(Editor’s note: Information for this column was compiled from the presentation made by Mike Chappell of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee.)

The Hall of Fame case for Reggie Wayne is not about sentiment, although it’s difficult not to empathize with him after his painstaking seven-year run as a finalist.

Wayne’s candidacy is based on evidence. Statistics. Metrics. Production. His impact on one of the great offenses in NFL history. His undeniable longevity and productivity. His Super Bowl ring and six Pro Bowl selections.

Wayne is one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. Along with fellow receiver Torry Holt, who is also in his seventh year as a finalist, Wayne has had to wait longer than any of his fellow candidates.

Wayne’s wait shows just how difficult it is to earn a gold jacket, because the former Archbishop Shaw High School standout is certainly Hall of Fame worthy.

He ranks 11th all-time in NFL receptions (1,070) and 10th in receiving yards (14,345). He holds the Colts franchise record for games played (211) and is tied with Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison for the most 1,000-yard receiving seasons (eight) in club history. He is one of 11 players in league history to record seven consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons (2004-2010) and one of 17 players to register 15 games with 10 or more receptions.

“He’s something special,” former NFL head coach Jon Gruden said. “A lot of people say, ‘Well, Peyton Manning made him a great receiver. Well, B.S. That was a great receiver when he had Curtis Painter playing quarterback. Every year, he was in the upper echelon of receivers.’’

From 2001 to 2014, Wayne was one of the most dominant and prolific receivers in the NFL. During that span, Wayne, a 2018 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee, led the entire NFL with 1,070 receptions, 14,345 yards and 763 first downs. Only Terrell Owens, Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald recorded more than his 82 career touchdowns.

ProScout Inc., graded Wayne with 10 “blue” seasons in his career, a scouting metric that identifies a player in the top 10% at his position in a given year. Among the finalists in this year’s class, only Adam Vinatieri (13) had more.

Wayne rates just as high on Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame Monitor — a formula that measures various criteria to determine a player’s likelihood of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Of the top 12 receivers on the Hall of Fame Monitor, nine are already enshrined in Canton. The three exceptions? Wayne and fellow Class of 2026 finalists Fitzgerald and Holt.

“Reggie Wayne was a great teammate, and he was a tough receiver, fearless across the middle, great catcher of the ball with his hands; it was a privilege to play with him,” said Manning for Wayne’s induction into the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame.

Manning, a Hall of Famer himself, would know. He was the Colts quarterback for the first 10 years of Wayne’s career.

“I always felt that we had that Louisiana bond and that translated to our on-the-field connection,” said Manning, who starred at Isidore Newman School. “He was an extremely hard worker and that work ethic paid great dividends for him, and for me, because of all the timing we were able to develop.”

Wayne is one of only two players in NFL history to rank in the top 11 in both receptions and yards in the regular season and the postseason. The other? Jerry Rice. Company doesn’t get much stronger than that. This achievement alone should earn him enshrinement, as it showcases his rare combination of regular-season dominance and clutch playoff performance.

What’s more, Wayne is one of only five players to register at least eight 1,000-yard seasons and four seasons with at least 100 receptions. The others: Rice, Fitzgerald, Marvin Harrison and Brandon Marshall.

In postseason history, Wayne ranks sixth all-time in receptions and seventh in yards. He has more playoff receptions and touchdowns than the combined total of the last three wide receivers enshrined in Canton — Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson and Isaac Bruce — with only 159 fewer yards. His 221 yards against Denver in 2004 still rank as the fourth-most in playoff history.

However, Wayne’s sustained excellence is his most compelling case for Hall induction. In the six years after he succeeded Harrison as the Colts’ No. 1 receiver, Wayne averaged a stellar 96 receptions, 1,264 yards and 41 total touchdowns. He is the only player in NFL history to have at least 100 receptions and 1,355 yards at age 34.

“I’m biased, but Reggie was a great route runner,” Manning said. “He was just a guy you wanted in the huddle with you. His numbers speak for themselves.”

The case is clear. Wayne’s résumé places him alongside the undisputed legends of the game. He deserves to be recognized for his greatness. He deserves to be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.