Linebacker C.J. Mosley announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday with a sincere message that reached back to a Coastal Alabama kid dreaming about becoming “a Ray Lewis or a Brian Urlacher.”

Lewis and Urlacher were Hall of Fame role models. Will Mosley become a Hall of Famer, too?

It might depend on which Hall of Fame is considering his credentials.

Mosley has a make-his-reservation resume for the College Football Hall of Fame, and his retirement makes him immediately eligible for consideration for that football shrine.

For the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mosley might be a couple of Pro Bowl selections short.

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Mosley earned five Pro Bowl invitations, landed on The Associated Press’ All-Pro second team five times and was the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Pro middle linebacker for the 2018 season.

Thirteen inside linebackers have at least seven Pro Bowl selections apiece. Eleven are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Luke Kuechly became eligible for consideration for the first time with the Class of 2025, reached finalist status but was not chosen for enshrinement this year. Bobby Wagner is still playing, so he is not eligible.

One inside linebacker has six Pro Bowl selections, and Karl Mecklenburg is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Mosley and 10 other inside linebackers have five Pro Bowl selections apiece. Two of those players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – Sam Huff and Sam Mills.

One Pro Football Hall of Fame inside linebacker has fewer than five Pro Bowl selections – Ray Nitschke, who played for five NFL championship teams.

Lewis and Urlacher entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Class of 2018 in their first years of eligibility, and Mosley was in Canton, Ohio, with the Baltimore Ravens as Lewis’ old team played in the annual Hall of Fame Game for his enshrinement.

Mosley was preparing for his fifth and final season with Baltimore, and the Ravens’ Mosley had the look of a future Pro Football Hall of Famer. Mosley, Lewis and Urlacher had four Pro Bowl selections apiece in their first five seasons.

Through his first five NFL seasons, Mosley had 579 tackles, nine interceptions, 8.5 sacks, 43 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries in 77 regular-season games.

Through his first five NFL seasons, Lewis had 590 tackles, nine interceptions, 16 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in 76 games. Urlacher had 582 tackles, seven interceptions, 26.5 sacks, 62 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in 73 games.

The only player who can match Mosley’s stats in those six categories in the first five seasons of his career (since all those numbers have been measured by the NFL) is Lavonte David, who is preparing for his 14th season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After his fifth season with Baltimore, Mosley left the Ravens in free agency for the New York Jets. From 2021 through 2023, Mosley made 478 tackles for the Jets. But injuries affected the beginning and end of Mosley’s New York tenure.

Mosley played in two games in his first season with the Jets, then chose to sit out the next season under the NFL’s plan to play during the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2024, neck and toe injuries limited Mosley to four games.

Mosley had eight seasons as a starter. Of the 14 inside linebackers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all spent at least nine seasons as starters except Patrick Willis, who had seven.

Mosley will become eligible for consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Class of 2030.

A prep star at Theodore High School, Mosley was a consensus All-American in 2012 and a unanimous All-American in 2013 at Alabama. In 2013, Mosley earned the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker.

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Mosley was the 26th SEC player to become a two-time consensus All-American. Eighteen of the preceding 25 have reached the College Football Hall of Fame so far.

Twelve players preceded Mosley as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Four are in the College Football Hall of Fame, as are the four defensive players who were the SEC Player of the Year before the conference had separate awards for offense and defense.

Twenty-six linebackers won the Butkus Award before Mosley. Fourteen have made it to the College Football Hall of Fame to this point.

Mosley’s college career also carries the bonus of including two BCS national championships.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.