– Former Bills RB Thurman Thomas and WR Andre Reed were selected as two of the 17 finalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The full list was released by the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this afternoon.
The Class of 2007 will be announced at a press conference at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, February 3, at the Super Bowl media center in the Miami Beach Convention Center.
At least three candidates must be elected but the total class cannot number more than six.
Currently, six Buffalo Bills have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of the Fame – the last coming in 2003 when offensive guard Joe DeLamielleure and wide receiver James Lofton were inducted into Canton.
For Reed, this year will mark his first as a finalist for Pro Football's highest individual honor. Reed was selected as a semi-finalist in his first year of eligibility in 2006. Reed is the Bills all-time leading receiver with 941 receptions, 13,095 yards and 86 pass receptions. He played 15 seasons for Buffalo from 1985-1999 and was selected to the Pro Bowl on seven occasions. A fourth round selection from Kutztown, Reed was an integral part of the Bills' Super Bowl teams from 1990-94.
Thomas is a finalist for his second consecutive year. Thomas was also a key contributor to the Bills' success throughout the 1990s. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons (1989-96) and become one of only four NFL running backs to achieve that feat. He was selected as the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1991 when he posted 1,407 rushing yards, 62 receptions for 631 yards and 12 combined touchdowns. Thomas was drafted in 1988 from Oklahoma State and played 12 seasons (1988-99) in Buffalo starting 160 games. He played in five AFC Championship games and four Super Bowls. Only Emmitt Smith and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Barry Sanders rushed for more yards than Thomas in the 1990s.
