MIAMI, Fla. -- The Rams have two high-profile representatives among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
And while Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk are actively campaigning for former Rams wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt to make it to Canton, Ohio, both also recognize the greatness of their former NFC West rival.
Defensive tackle Bryant Young is one of the most respected players in 49ers history. His talent and class also made him respected around the NFL.
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“Many battles, many battles, tough guy,” Faulk told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Oh, my, relentless, strong. I did not like playing against him, but I appreciated him as a competitor.”
Young is a first-time finalist for the Hall of Fame in his eighth year of eligibility. The Class of 2020 will include up to five modern-era inductees on Saturday. The list of finalists includes 49ers general manager John Lynch, a nine-time Pro Bowl safety with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos.
Young is the 49ers’ career-leader in quarterbacks sacks with 89.5. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s while being a two-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
Young was on the 49ers' Super Bowl champion as a rookie in 1994. he won Comeback Player of the Year in 1999 after a broken leg ended his previous season after 12 games.
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“He was just a beast,” Warner said. “You always say as a quarterback, the hardest thing to deal with is an interior pass rush. You know, guys who can create quick pressure up the middle against you. And that’s who Bryant Young was.
“Probably my greatest rivalry, whether I was with the Rams or the Cardinals, was the 49ers. I remember going against Bryant so many times, and he was just one of those transcendent guys, the interior of the defensive line. You just don’t see them very often. So I think he has a great case to make it into the Hall of Fame, as well.”
The Hall of Fame selection meeting will take place on the eve of Super Bowl LIV, matching the 49ers against the Kansas City Chiefs. It could be a big weekend for Lynch, who is in his third season as 49ers general manager and his seventh time as a Hall of Fame finalist.
Warner and Faulk fully support their teammates, Bruce and Holt, for induction. The Rams teams, known as the "Greatest Show on Turf," have Warner, Faulk and offensive tackle Orlando Pace in the Hall of Fame.
[RELATED: Why Lynch believes 49ers' adversity makes Super Bowl run sweeter]
Bruce, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, finished his career with a two-season stint with the 49ers after playing his first 14 seasons with the Rams. He ranks 13th all-time with 1,024 receptions and fifth with 15,208 receiving yards.
Holt is also a finalist after a career in which he made the Pro Bowl seven times in 11 seasons. Holt ranks 21st all-time with 920 receptions and 16th all-time with 13,382 yards.