Rob Gronkowski named finalist for Patriots Hall of Fame

The Patriots introduced three finalists on Wednesday for this yr’s Patriots Hall of Fame class.

Rob Gronkowski, Logan Mankins, and Adam Vinatieri had been chosen by a 20-person nomination committee.

Annually, the Patriots induct at the very least one participant into the Patriots Corridor of Fame. Contributors, equivalent to coaches, broadcasters, and house owners have additionally been inducted up to now. The outcomes are determined by a fan vote.

That is Gronkowski’s first yr eligible for the distinction. Mankins is a three-time finalist. Vinatieri, who was elected to the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame throughout Tremendous Bowl week, is a two-time finalist.

Gronkowski, who just lately returned to Foxborough and signed a 1-day contract to retire as a Patriot, is a five-time Professional Bowler and four-time first-team All-Professional at tight finish. He was a member of three of the Patriots’ six championship groups. He has essentially the most complete touchdowns (80) in Patriots historical past, and he’s second in receiving yards. He’s third amongst NFL tight ends in touchdowns and sixth in receiving yards. He gained the NFL’s Comeback Participant of the Yr award in 2014. He later gained a fourth championship with Brady in Tampa Bay.

Mankins is a seven-time Professional Bowler and five-time second-team All-Professional choice at offensive guard. Whereas he began 130 video games, together with 17 within the postseason for the Patriots, he missed out on the Patriots’ championship window having performed in New England from 2005-2013. He performed 9 of his 11 NFL seasons with the Patriots, and the Patriots had been prime 10 in offense throughout eight of these years.

Vinatieri, who already has a spot in Canton, holds the NFL information for many factors scored (2,673) and most made field-goals (599). He performed 24 seasons within the NFL, most of which he spent with the Colts after a decade lengthy stint with the Patriots. He was a member of New England’s first three Tremendous Bowl championship groups and later gained a fourth with the Colts. He made the go-ahead kicks in Tremendous Bowl XXXVI, Tremendous Bowl XXXVIII, and the Tuck Rule sport.

The 5 most up-to-date Patriots Corridor of Fame inductees are Julian Edelman, Invoice Parcells, Tom Brady, Mike Vrabel, and Richard Seymour.

Edelman beat Mankins and Vinatieri within the fan vote final yr.

The crew will announce this yr’s outcomes someday within the week after the fan vote concludes on April twenty eighth.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports activities Reporter

Khari Thompson covers skilled sports activities for Boston.com. Earlier than becoming a member of the crew in 2022, Khari coated school soccer for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.