Raiders well-represented among Hall of Fame semifinalists

Two key figures in Raiders history have been named semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 as part of the seniors and coaches/contributors lists.

Five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Lester Hayes was one of 25 former players to make the cut. Also named was former CEO Amy Trask, who served in the role from 1997 to 2013.

Her inclusion was particularly relevant coming on the day the Raiders announced Sandra Douglass Morgan as team president.

Trask began her association with the Raiders as a legal intern in 1983 and worked her way up through the ranks before being named the first female CEO in NFL history.

The 61-year-old is now the chairman of the board of the Big 3 professional basketball league.

Trask is one of 29 coaches and contributors named as semifinalists. A selection committee will meet to narrow the list down to 12, with the results being announced on July 27.

One name will then be chosen for final consideration to the Class of 2023.

Hayes is one of 25 players named as semifinalists. The 1980 NFL Defensive Player of the Year won two Super Bowls during his 10-year career, which was spent entirely with the Raiders.

A fifth-round pick out of Texas A&M in 1977, Hayes was named to the league’s all-decade team for the 1980s.

Senior candidates must be retired for at least 25 years to be considered. The list will be narrowed to 12 finalists with up to three chosen on Aug. 16 for consideration for enshrinement in the 2023 class.

Las Vegan George Kunz, an all-American at Notre Dame and seven-time Pro Bowler with the Falcons and Colts, was also named a semifinalist.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.