Class of 2005 Finalists Notes

IF ELECTED . . . SPECIAL NOTES ON 2005 FINALISTS

THE ROSTER OF HALL OF FAME MEMBERS COULD INCREASE FOR 10 NFL TEAMS

The New York Giants have three finalists; the Miami Dolphins, and Washington Redskins have two finalists who spent all or a significant part of their careers with that team. The Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers are represented by one finalist who spent all or a significant part of the their careers with those teams.

If elected . . .

Lawrence Taylor

Harry Carson, Benny Friedman, and/or George Young would be the 17th, 18th and/or 19th member(s) of the New York Giants to be elected. Red Badgro, Roosevelt Brown, Frank Gifford, Mel Hein, Sam Huff, Tuffy Leemans, Tim Mara, Wellington Mara, Steve Owen, Andy Robustelli, Ken Strong, Fran Tarkenton, Lawrence Taylor, Y.A. Tittle, Emlen Tunnell, and Arnie Weinmeister, preceded them.

Richard Dent would be the 27th longtime Chicago Bear to be added to the Hall of Fame honor roll. Doug Atkins, George Blanda, Dick Butkus, George Connor, Mike Ditka, John "Paddy" Driscoll, Jim Finks, Dan Fortmann, Bill George, Harold "Red" Grange, George Halas, Dan Hampton, Ed Healey, Bill Hewitt, Stan Jones, Sid Luckman, Link Lyman, George McAfee, George Musso, Bronko Nagurski, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, Mike Singletary, Joe Stydahar, George Trafton, Clyde "Bulldog" Turner are the others.

L.C. Greenwood would become the 18th member of the Steelers to be elected. Other Steelers Hall of Fame members include Mel Blount, Terry Bradshaw, Bill Dudley, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Franco Harris, John Henry Johnson, Walt Kiesling, Jack Lambert, Bobby Layne, Chuck Noll, Art Rooney, Dan Rooney, John Stallworth, Ernie Stautner, Lynn Swann, and Mike Webster.

Russ Grimm and/or Art Monk would be the 16th and/or 17th Washington Redskins Hall of Fame members. They would join George Allen, Cliff Battles, Sammy Baugh, Bill Dudley, Albert Glen "Turk" Edwards, Ray Flaherty, Joe Gibbs, Ken Houston, Sam Huff, Sonny Jurgensen, George Preston Marshall, Wayne Millner, Bobby Mitchell, John Riggins, and Charley Taylor.

Claude Humphrey would be the first player to play a significant part of his career with the Atlanta Falcons to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Michael Irvin would be the 8th Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame member. Tony Dorsett, Tom Landry, Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, Tex Schramm, Roger Staubach, and Randy White are the current Cowboys Hall of Fame members.

Dwight Stephenson

Bob Kuechenberg and/or Dan Marino would be the 9th and/or 10th long-time members of the Miami Dolphins to be elected. Nick Buoniconti, Larry Csonka, Bob Griese, Jim Langer, Larry Little, Don Shula, Dwight Stephenson, and Paul Warfield are the other Dolphins Hall of Fame members.

Derrick Thomas would be the 8th Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame member. He would join Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Len Dawson, Lamar Hunt, Willie Lanier, Jan Stenerud, and Hank Stram.

Roger Wehrli would be the 11th long-time member of the Arizona (Chicago, St. Louis) Cardinals franchise to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Other Cardinals to be elected include Charles Bidwill, Jimmy Conzelman, Dan Dierdorf, John "Paddy" Driscoll, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Ollie Matson, Ernie Nevers, Jackie Smith, Charley Trippi, and Larry Wilson.

Steve Young would be the 11th member of the San Francisco 49ers to be elected to the Hall of Fame. He would join Jimmy Johnson, Ronnie Lott, Hugh McElhenny, Joe Montana, Leo Nomellini, Joe Perry, Bob St. Clair, Y.A. Tittle, Bill Walsh, and Dave Wilcox.

