Finalists For Pro Football Hall of Fame Announced

An impressive trio of first-time eligible players, along with a Super Bowl winning coach, highlight the list of 15 finalists selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in voting announced on Thursday night.

The three first-year players include linebacker Derrick Brooks, wide receiver Marvin  Harrison, and tackle Walter Jones, along with former coach Tony Dungy.

Brooks, who played 14 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is an 11-time Pro Bowler, who won the 2002 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year Award, and was named to the NFL 2000's All-Decade Team. In 224 games, Brooks accumulated 1,715 tackles, along with 25 interceptions and seven touchdowns.

In a 13-year career, all with the Indianapolis Colts, Harrison compiled 1,102 career receptions for 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl eight different times, and was also named to the NFL 2000's All-Decade Team.

Jones spent his entire 12-year career with the Seattle Seahawks, being named to nine Pro Bowls. He was named the 2005 NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year, and also earned a place on the NFL 2000's All-Decade Team.

Dungy had two different coaching stints, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-2001) and the Indianapolis Colts (2002-2008), compiling a 139-69 record. Dungy guided the Colts to a 29-17 win over the Chicago bears in Super Bowl XLI.

Of the other 11 finalists, nine were finalists from last year, including receivers Andre Reed and Tim Brown, running back Jerome Bettis, guard Will Shields, defensive ends Michael Strahan and Charles Haley, linebacker Kevin Greene, cornerback Aeneas Williams, safety John Lynch, and kicker Morten Andersen, along with owner Ed DeBartolo Jr.

Punter Ray Guy and defensive end Claude Humphrey were announced as senior nominees in August.

The final voting, which is scheduled for February 1 in New York, will be done by a 46-member selection committee, with a minimum 80 percent required for induction.