The Pittsburgh Steelers had four players advance to the next round of the Pro Football Hall of Fame balloting.
Surviving the cutdown to 52 players were kicker Gary Anderson, outside linebacker James Harrison, center Maurkice Pouncey and wide receiver Hines Ward.
The list began with 128 nominees and will be pared down to 25 semifinalists in late November or early December, the Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
Ward has been a semifinalist in each of the past nine years but has never advanced to the final stage. Harrison has been a semifinalist three times. Anderson, who remains the franchise’s record-holder in career points scored, has never reached the semifinals, and Pouncey is in his first year of eligibility.
Other players to advance in their first year of eligibility are former Pitt players Larry Fitzgerald and LeSean McCoy plus running back Frank Gore, tight ends Jason Witten and Greg Olsen and quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Drew Brees.
Players who did not make the cutdown to 50 included former Steelers linebacker James Farrior and nose tackle Casey Hampton.
