John Abraham Earns Pro Football Hall of Fame Nomination for 2026 Class
South Carolina football great John Abraham is once again in the national spotlight. This week, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its list of 128 modern-era nominees for the class of 2026, and Abraham was the lone Gamecock to make the cut.
Abraham will be competing for one of 15 finalist spots, though four of those are already locked in for Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri. Those four reached the top seven in 2025, granting them automatic advancement as finalists in 2026.
The field will narrow later this fall, when the initial group of nominees is trimmed to 25 semifinalists before the final 15 are selected in the lead-up to February’s Super Bowl.
Abraham has long been regarded as one of the NFL’s elite pass rushers from an era loaded with sack specialists. A first-round draft pick by the New York Jets, he went on to play 15 seasons in the league with the Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals. Lining up as both a defensive end and outside linebacker, he racked up 133.5 career sacks—ranking 13th in NFL history.
Along the way, Abraham collected three All-Pro honors and five Pro Bowl selections before retiring after the 2014 season. While he has been a Hall of Fame semifinalist multiple times, he has yet to break through as a finalist.
Before his standout NFL career, Abraham built his foundation in Columbia. Arriving at South Carolina as a raw athlete with limited football experience, he developed into a dominant force by his senior year. Abraham finished his college career with 23.5 sacks—fourth-most in school history and second only to Jadeveon Clowney among full-time defensive ends.
In addition to Abraham’s nomination, other former Gamecocks could still be recognized by the Seniors Committee or in the coaching category as Hall of Fame announcements continue in the coming months.
His nomination comes just months after South Carolina legend Sterling Sharpe finally received his long-awaited induction, becoming the first Gamecock ever enshrined in Canton. Abraham now hopes to follow Sharpe’s footsteps into football immortality.
