Pittsburgh Steelers: Former guard Alan Faneca nominated for the Hall of Fame

The list of athletes nominated for the Hall of Fame was released, and former Steelers guard Alan Faneca was selected as a first-year nominee. Over the summer, Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis said he thought Faneca deserved the honor.

Faneca had an outstanding career with the Steelers, playing ten seasons that included a 2006 Super Bowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals. His biggest misstep came off of the field when he suggested during quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's first year on the team that the young quarterback was not up for the task. At the time he said, "Exciting? No, it's not exciting. Do you want to go to work with some little kid who's just out of college?"

Still, Faneca didn't only manage to make Jerome Bettis look good. He was a key component to Ben Roethlisberger's success. Generally guards are unsung heroes, attracting attention only when they mess up. Faneca is receiving well-deserved recognition for his contributions to the Steelers.

Other first-year nominees, per ESPN, include quarterback Brett Favre, receiver Terrell Owens, safety Lawyer Milloy, running backs Brian Westbrook and Clinton Portis, kicker John Carney, and linebackers Keith Bulluck and Mike Vrabel.