Immortality awaits

It has been nearly one year since the selection process began for determining who would comprise the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2011. First, two senior nominees were named in August. One month later, a list of 114 modern-era candidates was announced. At Thanksgiving, the Hall's Selection Committee trimmed that slate to 25 semifinalists and then to 15 finalists in January.

On February 5, 2011 on the day before Super Bowl XLV in North Texas, the 44-member Selection Committee huddled in a meeting room for most of the day to discuss the merits of each finalist. When the process was over and the envelope was handed to the Hall of Fame's President/Executive Director Steve Perry, the names of the Class of 2011 were revealed.

Tonight, those legends – Richard Dent, Marshall Faulk, Chris Hanburger, Les Richter, Ed Sabol, Deion Sanders, and Shannon Sharpe – join pro football's most elite fraternity when they are formally enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Enshrinement Ceremony will be broadcast live on ESPN and NFL Network at 7 p.m. ET. NFL Network's pre-ceremony coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET.

Tickets to tonight's Enshrinement may be purchased on site at Will Call, located directly across from the Hall of Fame's main entrance.