Former Cyclone tight end and Dallas Cowboys great Jason Witten is a Hall of Fame finalist

Elizabethton native and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is now one of the 15 modern-era players who could be selected for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In his first year of eligibility, Witten was nominated in September along with 99 other NFL greats. The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be unveiled during Super Bowl 60 week in San Franscisco.

If Witten is selected, he would join the late Reggie White as one of two Hall of Fame members from East Tennessee. Witten was a two-way player at Elizabethton where he played for his grandfather Coach Dave Rider. Besides lining up at tight end, Witten also played linebacker for the Cyclones, setting the Elizabethton record for most tackles with 450 for his career.

Witten played for Dallas for 17 seasons-tying him for second all-time with Hall of Fame member Tony Gonzalez for most years played at tight end.

Fifteen modern-era players have been announced as finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, presented by Visual Edge IT. https://t.co/dSVkYszj9s @dallascowboys @JasonWitten pic.twitter.com/c2iNtauj6g

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) December 30, 2025

(IMAGE: Property of Liberty Christian School, Argyle, Texas)