Will Shields and Willie Roaf are finalists for the Hall of Fame

[Rain Man]

http://www.profootballhof.com/enshri...012-finalists/

Class of 2012 Finalists
01/07/2012

Two first-year eligible nominees – coach Bill Parcells and tackle Will Shields – 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 Indianapolis, Ind. on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012.

Joining the first-year eligible, are 12 modern-era players and a contributor. The 15 modern-era finalists, along with the two senior nominees announced in August 2011 (former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jack Butler and former Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins guard Dick Stanfel) will be the only candidates considered for Hall of Fame election when the 44-member Selection Committee meets. To be elected, a finalist must receive a minimum positive vote of 80 percent.

Although technically a first-year eligible candidate, Parcells has been a finalist twice before (2001, 2002) following his announced retirement as head coach of the New York Jets in 1999. At the time the Hall of Fame By-Laws did not require a coach to be retired the now mandatory five seasons. Parcells returned to coach the Dallas Cowboys in 2003 and the five-year waiting period was in effect when he retired from coaching in 2006.

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:

See detailed capsule bios on the 17 Finalists>>>
Jerome Bettis – Running Back – 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers

Tim Brown – Wide Receiver/Kick Returner – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jack Butler* – Cornerback – 1951-59 Pittsburgh Steelers

Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins

Dermontti Dawson – Center – 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers

Edward DeBartolo, Jr. – Owner – 1977-2000 San Francisco 49ers

Chris Doleman – Defensive End/Linebacker – 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 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

Cortez Kennedy – Defensive Tackle – 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks

Curtis Martin – Running Back – 1995-97 New England Patriots, 1998-2005 New York Jets

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

Willie Roaf – Tackle – 1993-2001 New Orleans Saints, 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs

Will Shields – Guard – 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs

Dick Stanfel* – Guard – 1952-55 Detroit Lions, 1956-58 Washington Redskins

Aeneas Williams – Cornerback/Safety – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis Rams

In addition to Parcells, other finalists who have been eligible in previous years include Bettis, Brown, Carter, Dawson, Doleman, Haley, Kennedy, Martin, Reed, Roaf and Stanfel. Although they were eligible in previous years, this is the first time Butler, DeBartolo, Greene and Williams have been finalists.

From this year’s list, four players – Butler, Dawson, Kennedy, and Shields spent their entire NFL career with just one team.

Butler and Stanfel were selected as senior candidates by the Hall of Fame’s Seniors Committee at their August 2011 meeting. The Seniors Committee reviews the qualifications of those players whose careers took place more than 25 years ago. The remaining 15 modern-era finalists were determined by a vote of the Hall’s 44-member Selection Committee from a list of 105 preliminary nominees that earlier was reduced to a list of 26 semifinalists.

To be eligible for election, modern-era players and coaches must be retired at least five consecutive seasons. Contributors need not be retired.

Doleman, Greene, and Haley have been eligible for eight years. Dawson, Kennedy, and Reed have each been eligible for election for seven years, Carter five years, and Brown and Williams three years. Bettis, Martin and Roaf are in their second year of eligibility. Since the retirement minimum for a player prior to 1968 was three years, senior nominees Butler and Stanfel have been eligible since 1963 when the Hall of Fame first opened.

The Selection Committee will meet in Indianapolis, Ind. on Saturday, February 4, 2012, to elect the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012. 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.

At the 2012 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 2012 in Indianapolis 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.

[The Bad Guy]

Honestly, why does 50/50 even post in football threads. His knowledge is so uninformed that it's laughable.

Yeah, it should be a negative on Carter that he played with a stud like Moss. Get ****ing real. Carter has a far more impressive resume than you give credit for.

Then again, you're the same jackass that keeps pimping Jeff Fisher like he's the next coming of Lombardi.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

This team had 2 HOF lineman on it, another all-pro guard, and a center who set the snaps streak at the position and they didn't win a ****ing playoff game with that group.

