CANTON, Ohio — Former Browns return specialist and wide receiver Josh Cribbs has officially been named a modern-era nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Cribbs, a first-time candidate, is on the list of 122 players eligible to be selected for next year’s Hall of Fame class. He expressed his excitement about the nomination on Twitter Thursday.
OMG🤭I’m a Gold Jacket Contender/ Hall of Fame Eligibility/ I was Nominated!!! #Dawgs @nfl nflnetwork @nfllegends @gmfb espnnfl #ProBowlReturner #ProBowlCoverGuy #AllDecade
— Josh Cribbs (@JoshCribbs16) September 12, 2019
Question Who’s ever done both at that… https://t.co/QoO2wKunUm
The Browns signed Cribbs, a graduate of Kent State, after he went undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft.
In his eight seasons in Cleveland and two with the Jets and the Colts, the three-time Pro Bowler finished with 13,488 career return yards, with 11,113 yards kickoff return yards, and is tied with Leon Washington for most career kickoff return touchdowns in NFL history with 8.
As a receiver, Cribbs caught for 1,175 yards, almost all of which came from his time in Cleveland. In January 2010, Cribbs was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s. Two years after the Colts released him in 2015, Cribbs retired with the Browns.
Cribbs holds multiple Browns franchise records including most career kickoff return yards, most kickoff returns in a single season, most career all-purpose yards and most career combined kickoff and punt return touchdowns, to name a few.
While Cribbs has made the initial list of nominees, the list will be reduced down to 25 nominees in November and to 15 finalists in January. The finalists will then be presented to the full 48-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual meeting on "Selection Saturday," the day before the Super Bowl. From there, the final five will be selected.
Typically Enshrinement Week at the Pro Football Hall of Fame involves around eight inductees, but to celebrate the NFL’s 100th anniversary, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced in August that 20 individuals will be named enshrinees.
In addition to the modern-era players and 10 seniors, the Centennial Class for 2020 will also include three contributors and two coaches that will help to make up the 20 total enshrinees.
