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          NFL Nation

          2015 Hall of Fame finalist: Kevin Greene

          • Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterJan 30, 2015, 05:00 PM
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              Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
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          The Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2015 class will be announced Jan. 31. The St. Louis Rams' Kevin Greene is one of 15 modern-era finalists.

          Greene didn't spend his entire career with the Rams, but he did plenty of damage with the team and throughout his 15-year career.

          Greene finished his career with 160 sacks (third in NFL history), posted 10 seasons with at least 10 sacks (third in NFL history) and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a two-time first-team All-Pro and a member of the NFL All-Decade team for the 1990s.

          The three players surrounding Greene on the all-time sack list -- Bruce Smith, Reggie White and Chris Doleman -- are already in Canton, and it seems just a matter of time for Greene.

          With another pass-rusher out of the way after Michael Strahan's induction last year, the path appears a little clearer for Greene, but this is a pretty star-studded ballot when it comes to first-time nominees.

          It might work against Greene that he played for four teams and bounced among Pittsburgh, Carolina, and San Francisco to close his career, but he was a key cog on defenses that were always among the best in the league.

          After he left the Rams, Greene played seven more years for those three teams and averaged 12.5 sacks over those seasons. He was even good to the final snap, as he posted 12 sacks for the Panthers in his final season in the league.