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Jack Butler, Dermontii Dawson, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Curtis Martin and Willie Roaf were voted in. Notable finalists who didn't make the cut include Bill Parcells, Cris Carter and Tim Brown.
Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter was in the room for this year's Hall of Fame voting and has his thoughts on how and why some notable names were left out. Many were perplexed when Bill Parcells, Cris Carter, Andre Reed and others did not make the final cut, and Trotter tries to explain why this happened.
The problem is the numbers, with only five modern-era candidates inducted each year. Further compounding the problem, Trotter hypothesizes, is the candidates that will become eligible in the near future. Which led him to this.
Some thoughts on today's voting: It sure had the feel of a good old-fashion housecleaning. That may sound terrible, but in no way is it meant to demean the players who were selected. Each of them is most deserving. But voters were aware of what's coming down the pike, and if certain positions weren't addressed this year it would create major logjams going forward.
He continued by pointing out the battles that would've taken place over the coming year, had some of the candidates who gained the necessary votes for induction not been approved this year. For the wide receivers, the problem seemed to be a split vote: Trotter said it was impossible for voters to agree which of the corps was "better," causing a split.
Go read the whole piece for an inside look at the process and a deeper explanation of the voting. It's the system we're stuck with, and there will always be snubs, but it's tough to take when so many deserving candidates are left out, like they were on Saturday.
As a Seahawks fan, this moment was a long time in the making. Cortez Kennedy shined in Seattle, toiling away on some terrible teams but always shining along the way. And on Saturday, his efforts were rewarded as he earned the necessary votes for induction with the 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Kennedy played his entire career in Seattle, spanning 11 seasons, from 1990 to 2000. In 1992, Kennedy won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, despite playing on a two-win team. In his 11 years in the league, Kennedy was named to the Pro Bowl eight times, the first-team All Pro team three times, and the second-team once.
Kennedy was inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor, a proud moment for Seattle fans, in 2006, but has been patiently waiting for his turn to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As the years have passed, he's inched closer, earning enough votes to be a finalist in 2011.
Finally, Big Tez is in, and the honor is much deserved. He joins Curtis Martin, Dermontti Dawson, Chris Doleman, Willie Roaf and Jack Butler as part of the 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class.
For complete coverage of the 2012 Hall of Fame class and all other football news, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.
One day before Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, the NFL announced its 2012 class of Hall of Fame inductees. These men will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August to kick off the 2012 NFL season.
Again this year, the wide receivers were left out. Among the snubs was Andre Reed, who made the cut to 10 finalists, but did not make the final cut.
Reed had a long run as the top receiver for the Bills, finishing his playing career with 13,198 yards on 951 catches, as well as scoring 87 touchdowns. He ranks in the all-time top 10 in receptions and receiving yards and is 11th in career touchdown receptions.
His four Super Bowl appearances also add to his legacy. Reed has the second-most receptions in Super Bowl history behind Jerry Rice and is third in all-time Super Bowl receiving yards.
Reed was already a member of the Bills Wall of Fame as well as the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, but will have to wait, hoping to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
For complete coverage of the 2012 Hall of Fame class and all other football news, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.
One day before Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, the NFL announced its 2012 class of Hall of Fame inductees. These men will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August to kick off the 2012 NFL season. The newest class of Hall of Fame inductees was announced on Saturday, with a cut from 15 to 10, another from 10 to five, then the final announcement of the 2012 Hall of Fame Class.
Cris Carter was, somewhat surprisingly, left out. He did make the first cut on Saturday, joining nine others, but did not make the cut to five and will not be joining the Hall of Fame this year.
Carter was a fourth-round draft pick for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1987. He played with the Eagles before moving on to the Minnesota Vikings from 1990-2001, finishing up his career with a season on the Miami Dolphins in 2002.
