Former Alabama prep star one step away from induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

The 20th pick in the 1960 NFL Draft, Baughan played his first six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, spent the next five with the Los Angeles Rams and, after serving as defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, returned to play in two games playing player-coach of the Washington Redskins in 1974.

The Eagles won the NFL championship in Baughan’s first professional season in 1960, when he was selected to the Pro Bowl.

As an outside linebacker, Baughan earned a Pro Bowl invitation in nine of his first 10 NFL campaigns. He earned first-team All-Pro honors as a linebacker by The Associated Press in 1964 and 1969 and was selected to the AP second-team six other times.

Baughan was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988 for his career at Georgia Tech, where he was a consensus All-American in 1959.

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Baughan died on August 19, 2023 at the age of 85.

The process to nominate three players in the senior category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 began with 182 nominations. The Seniors Screening Committee reduced that number to 60, and the Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee reduced the list to 31 (top 25 and ties), then nine semi-finalists, and finally three finalists.

To become a top candidate, the candidate must not have played in the last 25 seasons. For this year’s class, the senior candidates played their entire NFL careers prior to the 2000 season.

Sixteen men who played at Alabama high schools and colleges are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The state’s Hall of Famers are Robert Brazile (Vigor), Buck Buchanan (Parker High School in Birmingham), Frank Gatski (Auburn), Kevin Greene (Auburn), John Hannah (Albertville High School, Alabama), Don Hutson (Alabama) , Walter Jones (Aliceville High School), Joe Namath (Alabama), Ozzie Newsome (Colbert County High School, Alabama), Terrell Owens (Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City), Ken Stabler (Foley High School, Alabama), John Stallworth (Tuscaloosa, Alabama A&M), Bart Starr (Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, Alabama), Dwight Stephenson (Alabama), Derrick Thomas (Alabama) and DeMarcus Ware (Auburn High, Troy) .

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.