LISTEN: Kevin Mawae Discusses Hall Of Fame Roller-Coaster Ride On WFAN
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Kevin Mawae's been through the suspense before. As much as the former Jets center hopes he'll be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, he also knows it's not exactly healthy to be consumed by it.
"Obviously you'd rather get the knock on the door than the phone call," Mawae, one of 15 finalists for the Hall, told WFAN's "The Afternoon Drive With Carlin, Bart & Maggie." "But if you don't get in, it's not going to do you any good to complain about it, especially publicly. And if you do, you're just happy for the opportunity and get to share it with your teammates and your family and stuff. But for me, life is too short to be riding an emotional roller coaster on something I have no control over right now."
Mawae played 16 seasons in the NFL and was a three-time first-team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler. He spent half his career in New York, bookended by four years each in Seattle and Tennessee.
A finalist for Canton each of the past two years, Mawae said he knows the voters will have some tough decisions to make. This year's candidates also include offensive tackle Tony Boselli, running back Edgerrin James, safety John Lynch and wide receivers Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.
"I think I set my legacy as a player on the field, and I changed the way offenses look at their center position," Mawae said. "And so in that aspect, it puts me in that conversation. But all I did was what I could do, so whatever happens in the next several weeks is up to the voters."
This year's Hall of Fame class will be announced Feb. 3, a day before the Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
To listen to the interview, click on the audio player above.