Carter was elected to eight Pro Bowls between 1993 and 2000 and was named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade team. In his career, he accumulated 1,101 receptions, 13,899 receiving yards and 130 touchdowns. His number of receptions is second all-time, behind Jerry Rice. He ranks fourth all-time in touchdown receptions.
For complete coverage of the 2012 Hall of Fame class and all other football news, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2012 has been selected, with the maximum of five modern-era players selected to be enshrined and one veterans committee player selected. There were a number of surprises, but the group of 17 finalists was incredibly strong, and the limitations set by the Hall of Fame mean that a number of spectacular players are left out every season.
The first five modern-era finalists cut were Will Shields, Tim Brown, Jerome Bettis, Kevin Greene and Ed DeBartolo, Jr. That this group of five individuals could be cut from consideration before the final cut is a testament to how strong this group is. There were no first-ballot selections, but two players got in on their second try in 2012. Here are the inductees.
Dermontti Dawson: Center - Pittsburgh Steelers
Dawson played 184 games and started 181 games in his NFL career, playing his entire professional career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his time in the NFL, Dawson was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a six-time All-Pro selection.
Chris Doleman: Defensive End - Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, San Fransisco 49ers
Doleman played the vast majority of his career with the Minnesota Vikings and retired with 150.5 sacks, then the fourth-highest career total. Doleman went to the Pro Bowl eight times and was named to the NFL All-Decade team for the 1990s.
Cortez Kennedy: Defensive Tackle - Seattle Seahawks
Though nose tackles are not usually on the field for their pass-rushing ability, Kennedy regularly recorded massive sack totals from the position. Playing his entire career with the Seahawks, Kennedy recorded 58 sacks as a pro and went to eight Pro Bowls.
Curtis Martin: Running Back - New England Patriots, New York Jets
A five-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, Martin retired from football in 2005 as the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history, amassing over 14,000 yards on the ground in his career. Martin appeared in one Super Bowl and was also a recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.
Willie Roaf: Offensive Tackle - New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs
Roaf was somehow not a first-ballot selection, but has finally been rightfully enshrined on his second try. Roaf was one of the most dominant left tackles in NFL history and made 189 starts in his career. He was an 11-time Pro Bowl and six-time All-Pro selection, and was named to the All-Decade teams for the 1990s and 2000s.
Jack Butler: Cornerback - Pittsburgh Steelers
The lone veterans' committee inductee in 2012, Butler played for nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was selected to four Pro Bowls and was first-team All Pro on three occasions.
Missed final cut
Bill Parcells: Head Coach - New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys
Charles Haley: Outside Linebacker - Dallas Cowboys, San Fransisco 49ers
Cris Carter: Wide Receiver - Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins
Andre Reed: Wide Receiver - Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins
Aeneas Williams: Defensive Back - Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams
Dick Stanfel: Offensive Guard - Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins (Veterans' committee)
One day before Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, the NFL announced its 2012 class of Hall of Fame inductees. These men will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August to kick off the 2012 NFL season.
Despite many expecting Bill Parcells to make it into the Hall of Fame with ease on his first try, though, the long-time NFL head coach was left out. Parcells made the cut from 15 to 10, but did not make the final cut to five, joining all the wide receivers, including Cris Carter on the outside looking in.
Parcells is perhaps best known for serving as head coach of the Giants from 1983 until 1990, where he won two Super Bowl titles with them in two appearances, in 1986 and 1990. Parcells retired after that second Super Bowl win for a short time, before being lured back into action as the head coach of the Patriots in 1993. He stayed with team until 1996, ending his tenure there with a Super Bowl appearance in which New England lost to the Green Bay Packers. His most recent head coaching stint was with the Dallas Cowboys, from 2003 to 2006.
Parcells owns a career head coaching record of 172-130-1 in the regular season, with a postseason record of 11-8.
For complete coverage of the 2012 Hall of Fame class and all other football news, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub. For news and information on the New York Giants, please visit Big Blue View. For updates and perspective on the New England Patriots, head on over to Pats Pulpit.
