Willie Anderson snubbed from 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Willie Anderson will be waiting at least another year to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

During Thursday’s NFL Honors awards show, the 2022 class was announced, and Anderson was not among those named to it.

Here is the 2022 class:

• LeRoy Butler
• Bryant Young
• Sam Mills
• Cliff Branch
• Richard Seymour
• Art McNally
• Tony Boselli
• Dick Vermeil

The 10th overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by way of the Auburn Tigers, Anderson became an instant-impact starter for the Bengals and was eventually named to the 1996 NFL All-Rookie Team by the Pro Football Writers Association.

Anderson would go on to make four consecutive Pro Bowls (2003-06), earned First-Team All-Pro honors from 2004-06, was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2003, and received the Ed Block Courage Award in 2004.

The 6-foot-5 mammoth was often regarded as the best right tackle in football throughout his career. Though that position doesn’t carry the same importance as the blind side in the eyes of Hall of Fame voters, anyone who watched Anderson consistently could see he was clearly a Hall of Fame player in addition to being one off the field.

Here is a look back at when Anderson learned he was a finalist for the 2022 class back in December.

“This is truly amazing. Truly, truly, truly amazing. I told myself I was not going to watch the broadcast, [but] I turned it on just in time to watch coach Dick Vermeil talk. I had no idea that they hadn’t mentioned Tony Boselli or my name yet, but turned it on, and Jesus Christ, thank you, God!”

Hopefully, next year big guy.