THE MODERN-ERA POSITION ROSTER WILL CHANGE AFTER 2005 ELECTION

If elected . . .

Harry Carson and/or Derrick Thomas would be the 16th and/or 17th modern-era Hall of Fame linebacker(s) joining Bobby Bell (also DE), Nick Buoniconti, Dick Butkus, George Connor (also DT and OT), Bill George, Jack Ham, Ted Hendricks, Sam Huff, Jack Lambert, Willie Lanier, Ray Nitschke, Joe Schmidt, Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor, and Dave Wilcox.

Richard Dent, L. C. Greenwood and/or Claude Humphrey would become the 13th, 14th and/or 15th modern-era defensive end(s) to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Fame defensive ends are Doug Atkins, Elvin Bethea, Willie Davis, Carl Eller, Len Ford, Dan Hampton (DT-DE), Deacon Jones, Howie Long, Gino Marchetti, Andy Robustelli, Lee Roy Selmon, and Jack Youngblood.

Fred Biletnikoff

Michael Irvin and/or Art Monk will join 17 other modern-era receivers in the Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Fame modern-era receivers include Lance Alworth, Raymond Berry, Fred Biletnikoff, Tom Fears, Elroy Hirsch (also a halfback), Charlie Joiner, Steve Largent, Dante Lavelli, James Lofton, Don Maynard, Tommy McDonald, Bobby Mitchell (also a halfback), Pete Pihos, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, Charley Taylor (also a halfback), and Paul Warfield.

Benny Friedman would become the 8th pre-modern era quarterback elected to the Hall of Fame. The seven who preceded him include Sammy Baugh, Earl "Dutch" Clark, Jimmy Conzelman (also a coach), John "Paddy" Driscoll, Arnie Herber, Sid Luckman, and Clarence "Ace" Parker.

Russ Grimm and/or Bob Kuechenberg would be the 9th and/or 10th modern-era player(s) who played primarily as a guard to be elected. The other Hall of Fame guards previously elected are Joe DeLamielleure, John Hannah, Larry Little, Tom Mack, Mike Munchak, Jim Parker (G-T), Billy Shaw, and Gene Upshaw.

Johnny Unitas

Dan Marino and/or Steve Young would join 19 modern-era quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame, including George Blanda (also a kicker), Terry Bradshaw, Len Dawson, John Elway, Dan Fouts, Otto Graham, Bob Griese, Sonny Jurgensen, Jim Kelly, Bobby Layne, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton, Y.A. Tittle, Johnny Unitas, Norm Van Brocklin, and Bob Waterfield.

Fritz Pollard would be the 16th pre-modern era running back to be elected. He would join Cliff Battles, Tony Canadeo, Bill Dudley, Harold "Red" Grange, Joe Guyon, Clarke Hinkle, Earl "Curly" Lambeau (also a coach), Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans, George McAfee, John "Blood" McNally, Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers, Ken Strong, Jim Thorpe, and Steve Van Buren. Pre-modern era is defined as the majority of an enshrinee's career occurred prior to 1946.

Roger Wehrli would be the 17th modern-era defensive back in the Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Fame defensive backs include Herb Adderley, Lem Barney, Mel Blount, Willie Brown, Jack Christiansen, Mike Haynes, Ken Houston, Jimmy Johnson, Paul Krause, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Yale Lary, Ronnie Lott, Mel Renfro, Emlen Tunnell, Larry Wilson, and Willie Wood.

George Young would be the 18th contributor elected to the Hall of Fame. He would join Bert Bell, Charles Bidwill, Joe Carr, Al Davis, Jim Finks, George Halas, Lamar Hunt, Curly Lambeau, Tim Mara, Wellington Mara, George Preston Marshall, Hugh "Shorty" Ray, Dan Reeves, Art Rooney, Dan Rooney, Pete Rozelle, and Tex Schramm.