The National Football League Hall of Fame Board of Selectors will announce this years's HoF inductees this coming Saturday, 2 February, at 2:30 pm MST in Phoenix. There will be a minimum of four inductees and a maximum of seven. There are 17 finalists under consideration for selection, and all are worthy candidates with outstanding careers in the NFL. Two are from the senior committee, Chicago Cardinals back Marshall Goldberg and Kansas City Chiegs cornerback Emmitt Thomas (I remember watching him play when I was a youth). The Contributer Finalist is former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. 14 other players from the modern era, including two players under consideration for the initial time, WR Cris Carter and DB Darrell Green. The other 12 players are:Fred Dean, DE
Richard Dent, DE
Randy Gradishar, LB
Russ Grimm, OG
Ray Guy, P
Bob Kuechenberg, OG
Randall McDaniel, OG
Art Monk, WR
Andre Reed, WR
Derrick Thomas, LB
Andre Tippett, LB
Gary Zimmerman, OT
Its difficult if not impossible to not consider any of these men for induction. But with a limit of seven, here is whom I would want to see get in this year.
Gradishar: An essential member of the Denver Broncos' Orange Crush Defense in the 1970s and early 1980s. No player for that era of the Broncos is in the Hall in spite of the Broncos onfield defensive excellence of that era. Gradishar was a great in his time.
Zimmerman: Considered one of the best linemen of all time. He was a standout with the Los Angeles Express of the USFL fresh out of college, and was a regular All-Pro with the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos throughout his career.
Monk: Monk held the record for most receptions for a time until surpassed by Jerry Rice. Monk was an important part of the Washington Redskins' success through the 1980s and early 90s, playing on four Super Bowl teams.
Grimm: An offensive line anchor for those successful Washington Redskins teams of the 80s through 1991. Like Monk, an essential part of the Redskins, a regular successful postseason participant throughout his career.
Emmitt Thomas: One of the best cornerbacks of the AFL and NFL era from 1966 to 1978. An important key component of the success of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Green: One of the best, if not best, cornerbacks in the NFL, for a 20 year career with the Washington Redskins. Like Grimm and Monk, an essential key member of the successful run by the Redskins.
Kuechenberg: A fifteen year career with the Miami Dolphins, anchoring an offensive line for a team that was regularly successful during his career, including an undefeated season, and three Super Bowl appearances with two championships.
All this being said, look for Tagliabue, Green, Carter, Guy, Dent, Zimmerman, and Gradishar to be chosen as inductees.
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