By james art 
The South Carolina football program does not have an alum in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That will eventually change as cornerback Stephon Gilmore is inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, before Gilmore is eligible, several other Gamecocks could find their way to Canton.
Three former Gamecocks are still eligible for consideration as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025. EDGE John Abraham, wide receiver Sterling Sharp and coach Dan Reaves are still alive in this year’s voting process.
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Hall of Fame voters whittled the modern class of 2025 list down to 50 quarterfinalists, and Abraham made the cut. Semi-final voting will cut the group in half later in November. The former Gamecock has been a semifinalist before, but never reached the final stage of voting.
Abraham’s HOF case is simple: He’s one of the best pass rushers in NFL history. He is 13th all-time in sacks, and every player ahead of him is already in the Hall or expected to be inducted (Jared Allen is expected in this year and Terrell Suggs is in his first year). Abraham also has more sacks than Dwight Freeney and Ricky Jackson. Freeney and Jackson have already earned their gold jackets. Abraham was also incredibly durable, notching 9.5 sacks or more on ten separate occasions. The former first-rounder in the NFL draft made five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams.
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Last week, Sharpe also moved on to another round of voting by the top committee. In November, the current list of 31 senior candidates will become nine. From those nine, the committee will select three finalists eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Frankly, a Hall of Fame induction is long overdue for Sterling Sharp. Seconded among receivers of the early 1990s only by Jerry Rice, Sharp was the Green Bay Packers’ pass-catching record holder. At the time, his 108 catches in 1992 were an NFL record; he broke it again with 112 in 1993. Sharp also became just the fifth receiver in the Super Bowl era to win the triple crown. He led the league in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 1992 and was in the NFL in catches two more times and receiving touchdowns one more time. A neck injury ended his stellar career after just seven years, but he was still a five-time Pro Bowler.
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Most recently, nine former NFL coaches reached the semifinal stage in the coaches category. Former South Carolina football player Dan Reaves earned his way from the list of 14 to the list of nine. Later in November, one finalist will move on to the final stage of voting. Reeves joins semifinalists Marty Schottenheimer, Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, George Seifert, Clark Shaughnessy and Mike Shanahan.
Reeves belongs in the Hall of Fame. He spent nearly 40 years in the NFL as a successful player and coach. After being a champion and All-Pro with the Dallas Cowboys and then winning a Super Bowl as an assistant coach with the franchise, Reaves led four teams (the Denver Broncos three times and the Atlanta Falcons once) to the Big Game as a head coach. He is also one of ten head coaches to win 200 games in NFL history. Reaves’ candidacy is only as a coach, but given his resume as a player and as an assistant, the former South Carolina All-ACC quarterback is even more deserving of a spot in Canton.