Waiting for Hall of Fame election hasn't gotten any easier for Reggie Wayne

INDIANAPOLIS — Don’t let anybody fool you.

The wait is not easy.

Legendary Colts receiver Reggie Wayne has been named one of 15 modern-era Hall of Fame finalists for the fifth consecutive year.

Wayne spent his first year as a finalist watching teammate Edgerrin James get in after his own five-year wait; Wayne’s been joined the last two seasons by former teammate Dwight Freeney, who is again a finalist in his second year of eligibility.

The wait doesn’t get any easier with the years.

“Man, y’all can let Edge fool y’all all you want,” Wayne said. “He had the statement, once he finally got in: ‘You wait X amount of years, whatever, but when you finally get in, don’t nothing matter. But those five years he was waiting, I used to hear about that every other day.”

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If the extra years help at all, it’s that Wayne is used to being a finalist at this point, used to the cautious anticipation of Super Bowl weekend, when the Hall of Fame class is elected.

“I have,” Wayne said. “I don’t need no GPS anymore.”

Wayne is one of three wide receivers among the 15 modern-era finalists, joining former Texans star Andre Johnson and Rams legend Torry Holt for another year pitted against each other in the room. Wayne’s 1,070 receptions are eight ahead of Johnson and 150 ahead of Holt; his 14,345 yards are ahead of Johnson (14,185) and Holt (13,382); and he’s got more touchdowns, his 82 beating Holt’s 74 and Johnson’s 70.

But when he was asked about what sets him apart in this class, a reluctant Wayne pointed to the postseason, where his 93 catches, 1,254 yards and nine touchdowns place him firmly among the top 10 in all three categories.

“All those other guys that are in there, the finalists, these dudes are deserving,” Wayne said. “But if I had to answer that, I guess you would say playoffs. That matters. And I get it, everybody doesn’t make the playoffs. … You’re bad. But in the playoffs, which is important, I’ve got a whole season’s worth of playoff numbers.”

Wayne doesn’t have much time to think about the Hall of Fame right now.

Hard at work as the Colts receiving coach, Wayne’s attention this week is focused mostly on beating the Raiders and getting Indianapolis into the playoffs.

But the announcement of his name as a finalist again puts Wayne in a reflective mood. When he was a kid, he never expected to be in this spot, hearing his name mentioned as a candidate for the Hall of Fame.

“I didn’t really care about football until one day, I had a dream as a little kid, I was playing for the Buffalo Bills,” Wayne said. “My dad kept wanting me to play, and I never really wanted to play. Baseball was my favorite sport. I kind of did it just to appease my dad, and I never looked back.”

The Colts are glad he did.

By the time Wayne was done, he was one of the most beloved Colts in the franchise’s history, a lifer who starred with Peyton Manning and helped usher Andrew Luck into the NFL.

His numbers, either regular season or postseason, place him among the most prolific receivers in NFL history.

And the fact that he’s been a finalist so many times makes it likely that he’ll get into the Hall at some point. Only two players since 2000 have been a finalist five times and not made the Hall of Fame: Bob Kuechenberg and L.C. Greenwood.

The vast majority of players who are named as finalists eventually earn enshrinement, even if that knowledge doesn’t make the waiting any easier.

“(Expletive), I thought the first year could’ve been the year,” Wayne said. “It’ll come. It’s already written. It’s like my mom used to tell me about Jesus. He may not come when you want Him, but He’s always on time.”

Wayne’s players in the Colts receivers room have joked with him that if he gets in this season, it probably means they’ll have to show up to training camp early next summer because the presence of Wayne and possibly Freeney might put Indianapolis in the NFL’s annual Hall of Fame preseason game.

He shot back that he’s not worried about what they have to do.

If he gets into the Hall, he won’t be working that weekend.

“You know when I get in, it’s going to be a party,” Wayne said. “And if I’m still coaching, I’m going to be absent for a little while.”

Whenever the Hall finally comes, Wayne’s earned the right to celebrate.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pro Football Hall of Fame: Waiting hasn't gotten easier for Reggie Wayne