WR Tim Brown. AP Photo
Former Raiders WR Tim Brown and DT Warren Sapp are among the 15 modern-era finalists who will be considered for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when the Hall's Selection Committee meets in New Orleans, La. on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013.
The 15 modern-era finalists, along with the two senior nominees announced in August 2012 (former Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Oilers defensive tackle Curley Culp and former Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins linebacker Dave Robinson) will be the only candidates considered for Hall of Fame election when the 46-member Selection Committee meets.
The 15 modern-era finalists were determined by a vote of the Hall's Selection Committee from a list of 127 nominees that earlier was reduced to a list of 27 semifinalists, during the multi-step, year-long selection process. Culp and Robinson were selected as senior candidates by the Hall of Fame's Seniors Committee. The Seniors Committee reviews the qualifications of those players whose careers took place more than 25 years ago.
To be elected, a finalist must receive a minimum positive vote of 80 percent.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee's 17 finalists (15 modern-era and two senior nominees*) with their positions, teams, and years active follow:
· Larry Allen–* *Guard/Tackle – 1994-2005 Dallas Cowboys; 2006-07 San Francisco 49ers
· Jerome Bettis– Running Back – 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams; 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers
· Tim Brown– Wide Receiver/Kick Returner/Punt Returner – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders; 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
· Cris Carter– Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles; 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings; 2002 Miami Dolphins* *
· Curley Culp–* **1968-1974 Kansas City Chiefs; 1974-1980 Houston Oilers; 1980-81 Detroit Lions
· Edward DeBartolo, Jr.– Owner – 1977-2000 San Francisco 49ers* *
· Kevin Greene– Linebacker/Defensive End – 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams; 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers; 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers; 1997 San Francisco 49ers
· Charles Haley– Defensive End/Linebacker – 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers; 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys
· Art Modell –Owner – 1961-1995 Cleveland Browns; 1996-2011 Baltimore Ravens
· Jonathan Ogden–* *Tackle – 1996-2007 Baltimore Ravens
· Bill Parcells– Coach – 1983-1990 New York Giants; 1993-96 New England Patriots; 1997-99 New York Jets; 2003-06 Dallas Cowboys
· Andre Reed– Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills; 2000 Washington Redskins
· Dave Robinson–* **1963-1972 Green Bay Packers; 1973-74 Washington Redskins
· Warren Sapp–* *Defensive Tackle – 1995-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2004-07 Oakland Raiders
· Will Shields– Guard – 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs
· Michael Strahan– Defensive End – 1993-2007 New York Giants
· Aeneas Williams– Cornerback/Safety – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals; 2001-04 St. Louis Rams* *
Other than the four first-year eligible nominees, all of the modern-era nominees have been finalists in previous years. Although they have been nominees in previous years, this is the first time the two senior nominees, Culp and Robinson, have been finalists.
SELECTION MEETING AND ANNOUNCEMENT
The Selection Committee will meet in New Orleans, La. on Saturday, February 2, 2013, to elect the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013. The election results will be announced at 5:30 p.m. ET (4:30 local time) during a one-hour NFL Network special, live from the Super Bowl Media Center.
At the 2013 selection meeting, the selectors will thoroughly discuss the careers of each finalist. Although there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the Pro Football Hall of Fame's current ground rules stipulate that between four and seven new members will be selected each year. No more than five modern-era nominees can be elected in a given year and a class of six or seven can only be achieved if one or both senior nominees are elected. Representatives of the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche will tabulate all votes during the meeting.
At the announcement, Pro Football Hall of Fame President/Executive Director Steve Perry will be presented with an envelope containing the names of the nominees elected. Each newly elected member will be contacted immediately by the Hall of Fame. Members of the Class of 2013 in New Orleans for the Super Bowl will be asked to join the live announcement show. Those not able to attend will be asked to join via teleconference.
2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival, a multi-day celebration of the enshrinement of the newest Hall of Fame Class, is held each year in Canton. The festival which culminates with the Enshrinement Ceremony and NFL/Hall of Fame Game includes 18 special events over an 11-day period. Two major events are the Enshrinees Gold Jacket Dinner (Friday, August 2), and the Enshrinees GameDay Roundtable (Sunday, August 4). It is at the Enshrinees Gold Jacket Dinner where each member of the Class of 2013 will be presented his gold Pro Football Hall of Fame Jacket. At the Enshrinees GameDay Roundtable, the Class of 2013 will be featured center stage as they share memories of the game and their personal feelings about being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
This year the Pro Football Hall of Fame is celebrating its 50th anniversary and as a part of the year-long celebration the annual Enshrinement Festival will include a special Golden Anniversary Reunion of previously elected Hall of Fame members. As many as 130 previously elected Hall of Fame members are expected to attend this year's Enshrinement Ceremony.
Individual Enshrinement tickets and Fan Packages for the 2013 Enshrinement Festival will go on sale soon. Additional ticket information for the Enshrinement Ceremony, NFL/Hall of Fame Game and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival events can be found on the Hall of Fame's website (Profootballhof.com).