Curtis Martin has been inducted into the 2012 Pro Football Hall Of Fame class, making it on his second year of eligibility. Martin retired after missing the entire 2006 NFL season with a bone-on-bone condition in his knee. Martin spent twelve seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the third round out of Pittsburgh by the New England Patriots but spent the lion's share of his career on the New York Jets.
Martin burst onto the NFL his rookie season winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award rushing the ball for 1,487 yards and 14 touchdowns. Martin spent three seasons with the Patriots before signing with the New York Jets where he spent his final nine seasons. In Martin's career, he was a five time Pro Bowl selection and a five time All Pro selection. Martin was also the oldest player in NFL history to win an NFL rushing title at the age of 31 and ranks fourth all-time in rushing yards. Martin joins Hall Of Fame running back Barry Sanders as the only two players to rush for 1,000 yards in each of their first 10 seasons in the NFL.
For more on Curtis Martin's induction, visit SB Nation's Jets blog Gang Green Nation and Patriots blog Pat's Pulpit.
Top-notch offensive linemen simply don't stand out as much as top-notch skill position players, which is the only explanation for why Willie Roaf is not already enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Roaf is a member of two NFL All-Decade teams, made 11 Pro Bowls and was a six-time All-Pro selection, but did not make it as a first ballot Hall of Famer in 2011, his first year of eligibility. His short wait is now over, and Roaf will finally be a Hall of Famer in 2012.
Roaf played 13 NFL seasons, split between the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. He played in and started in 189 games in his NFL career, starting all 16 regular season games in nine of his seasons as a professional. Though the teams that Roaf played for were rarely contenders, he was still recognized as one of the best players of his era at any position.
For more on Roaf's induction, head over to New Orleans Saints blog Canal Street Chronicles and Kansas City Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride.
15 finalists will be considered for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when the Hall’s Selection Committee meets in Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 4.
Leading the pack is first-year nominee Bill Parcells, who led both the New York and Giants and New England Patriots to Super Bowls, winning two with the Giants and losing one with the Pats. Parcells has technically been a finalist twice before following his retirement as head coach of the New York Jets in 1999. Parcells returned to coach the Dallas Cowboys in 2003, after a five-year waiting period had been put into effect.
Parcells finished his NFL coaching career with a record of 172-130-1, two Super Bowl rings, three Conference championships and two AP Coach of the Year awards.
Kansas City Chiefs guard Will Shields is the other first-year nominee. In 1999, Shields was selected as an offensive guard to the Walter Camp Football Foundation College Football All-Century Team. In his 14 seasons in the NFL, Shields never missed a game and is considered one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history.
Other finalists for the Hall include Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jerome Bettis, Oakland Raiders receiver Tim Brown, Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter, defensive end Chris Doleman, linebacker Kevin Greene, 49ers/Cowboys linebacker Charles Haley, Seahawks defenstive tackle Cortez Kennedy, Patriots/Jets running back Curtis Martin, Buffalo Bills WR Andre Reed, Saints/Chiefs tackle Willie Roaf, Cardinals/Rams DB Aeneas Williams, 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo, Jr., Steelers corner Jack Butler and Lions/Redskins guard Dick Stanfel.
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.
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. The election results will be announced at 5:30 p.m. ET during a one-hour NFL Network special, live from the Super Bowl Media Center. The Class of 2012 will be the 50th class to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Hall Of Famer Cortez Kennedy Recommends The Randy Shannon Diet Plan
by Jason Kirk
Seahawks and Miami Hurricanes great Cortez Kennedy, newly minted Pro Football Hall of Famer, tells a story shared in Bruce Feldman's essential 'Cane Mutiny about teammate Randy Shannon's efforts to trim him down, along with a note on his recruitment by Jimmy Johnson. Cortez Kennedy used to be really, really big, you see!
Via Sports Radio Interviews:
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Feb 09 5:33p