Dolphins legends Mark Clayton, Bob Kuechenberg semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Dolphins greats Mark Clayton and Bob Kuechenberg were named semifinalists Thursday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023.

The two were part of 54 names listed in the seniors, coaches and contributors category. The selection committee will now vote to send 12 Seniors and 12 Coach/Contributors to the finalists stage. Players in the Seniors category last played no later than the 1996 season. The finalists will be announced July 27.

Clayton, 61, played 142 games at wide receiver for the Dolphins from 1983 to 1992, holding the franchise record for career receptions (550) and receiving touchdowns (81). The 223rd overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, Clayton’s 84 career touchdowns are tied for 20th in NFL history and his 8,643 receiving yards rank second in Dolphins history, just behind Mark Duper, whom he played alongside for all but one season, forming the famed “Marks Brothers” duo.

“I believe Mark deserves to be in,” Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott told the Miami Herald last year. Lott, along with Hall of Famers such as Eric Dickerson, Mike Haynes and former teammate Dan Marino, sent the Senior Committee members letters last year advocating for Clayton.

“I believe there are certain boxes a Hall of Fame receiver has to check,” Lott said. “It starts with you got to have all the ingredients. Clayton had that. And your stats have to be in the same vein as the other receivers that are a part of it. And knowing that his statistics are in the vein of Drew Pearson and Lynn Swann and Michael Irvin and many of the great receivers, that tells me Mark Clayton belongs.”

Clayton told the Herald last year he believed he was deserving of being in the Hall of Fame but didn’t want to speak publicly about it “because I didn’t want to step out of line or step on anybody’s toes.”

“But we’re sitting here and nothing happened for 25 years,” he said. “So now some guys are speaking up and I’m grateful for that. We’ll see where it leads.”

Kuechenberg, a member of the Dolphins’ undefeated team in 1972, played 196 games on the offensive line, primarily at guard, for Miami in the 1970s and early years of the 80s. A two-time champion, six-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro selection, Kuechenberg was flagged for holding only 15 times during his career. A fourth-round pick in the 1969 Draft, Kuechenberg was a finalist for the Hall of Fame from 2002 to 2009 but failed to break through to the final round. He died in 2019 of a heart attack.

“He gave you everything he had every single snap,” Don Shula, who coached Kuechenberg and died in 2020, told the Miami Herald in 2019. “I’ve coached a lot of Hall of Fame players, including a number of offensive linemen, and Kooch was as good as any of them. I hope one day he gets that ultimate recognition.”

The Seniors Committee will meet Aug. 16 to select up to three Seniors for final consideration as members of the Class of 2023. Expansion of the Seniors pool for election to the Hall was approved earlier this year for the Classes of 2023, 2024 and 2025. Coach/Contributor Committee members will meet Aug. 23 to select one Coach or Contributor for final consideration for the Class of 2023.

The other semifinalists for the seniors category are Ken Anderson, Maxie Baughan, Roger Craig, LaVern Dilweg, Randy Gradishar, Lester Hayes, Chris Hinton, Chuck Howley, Cecil Isbell, Joe Jacoby, Billie “White Shoes” Johnson, Mike Kenn, Joe Klecko, George Kunz, Jim Marshall, Clay Matthews Jr., Eddie Meador, Stanley Morgan, Tommy Nobis, Ken Riley, Sterling Sharpe, Otis Taylor and Everson Walls.

The semifinalists for the coach/contributor category are K.S. “Bud” Adams Jr., Roone Arledge, C.O. Brocato, Don Coryell, Otho Davis, Ralph Hay, Mike Holmgren, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Eddie Kotal, Robert Kraft, Rich McKay, John McVay, Art Modell, Clint Murchison Jr., Buddy Parker, Carl Peterson, Dan Reeves, Lee Remmel, Art Rooney Jr., Marty Schottenheimer, Jerry Seeman, Mike Shanahan, Clark Shaughnessy, Seymour Siwoff, Amy Trask, Jim Tunney, Jack Vainisi, Lloyd Wells and John Wooten.