Trio of Gator Greats Nominated for 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | Football
Tackle Lomas Brown, center Maurkice Pouncey and running back Fred Taylor made the 128-man list.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Three Former Florida Football stars were nominated for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class on Wednesday in offensive tackle Lomas Brown, center Maurkice Pouncey and running back Fred Taylor.
Brown (UF 1981-84), Pouncey (UF 2007-09) and Taylor (UF 1994-97) were among 128 Modern-Era NFL players nominated for the 2026 Hall of Fame Class. The roster of nominees consists of 77 offensive players, 42 defensive players and nine special teams players.
In mid-October, a screening committee will reduce the list to 50 nominees. The full, 50-person Hall of Fame Selection Committee will then be tasked with producing 25 semifinalists later this fall.
Another vote will create the list of 15 Modern-Era finalists who will then be discussed at the annual selection meeting ahead of Super Bowl LX. The Class of 2026 can consist of three, four or five Modern-Era NFL players.
Lomas Brown | Offensive Tackle | UF 1981-84 | NFL 1985-2002
Brown led Florida to three-straight bowl berths, including a victory in the 1983 Gator Bowl. Brown was named Florida's Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1983. During all four seasons of his career, the Gators beat the in-state rival, Florida State. In 1984, he was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top blocker in the SEC, while anchoring an offense that helped three different backs each gain nearly 700 rushing yards. Brown returned to Florida during the NFL offseason to complete his bachelor's degree in 1996.
Selected with the sixth overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 1985 NFL Draft, Brown played 18 seasons in the pros with the Lions (1985-95), Arizona Cardinals (1996-98), Cleveland Browns (1999), New York Giants (2000-01) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002). The seven-consecutive Pro Bowl selection appeared in two Super Bowls, retiring a champion after helping the Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII.
Maurkice Pouncey | Center | UF 2007-09 | NFL 2010-2020
During his time in Gainesville, Pouncey established himself as one of the best offensive linemen in Florida history. From 2007-09, Pouncey started 41 games for the Gators, earning 39 starts. He helped UF win the BCS National Championship and SEC in 2008, starting all 14 games that season at center.
In 2009, Pouncey became the first Gator in program history to win the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation's best center. That year, he was also earned first-team All-America honors from Walter Camp, CBSSports.com, Sporting News and the FWAA, while also being named a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection. In 2007, he was named a first-team freshman All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com and Rivals.com after playing in all 13 games, while earning 11 starts.
Pouncey was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would go on to have a stellar NFL career, playing 11 seasons with the Steelers, starting all 134 games he appeared in. Pouncey was a two-time first-team All-Pro, a three-time second-team All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team.
Fred Taylor | Running Back | UF 1994-97 | NFL 1998-2010
Taylor earned first-team All-America honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation and was named All-SEC his senior year after leading the Gators in rushing that season with 1,292 yards on 214 carries and 13 touchdowns. Taylor had eight 100-yard rushing performances that year, which ranks second all-time in school history. A member of the 1996 National Championship team under legendary coach Steve Spurrier, Taylor finished his career at Florida with 3,075 rushing yards on 537 carries and 31 touchdowns. He ranks fifth in school history in career rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
Taylor was a first-round selection in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He went on to play 13 seasons in the NFL - 11 with Jacksonville and two for the New England Patriots. He recorded seven 1,000-yards seasons throughout his NFL career and totaled 11,695 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns. He ranks 17th on the NFL's all-time rushing yards list and his 4.6-yards-per carry average ranks behind only Barry Sanders and Jim Brown among players with more career rushing yards.
Taylor was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 and is a member of the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame.
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Brown (UF 1981-84), Pouncey (UF 2007-09) and Taylor (UF 1994-97) were among 128 Modern-Era NFL players nominated for the 2026 Hall of Fame Class. The roster of nominees consists of 77 offensive players, 42 defensive players and nine special teams players.
In mid-October, a screening committee will reduce the list to 50 nominees. The full, 50-person Hall of Fame Selection Committee will then be tasked with producing 25 semifinalists later this fall.
Another vote will create the list of 15 Modern-Era finalists who will then be discussed at the annual selection meeting ahead of Super Bowl LX. The Class of 2026 can consist of three, four or five Modern-Era NFL players.
Lomas Brown | Offensive Tackle | UF 1981-84 | NFL 1985-2002
Brown led Florida to three-straight bowl berths, including a victory in the 1983 Gator Bowl. Brown was named Florida's Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1983. During all four seasons of his career, the Gators beat the in-state rival, Florida State. In 1984, he was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top blocker in the SEC, while anchoring an offense that helped three different backs each gain nearly 700 rushing yards. Brown returned to Florida during the NFL offseason to complete his bachelor's degree in 1996.
Selected with the sixth overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 1985 NFL Draft, Brown played 18 seasons in the pros with the Lions (1985-95), Arizona Cardinals (1996-98), Cleveland Browns (1999), New York Giants (2000-01) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002). The seven-consecutive Pro Bowl selection appeared in two Super Bowls, retiring a champion after helping the Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII.
Maurkice Pouncey | Center | UF 2007-09 | NFL 2010-2020
During his time in Gainesville, Pouncey established himself as one of the best offensive linemen in Florida history. From 2007-09, Pouncey started 41 games for the Gators, earning 39 starts. He helped UF win the BCS National Championship and SEC in 2008, starting all 14 games that season at center.
In 2009, Pouncey became the first Gator in program history to win the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation's best center. That year, he was also earned first-team All-America honors from Walter Camp, CBSSports.com, Sporting News and the FWAA, while also being named a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection. In 2007, he was named a first-team freshman All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com and Rivals.com after playing in all 13 games, while earning 11 starts.
Pouncey was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would go on to have a stellar NFL career, playing 11 seasons with the Steelers, starting all 134 games he appeared in. Pouncey was a two-time first-team All-Pro, a three-time second-team All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team.
Fred Taylor | Running Back | UF 1994-97 | NFL 1998-2010
Taylor earned first-team All-America honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation and was named All-SEC his senior year after leading the Gators in rushing that season with 1,292 yards on 214 carries and 13 touchdowns. Taylor had eight 100-yard rushing performances that year, which ranks second all-time in school history. A member of the 1996 National Championship team under legendary coach Steve Spurrier, Taylor finished his career at Florida with 3,075 rushing yards on 537 carries and 31 touchdowns. He ranks fifth in school history in career rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
Taylor was a first-round selection in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He went on to play 13 seasons in the NFL - 11 with Jacksonville and two for the New England Patriots. He recorded seven 1,000-yards seasons throughout his NFL career and totaled 11,695 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns. He ranks 17th on the NFL's all-time rushing yards list and his 4.6-yards-per carry average ranks behind only Barry Sanders and Jim Brown among players with more career rushing yards.
Taylor was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 and is a member of the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame.
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Facebook: @GatorsFB
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