NFL Nfl Hall Of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the nominees for induction into its Class of 2010 on Saturday.

Wide receiver Jerry Rice and running back Emmitt Smith headline a group of 131 players, coaches and contributors that make up the list of modern-era nominees for election. Former Lions cornerback and current Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and former Broncos running back Floyd Little are the two senior nominees that were picked in August by the Hall of Fame's Senior Selection Committee.

The semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 27, and the modern-era finalists will be chosen on Jan. 7. The entire 2010 class will be revealed the day before the Super Bowl on Feb. 6 in Miami.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, one of the most respected coaches in the NFL, may finally get through the doors of the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- as a player.

The seniors committee on Tuesday named LeBeau, 71, a cornerback who played in an NFL-record 171 consecutive games (most at his position), and running back Floyd Little, 67, who amassed more than 12,000 all-purpose yards, as the two seniors finalists for the Class of 2010.

They will join 15 modern-era candidates on the complete list of finalists for the 2010 class. The modern-era candidates are still under consideration by the selection committee.

I used to get letters. Now I get e-mails in the hundreds. And DVDs. And even tweets (@deegle84).

All imploring me to vote for a prospective Hall of Fame candidate. Or non-candidate. Or even, in a case or two, someone I've never heard of.

To all those folks who write me: Anybody who hasn't been a voter can't understand how the voting works or why certain people get in and others don't. I'm in my 17th year as a voter and I'm often not sure I understand it either. But I also feel that 98 percent of the people in the Hall deserve to be there, and that 98 percent of those who aren't in shouldn't be, or will get in at some point.

I bring this up because next Tuesday, I will vote with four other members of the Hall's seniors committee on a list of 17 candidates. The list will be narrowed to two, who will be recommended to the full panel of 44 voters and be voted up or down on the Saturday before the Super Bowl in Miami in February.

Less than three months ago, it seemed obvious that Brett Favre would end up playing for the Minnesota Vikings. As the rumors really got going, former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton lambasted Favre in a radio interview.

Wednesday morning, Tarkenton was back at it. He appeared on Sirius NFL Radio, and it's clear he still isn't a fan of the ol' gunslinger.

CANTON, Ohio -- The NFL's first preseason game of 2009 was billed as an AFL tribute contest honoring two charter members, the Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills -- and no, that wasn't George Blanda handing off to Billy Cannon in the first quarter on Sunday night.

Most of the real nostalgia centered on whether Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young could recapture any of his 2006 rookie-season impact. Or even show anything of relevance after he sat on ice most of '08 following the loss of his starting job to veteran Kerry Collins in Week 1.

The verdict on Vince through one outing? Not so hot.

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CANTON, Ohio -- Bills defensive end Bruce Smith seemed to bring the entire city of Buffalo with him to his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday. His loyal fans were certainly vocal in expressing their support for the most dominant NFL end of his era.

"BRRRUUCCEE!" the Bills-heavy crowd chanted several times during the evening, giving the biggest shout to their pass rushing hero when he finally stepped to the microphone following a rousing introduction speech by defensive coach Ted Cottrell.

"This certainly feels like a home game," said a beaming Smith, who spent 19 seasons in the NFL and wrapped up a long night of induction speeches at the Hall of Fame with his own 18-minute ode to Bills coaches, teammates and fans alike.

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CANTON, Ohio -- Derrick Thomas' induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame may have taken longer than his family wanted. It took longer than the loyal Chiefs' Nation wanted. In the end, their perseverance paid off – even if Thomas is not alive to see it.

The Kansas City Chiefs' pass rushing legend, who was arguably the most feared defensive lineman of the 1990s, finally received his reward for an NFL-most 116 1/2 sacks on Saturday when his bust and legacy were enshrined posthumously in the Hall of Fame.

Thomas' NFL career spanned only 11 seasons, tragically cut short when he died on Feb. 8, 2000 at the age of 33 of complications from injuries sustained in a car accident.

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CANTON, Ohio -- Rod Woodson's NFL statistics over 17 seasons were so gaudy and his place on the NFL's vaunted 75th Anniversary Team as an active player so impressive, he was a shoo-in to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

"I've seen it from afar, but getting on this stage, it's a whirlwind," said Woodson, 44, who has spent the five years since his retirement from the league as an analyst for the NFL Network.

Woodson earned 11 Pro Bowl berths, was All-Pro six times at three positions -- cornerback, safety and kick returner -- and holds the NFL record for career touchdowns off interception returns with 12.

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CANTON, Ohio – "Bullet" Bob Hayes hated his reputation as a track star who played football. He reminded anyone who would listen that he had been a football player first at Florida A&M University.

Hayes, of course, will always be remembered for his title as World's Fastest Human after winning two gold medals as a sprinter in the 1964 Olympic Games. On Saturday, his NFL greatness as a wide receiver was recognized when Hayes was immortalized posthumously as a Pro Football Hall of Fame legend, member of the Class of 2009.

The former Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers star remains the only man to win a Super Bowl ring and an Olympic gold medal, and is the second gold medalist in the Hall of Fame, following Jim Thorpe.

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CANTON, Ohio – Randall McDaniel played in 202 consecutive games as a dominant guard for the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a remarkable streak that also included 12 consecutive Pro Bowl berths.

Despite that ironman achievement, McDaniel was, and remains, one of the NFL's most humble standouts.

"As an offensive linemen, I really don't feel comfortable standing up here without the other four guys around me," said McDaniel, 44, who picked his Agua Fria Union (Avondale, Ariz.) high school athletic director, O.K. Fulton, to be his presenter Saturday when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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