Sapp, Strahan, Ogden lead Hall of Fame candidates
Defensive tackle Warren Sapp, defensive end Warren Sapp and offensive linemen Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden and late quarterback Steve McNair lead the first-year modern-era candidates nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013.
Contributors include team owners Eddie DeBartolo, Jr., Robert Kraft, Art Modell, Bud Adams and Jack Kent Cooke. Provided contributors are not currently playing or coaching, they can be considered for nomination.
Sapp was a first-round pick in 1995. The four-time All-Pro helped redefine the defensive tackle position as a "three technique" defensive lineman and had 100 career sacks including the postseason, second in NFL history for a defensive tackle. Sapp won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers and finished his career with the Oakland Raiders.
Strahan spent his entire career with the Giants (1993-2007). He went to the Pro Bowl seven times and was a four-time All-Pro. He retired with 141.5 career sacks and 22.5 sacks in 2002.
Allen, an offensive guard who made the Pro Bowl 11 times, and was a seven-time All-Pro. He played 12 seasons with the Cowboys, who drafted him in 1994, and was a starter in the Super Bowl XXX victory over the Steelers.
Ogden played for the Ravens from 1996-2007, went to the Pro Bowl 11 times and was a nine-time All-Pro left tackle.
The Hall of Fame released its full list of 127 nominees -- 89 players, 14 coaches and 24 contributors -- on Thursday, which will be barrowed to 25 candidates who are named semifinalists in November. That list is reduced to 15 modern-era finalists announced in the month leading up to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, where the Class of 2013 is announced in a live press conference on Feb. 2, 2013.
Between four and seven new members are selected but there is no set number of enshrinees.
The entire list of candidates:
First-year candidates
Quarterback -- Steve McNair
Running Back -- Priest Holmes
Wide Receiver -- Keenan McCardell
Offensive Linemen -- Larry Allen (G), Tom Nalen (C), Jonathan Ogden (T)
Defensive Linemen -- Sam Adams (DT), Warren Sapp (DT), Michael Strahan (DE), Ted Washington (DT/NT), Bryant Young (DE)
Defensive Back -- John Lynch (S)
Kicker -- Morten Andersen
Additional Nominees
QUARTERBACKS -- Drew Bledsoe, Randall Cunningham, Ron Jaworski, Neil Lomax, Phil Simms, Danny White
RUNNING BACKS -- Jamal Anderson, Ottis Anderson, Tiki Barber, *Jerome Bettis, Larry Centers, Roger Craig, Stephen Davis, Terrell Davis, Eddie George, Brian Mitchell (also PR/KR), Gerald Riggs, Herschel Walker, Ricky Watters
WIDE RECEIVERS -*Tim Brown (also KR), *Cris Carter, Gary Clark, Mark Clayton, Henry Ellard (also PR), Keyshawn Johnson, Stanley Morgan, *Andre Reed, Sterling Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith
TIGHT ENDS -- Todd Christensen, Ben Coates
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN -- Tony Boselli (T), Lomas Brown (T), Jim Covert (T), Joe Fields (C), Bill Fralic (G/T), Jeff Hartings (G/C), Jay Hilgenberg (C), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), Joe Jacoby (T), Mike Kenn (T), Jim Lachey (T), *Will Shields (G), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G)
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN -- Carl Hairston (DE/DT), *Charles Haley (DE/LB), Ed "Too Tall" Jones (DE), Joe Klecko (DE/DT/NT), Dexter Manley (DE), Charles Mann (DE), Fred Smerlas (NT)
LINEBACKERS -- Cornelius Bennett, *Kevin Greene (also DE), Ken Harvey, Clay Matthews, Karl Mecklenburg, Sam Mills, Darryl Talley
DEFENSIVE BACKS -- Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Joey Browner (S), LeRoy Butler (S), Nolan Cromwell (S), Albert Lewis (CB), Dennis Smith (S), Troy Vincent (CB), Everson Walls (CB), *Aeneas Williams (CB/S), Darren Woodson (S)
PUNTERS/KICKERS -- Gary Anderson (K), Sean Landeta (P), Nick Lowery (K)
SPECIAL TEAMS/POSITION PLAYER -- Steve Tasker (also WR)
COACHES -- Bill Arnsparger, Doug Blevins, Bud Carson, Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, Tom Flores, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, *Bill Parcells, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil
CONTRIBUTORS -- K. S. (Bud) Adams, Jr., George Anderson, Bobby Beathard, Gil Brandt, C. O. Brocato, Leo Carlin, Jack Kent Cooke, Otho Davis, *Ed DeBartolo, Jr., Ron Gibbs, Ralph Kohl, Eddie Kotal, Robert Kraft, Art McNally, Art Modell, Bill Polian, Art Rooney, Jr., Steve Sabol, Carl Storck, Paul Tagliabue, Burl Toler, Sr., Jim Tunney, Ron Wolf, George Young
*On 2012 finalists list
