time leader in catches and receiving yard by a tight end and is second to Antonio Gates in touchdowns by a tight end.

Tony Gonzalez scored two touchdowns in this game to help the Falcons beat the Eagles.
Tony Gonzalez scored two touchdowns in this game to help the Falcons beat the Eagles.Read more

Here is a look at the new members who were announced on Saturday:

Pat Bowlen

(contributor)

Bowlen has owned the Denver Broncos for 35 years. During that time, the Broncos have posted the second highest winning percentage of any NFL team (.603). The Broncos have won 13 division titles and have been to nine AFC championship games and seven Super Bowls (three wins) under his ownership. Bowlen also has played an integral role in the league’s labor and television contracts. He served as co-chair of the NFL Management Council executive committee from 2001-2011 and also chaired the league’s broadcast committee.

Gil Brandt

(contributor)

Brandt was the Dallas Cowboys’ vice president of personnel for 29 years, from their inception in 1960 through 1988. His eye for talent helped transform the Cowboys from an expansion team to one of the league’s most successful franchises. From 1966 through 1985, the Cowboys had 20 straight winning seasons and appeared in five Super Bowls, winning two of them. Eight players drafted by Brandt are in the Hall of Fame, including two seventh-round picks – offensive tackle Rayfield Wright and wide receiver Bob Hayes – and a 10th rounder – quarterback Roger Staubach.

Johnny Robinson

(senior)

Robinson, this year’s senior committee nominee, started his career as a running back, but was switched to the defensive side of the ball after two seasons by Kansas City Chiefs coach Hank Stram. He intercepted 57 passes in 10 seasons as a safety for the Dallas Texans/Chiefs, including 10 in 1966 and 1970. He had two picks in the Texans’ 1962 win over the Houston Oilers in the AFL championship game, and had an interception in the Chiefs' 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The Texans/Chiefs were 35-3-1 in games in which Robinson had an interception.

Tony Gonzalez

Gonzalez is the NFL’s all-time leader in catches and receiving yards by a tight end and is second to Antonio Gates in touchdowns by a tight end. His 1,325 receptions are the second most in league history to Jerry Rice’s 1,549. Gonzalez played 17 seasons and earned 14 Pro Bowl invitations. He was a seven-time first-team All-Pro selection, and was a second-team selection four other times. He caught 75 or more passes in 11 of his 17 seasons and had six or more touchdown receptions 12 times. He played in 270 regular-season games, missing just one game his entire career.

Ed Reed

Reed was the prototypical center field safety. He used his instincts and ball hawking skills to intercept 64 passes in his 12 NFL seasons, which is the seventh most in league history. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in interception return yards (1,590) and had seven interception returns for touchdowns. Selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2002 draft, he played 11 of his 12 seasons with the Ravens and had five or more interceptions in seven of those 11 years. Reed, a nine-time Pro Bowler, was the league’s NFL defensive player of the year in 2004 and was named to the league’s All-Decade team of the 2000s.

Champ Bailey

Like Gonzalez and Reed, Bailey made the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The cornerback played for 15 years, the first five with the Washington Redskins and the final 10 with Denver. His 12 Pro Bowl invitations are the most ever by a defensive back. He was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 2000s. He was a first-team All-Pro selection three times and a second-team All-Pro four times. Bailey played for 11 different defensive coordinators in his 15 seasons, yet still had 52 career interceptions. He led the league in interceptions with the Broncos in 2006 when he had 10 despite being targeted just 37 times.

Ty Law

Law is the first member of the Bill Belichick-coached Patriots to make the Hall of Fame. He spent the first 10 of his 15 NFL seasons with the Patriots and was a key member of Belichick’s first three Super Bowl championships. Law had 53 career interceptions, including 10 with the New York Jets in 2005. He was a member of the league’s All-Decade team of the 2000s and played in five Pro Bowls. He was a two-time All-Pro.

Kevin Mawae

Mawae is just the ninth center of the NFL’s modern era to be voted into the Hall of Fame. This was his third year as a finalist. He played 16 years with three teams – Seattle (4), the New York Jets (8), and Tennessee (4). Mawae made eight Pro Bowls and was a three-time first-team and four-time second-team All-Pro selection. Mawae also served as the president of the NFL Players Association from 2008-12.