Bills wide reciever Andre Reed is once again a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining 14 other modern-era candidates as announced by the Hall of Fame on Jan. 11.
Four first-year eligible nominees – Larry Allen, Jonathan Ogden, Warren Sapp, and Michael Strahan – are among the 15 finalists who will be considered for election when the Hall's Selection Committee meets in New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. The election results will be announced at 5:30 p.m. ET (4:30 local time) during a one-hour NFL Network special, live from the Super Bowl Media Center.
If elected, Andre Reed would be the ninth Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame member. He would join Joe DeLamielleure, Jim Kelly, Marv Levy, Billy Shaw, O.J. Simpson, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, and Ralph Wilson, Jr.
Reed has been a finalist for the NFL's highest honor each of the last seven years.
Joining the first-year eligible, are eight other modern-era players, a coach and two contributors. The 15 modern-era finalists, along with the two senior nominees announced in August 2012 (former Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Oilers defensive tackle Curley Culp and former Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins linebacker Dave Robinson) will be the only candidates considered for Hall of Fame election when the 46-member Selection Committee meets.
The 15 modern-era finalists were determined by a vote of the Hall's Selection Committee from a list of 127 nominees that earlier was reduced to a list of 27 semifinalists, during the multi-step, year-long selection process. Culp and Robinson were selected as senior candidates by the Hall of Fame's Seniors Committee. The Seniors Committee reviews the qualifications of those players whose careers took place more than 25 years ago.
To be elected, a finalist must receive a minimum positive vote of 80 percent.
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:* **
- Larry Allen–**Guard/Tackle – 1994-2005 Dallas Cowboys; 2006-07 San Francisco 49ers
- *Jerome Bettis *– Running Back – 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams; 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers
- *Tim Brown *– Wide Receiver/Kick Returner/Punt Returner – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders; 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cris Carter *– Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles; 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings; 2002 Miami Dolphins *
- Curley Culp* *– *1968-1974 Kansas City Chiefs; 1974-1980 Houston Oilers; 1980-81 Detroit Lions
- Edward DeBartolo, Jr.– Owner – 1977-2000 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
- *Art Modell – *Owner – 1961-1995 Cleveland Browns; 1996-2011 Baltimore Ravens
- Jonathan Ogden *– *Tackle – 1996-2007 Baltimore Ravens
- *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
- Dave Robinson* *– *1963-1972 Green Bay Packers; 1973-74 Washington Redskins
- Warren Sapp *– *Defensive Tackle – 1995-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2004-07 Oakland Raiders
- *Will Shields *– Guard – 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs
- *Michael Strahan *– Defensive End – 1993-2007 New York Giants
- *Aeneas Williams *– Cornerback/Safety – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals; 2001-04 St. Louis Rams
Other than the four first-year eligible nominees, all of the modern-era nominees have been finalists in previous years. Although they have been nominees in previous years, this is the first time the two senior nominees, Culp and Robinson, have been finalists.
