BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Former Baltimore Ravens wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Steve Smith Sr. are semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2022 Class, the hall of fame said Wednesday.
Boldin and Smith are semifinalists in their first year of eligibility after last playing in the NFL during the 2016 season, the hall of fame said.
Although both pass catchers established themselves with other teams, Boldin and Smith made an impact during brief stints in purple and black.
After seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Boldin arrived in Baltimore for the 2010 season and started all 16 games for a team that finished 12-4, ultimately losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round. Opposite Derrick Mason, Boldin was the team’s leading receiver with 837 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Ravens had the same record in 2011 and finished atop the AFC North, advancing past the Houston Texans in he playoffs to face the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Despite 306 yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Joe Flacco and 67 yards of tough running from Ray Rice, the Ravens lost in heartbreaking fashion after kicker Billy Cundiff missed a chip shot 32-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. Boldin caught six passes for 101 yards.
Even though they only won 10 games in the regular season, the 2012 team got the job done, going through the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots in the playoffs to reach Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers. With 104 receiving yards and one touchdown from Boldin, the Ravens beat the 49ers 34-31, capturing the second Super Bowl in franchise history. For the third straight year, Boldin was Flacco’s favorite target, catching 65 passes 921 yards and four touchdowns.
Despite the success, the Ravens in 2013 traded Boldin to their Super Bowl opponent for sixth-round draft pick, a move to reportedly clear salary cap space. In three seasons with Baltimore, Boldin caught 186 passes for 2,645 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He went on to play three seasons with the 49ers, and one with the Detroit Lions.
In need of a top receiver in 2014, the Ravens signed Steve Smith Sr., who had spent the first 13 years of his career with the Carolina Panthers, to a three-year deal. Smith exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in his first season in Baltimore and hauled in six touchdowns. The Ravens went 10-6 and lost to the Patriots in the divisional round, 35-31.
Smith was hampered by injuries in 2015, only playing seven games, but he averaged 95.7 yards per game during that span. The Ravens ended up with a disappointing record of 5-11.
In 2016, Smith returned to play 14 of the team’s 16 games and contributed 799 yards, second only to wide receiver Mike Wallace, but the Ravens failed to reach the playoffs after losing three of their final four games.
Smith retired at the start of 2017.
In their careers, Boldin has 13,779 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns, and Smith has 14,731 receiving yards and 81 touchdowns. They rank 14th and 8th in all-time receiving yards, respectively.
Four other wide receivers are semifinalists: Torry Holt, Andre Johnson, Hines Ward and Reggie Wayne. Two others, Devin Hester and Steve Tasker, are being considered for their special teams play.
Before the final voting process, the list of 26 semifinalists will be reduced to 15, the hall of fame said. Inductees are typically enshrined in early August during a weekend of festivities that includes the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, one of the first preseason contests of the upcoming NFL season.
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