Finalists for Centennial Hall of Fame Class includes Paul Tagliabue but not Robert Kraft

Blitz

Well-known member
Mar 20, 2019
2,127
0
gettyimages-695758194-e1576777284350.jpg

Getty Images

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the finalists for the Centennial Class of 2020 on Thursday afternoon. The list includes some familiar names like Roger Craig, Drew Pearson, Donnie Shell, Jimbo Covert and Cliff Branch.

The list of 10 contributor finalists, though, does not include Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who was not elected as a 2017 finalist, did make the list.

Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher and Tom Flores are among the eight finalists in the coaches’ category.

A special Blue-Ribbon Panel, which includes Bill Belichick, reduced the initial list of nearly 300 candidates to 38 — eight coaches, 10 contributors and 20 seniors. The Blue-Ribbon Panel will meet in Canton, Ohio, in early January to elect the 15-member Centennial Class.

The panel will elect 10 seniors, three contributors and two coaches to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.

Below are the finalists for three categories:

COACHES (eight finalists) — Coaches who last coached more than five seasons ago

Don Coryell – 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers

Bill Cowher – 1992-2006 Pittsburgh Steelers

Tom Flores – 1979-1987 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-94 Seattle Seahawks

Mike Holmgren – 1992-98 Green Bay Packers, 1999-2008 Seattle Seahawks

Jimmy Johnson – 1989-1993 Dallas Cowboys, 1996-99 Miami Dolphins

Buddy Parker – 1949 Chicago Cardinals, 1951-56 Detroit Lions, 1957-1964 Pittsburgh Steelers

Dan Reeves – 1981-1992 Denver Broncos, 1993-96 New York Giants, 1997-2003 Atlanta Falcons

Dick Vermeil – 1976-1982 Philadelphia Eagles, 1997-99 St. Louis Rams, 2001-05 Kansas City Chiefs

CONTRIBUTORS (10 finalists) — An individual other than a player or coach

Bud Adams, Owner – 1960-2013 Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Titans

Ralph Hay, Owner – 1918-1922 Canton Bulldogs

Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Scout/General Manager/Executive – 1960-61 Philadelphia Eagles, 1962-64 Washington Redskins, 1965-1970 Dallas Cowboys, 1971-2006 New England Patriots

Art McNally, Official/Administrator – 1959-2015 National Football League

Art Modell, Owner – 1961-1995 Cleveland Browns, 1996-2011 Baltimore Ravens

Clint Murchison, Founder/Owner – 1960-1983 Dallas Cowboys

Steve Sabol, Administrator/President – 1964-2012 NFL Films

Seymour Siwoff, Owner/President – 1952-2019 Elias Sports Bureau

Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League

George Young, Contributor/General Manager – 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-78 Miami Dolphins, 1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 National Football League

SENIORS (20 finalists) — A player who last played more than 25 seasons ago

Cliff Branch, WR – 1972-1985 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Harold Carmichael, WR – 1971-1983 Philadelphia Eagles, 1984 Dallas Cowboys

Jim Covert, T – 1983-1990 Chicago Bears

Roger Craig, RB – 1983-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991 Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-93 Minnesota Vikings

Bobby Dillon, S – 1952-59 Green Bay Packers

LaVern Dilweg, E – 1926 Milwaukee Badgers, 1927-1934 Green Bay Packers

Ox Emerson, G/LB/C – 1931-37 Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions, 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers

Randy Gradishar, LB – 1974-1983 Denver Broncos

Cliff Harris, S – 1970-79 Dallas Cowboys

Winston Hill, T – 1963-1976 New York Jets, 1977 Los Angeles Rams

Cecil Isbell, TB/DB/HB – 1938-1942 Green Bay Packers

Alex Karras, DT – 1958-1962, 1964-1970 Detroit Lions

Verne Lewellen, HB – 1924-27, 1928-1932 Green Bay Packers, 1927 New York Yankees

Tommy Nobis, LB – 1966-1976 Atlanta Falcons

Drew Pearson, WR – 1973-1983 Dallas Cowboys

Donnie Shell, S – 1974-1987 Pittsburgh Steelers

Duke Slater, T – 1922 Milwaukee Badgers, 1922-25 Rock Island Independents, 1926-1931 Chicago Cardinals

Mac Speedie, E – 1946-1952 Cleveland Browns [AAFC/NFL]

Ed Sprinkle, DE/LB/E – 1944-1955 Chicago Bears

Al Wistert, OT/DT/G – 1943 Phil-Pitt, 1944-1951 Philadelphia Eagles
 
Top