2005 Preliminary Nominees Named

Ninety on the Hall's Nomination List For The Class of 2005

Former All-Pro quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young, both first-year eligible candidates, head a list of ninety former players, coaches, and contributors who make up the preliminary list of nominees for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2005.

Dan Marino

From this preliminary list, Hall of Fame selectors will choose 25 candidates who will advance as semi-finalist nominees. The list of 25 semi-finalists will be announced later next month.

The 25 semi-finalists list will be reduced by a mail ballot to 13 modern-era candidates. That list will increase to 15 finalists with the addition of two previously announced Senior Committee nominees, Benny Friedman and Fritz Pollard. Friedman, a two-time All-America quarterback at Michigan, played with the Cleveland Bulldogs (1927), Detroit Wolverines (1928), New York Giants (1929-1931), and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1934). Pollard, an All-America at Brown, played and sometimes coached for four different NFL teams, the Akron Pros/Indians (1919-21/1925-26), the Milwaukee Badgers (1922), the Hammond Pros (1923, 1925), and the Providence Steam Roller (1925). Fritz also spent time in 1922 and 1923 playing for the strong independent pro teams in the Pennsylvania "Coal League." (Related story: Senior nominees named )

Steve Young

The Class of 2005 will be selected from the list of 15 finalists. The actual voting will be conducted at the Selection Committee's annual meeting, which will be held on Saturday, February 5, 2005, in Jacksonville, Florida, the day before Super Bowl XXXIX. The election results will be announced immediately after the meeting at a press conference in the media headquarters. While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the ground rules provide that between three and six new members will be selected.

Other first-year eligible candidates joining Marino and Young for consideration for the Class of 2005 include wide receiver Michael Irvin, and linebacker Derrick Thomas. Also on the impressive preliminary list are four former head coaches, and eleven contributors, including NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

To be considered for Hall of Fame election, a nominated player must have been retired at least five years. For a non-player, there is no mandatory retirement period, but a coach must be retired before he may be considered. A contributor, who is a nominee who has made outstanding contributions to pro football in capacities other than playing or coaching, may still be active in his pro football career.

 Alphabetical List of 2005 Preliminary Nominees

 Position Breakdown of 2005 Preliminary Nominees

 Hall of Fame Selection Process