Hall of Fame ticket punched for Favre and Hawk

ESPN has released a list of 50 current NFL players most likely headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre is no. 1 on the list.

Thomas Neumann and Scott Symmes write of Favre:

At the top of the heap is an obvious pick. Favre's body of work is unmatched among active quarterbacks. The three-time NFL MVP ranks second in career passing yards (57,500 -- 3,861 shy of Dan Marino), and is poised to break Marino's all-time record for touchdown passes. Favre has 414 career TD passes, six shy of the record. Favre's résumé also includes back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXI. The face of the Packers' franchise since the early 1990s, Favre has been a fierce competitor and a model of durability. His consecutive games streak is at 237 and counting, an NFL record for quarterbacks. He also boasts 15 consecutive seasons with at least 300 completions and 3,000 passing yards.

Surprisingly, Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk has also made the list. Barely. He ended up at no. 49:

Last year, we saw snapshots of brilliant things to come from Hawk. We're not talking about wedding photos but rather his rapid progress over the course of his rookie season in Green Bay. Hawk has tremendous instincts and a nose for the football. He improved greatly during the campaign, ultimately recording 121 tackles and two interceptions. Based on his exceptional instincts and knack for taking the best possible angle toward a play, it's quite possible Hawk could follow a career path similar to NFC North counterpart Brian Urlacher's.