****ing hilarious.

Yet, we still have guys that want a RT in the 1st and say it's too risky to move a bunch of picks for a QB because our line isn't good enough THAT JUST MEANS WE NEEDZ TO HAS 5 HOF LINEMAN

[RNR]

The Hall of Fame does not have much more creditability than the Pro Bowl~

[Bump]

Originally Posted by RedNeckRaider

The Hall of Fame does not have much more creditability than the Pro Bowl~

bs

[Bump]

Originally Posted by PGM

Yet, we still have guys that want a RT in the 1st and say it's too risky to move a bunch of picks for a QB because our line isn't good enough THAT JUST MEANS WE NEEDZ TO HAS 5 HOF LINEMAN

we had a superbowl offense but the whole high school defense thing kinda killed it for us.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

This team had 2 HOF lineman on it, another all-pro guard, and a center who set the snaps streak at the position and they didn't win a ****ing playoff game with that group.

****ing hilarious.

Don't forget a future HOF TE, & a season that had a running back score 27 rushing TDs.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

This'll get the gears from that era turning.

Love that flick, love her (yes, that was her) singing...

[RNR]

Originally Posted by Bump

bs

Really? Take a look at the list of players that should be in and are not, and then take a look at the list of those in who should not be. If you think it is not politically manipulated and popularity factors every bit as much as performance on the field you are gullible~

[Rain Man]

So the wisdom of Chiefsplanet says that the following guys will make the HoF:

Roaf, Shields, C. Carter, and Parcells.

And the following guys will make it if they go beyond the minimum:

T. Brown, Haley, Greene.

Let's see how well the voters do by us.

[58kcfan89]

Like many of you, I was at Canton for DT's induction in '09. Was probably the best trip I've ever taken.

If Roaf and/or Shields make it in (how friggin' awesome would it be if they go in at the same time?), I'd have a hard time not finding a way to go.

And the fact that Bettis & Martin are finalists is ridiculous. Hall of Fame not Hall of Good For a Few Years.

[WhiteWhale]

Originally Posted by 58kcfan89

Like many of you, I was at Canton for DT's induction in '09. Was probably the best trip I've ever taken.

If Roaf and/or Shields make it in (how friggin' awesome would it be if they go in at the same time?), I'd have a hard time not finding a way to go.

And the fact that Bettis & Martin are finalists is ridiculous. Hall of Fame not Hall of Good For a Few Years.

Curtis Martin had 10 1,000 yard seasons. He has over 14,000 career rushing yards and 90 touchdowns.

'Good for a few years'... what?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by WhiteWhale

Curtis Martin had 10 1,000 yard seasons. He has over 14,000 career rushing yards and 90 touchdowns.

'Good for a few years'... what?

He's the classic guy that I don't like in the Hall of Fame.

He had 10 1,000 yard seasons, that's true. But he had only two seasons where he averaged over 4.2 yards per carry. In 6 of those 10 1,000 yard seasons he averaged 4.0 or less.

He had two seasons where I would say he was a dominating running back, but other than that he was a very solid workhorse kind of guy who wasn't a big play guy. He had one run in his career longer than 60 yards. I think he was a decent running back who got a fair number of carries each year and didn't get injured. Meh.

[WhiteWhale]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

He's the classic guy that I don't like in the Hall of Fame.

He had 10 1,000 yard seasons, that's true. But he had only two seasons where he averaged over 4.2 yards per carry. In 6 of those 10 1,000 yard seasons he averaged 4.0 or less.

He had two seasons where I would say he was a dominating running back, but other than that he was a very solid workhorse kind of guy who wasn't a big play guy. He had one run in his career longer than 60 yards. I think he was a decent running back who got a fair number of carries each year and didn't get injured. Meh.

Hey, actually I agree. Martin was 'good' for a long time, but never great for any period.

I'm just sayin.... 'good for a few years'? He's 4th all time on the rushing list. He got there one 70 yard game at a time. You gotta applaud his durability though. It's an under-rated attribute. You can't help the team win if you're not playing right?

[ChiefsCountry]

Dermontti Dawson was just as dominating as Will Shields. He was the center for the decade of the 90s.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by WhiteWhale

Hey, actually I agree. Martin was 'good' for a long time, but never great for any period.

I'm just sayin.... 'good for a few years'? He's 4th all time on the rushing list. He got there one 70 yard game at a time. You gotta applaud his durability though. It's an under-rated attribute. You can't help the team win if you're not playing right?

Yeah, he's definitely a leading candidate for the Hall of Durable, and a guy like that helps the team by locking down a position so they can draft elsewhere. But he'd better get into the Hall of Fame before they give me a vote, because I'm not voting for him.