Ex-Eagles Eric Allen and Ricky Watters named Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists for the 2024 class

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 25 modern-era semifinalists for the 2024 class on Tuesday and there were two former Eagles players and two others with local ties.

Former Eagles Eric Allen and Ricky Watters were named semifinalists for the fourth time each, while Philadelphia natives Jahri Evans and Eddie George were named for the second straight year.

Allen, a six-time Pro Bowl defensive back, played for the Eagles from 1988-94 and is tied with Bill Bradley and Brian Dawkins for the franchise record with 34 career interceptions. He also played for the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders and ranks No. 21 on the NFL all-time interception list with 54.

Watters was a five-time Pro Bowl running back, but he earned three of those nods while with the San Francisco 49ers (1992-94). The Harrisburg native then played three seasons for the Eagles (1995-97), racking up three straight 1,000-yard seasons and 31 touchdowns. Watters ranks seventh on the Eagles’ all-time rushing list with 3,794 yards and 24th on the NFL list with 10,643 yards. In 10 NFL seasons, Watters, who finished his career with the Seattle Seahawks, crossed the 1,000-yard plateau seven times.

Evans, a four-time All-Pro guard with the New Orleans Saints, attended Frankford High School and was a fourth-round pick out of Bloomsburg University. A six-time Pro Bowler, Evans won Super Bowl XLIV with the Saints and at one point was the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history. He played one season to wrap up his career with the Green Bay Packers, and previously had a preseason stint with Seattle, but Evans is best known for his 11 seasons with the Saints.

George, who grew up in Abington, was a four-time Pro Bowl running back for the Tennessee Titans and played eight seasons for the franchise before his last season with the Dallas Cowboys. After winning the Heisman Trophy coming out of Ohio State, George was named NFL offensive rookie of the year in 1996.

The semifinal list will be trimmed down to 15 at a later date ahead of the official voting process. The 2024 Hall of Fame class will be announced live on Feb. 8 as part of Super Bowl weekend. There is no set number of enshrinees per class, but the bylaws state that it must be between four and nine members.

The full list of semifinalists: Jared Allen, Eric Allen, Willie Anderson, Tiki Barber, Anquan Boldin, Jahri Evans, London Fletcher, Dwight Freeney, Antonio Gates, Eddie George, James Harrison, Rodney Harrison, Devin Hester, Torry Holt, Andre Johnson, Robert Mathis, Julius Peppers, Steve Smith, Fred Taylor, Hines Ward, Ricky Watters, Reggie Wayne, Vince Wilfork, Patrick Willis, and Darren Woodson.