NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kevin Mawae, who finished an excellent career playing center for the Tennessee Titans from 2006-09, is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He and 14 others will be debated by the Hall of Fame selection committee (on which I have a spot) on Feb. 4, and as many as five will be elected.

Mawae played for Seattle from 1994 to 1997 and for the New York Jets from 1998 to 2005.

He continued to play at a high level through his final four NFL seasons in Tennessee, during which he was part of the group that blocked for Chris Johnson's 2,000-yard season.

The Titans brought Mawae in as part of a solid free-agent class in 2006, along with linebacker David Thornton and safety Chris Hope. The three keyed a resurgence for the team, but none more than Mawae.

The Titans went to the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. They have not been back since, missing the field by a game this season.

After Mawae was not brought back in 2010, the Titans struggled to find effective center play as well as the locker-room leadership and overall presence they got from him.

Since they relocated to Tennessee in 1997, the Titans almost always had a good O-line. But after Mawae's departure, a five-year struggle ensued. Only this season, after spending giant resources in the draft (first-round picks on left tackle Taylor Lewan and right tackle Jack Conklin) and free agency (Ben Jones came from Houston), have they managed to assemble a good line.

Mawae is one of four offensive linemen in the final 15. Alan Fanaca and Joe Jacoby were finalists last year, and Tony Boselli is a first-time finalist like Mawae.

Chris Hinton and Mike Kenn were also on the list of 26 semifinalists.

Orlando Pace was selected to the Hall of Fame in the class of 2016.