17 finalists remain in contention for the Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2009.
Included are two nominees selected by the Hall of Fame Seniors Committee, Claude Humphrey and Bob Hayes.
The remaining 15 began in a field of 133 preliminary nominees, announced in November, and have survived two cuts.
Of the 15 modern-era finalists, I selected nine from the original group of 133. They are...
Ron Woodson
Dermontti Dawson
Shannon Sharpe
Richard Dent
Russ Grimm
Bob Kuechenberg
Andre Reed
Bruce Smith
Chris Carter
Woodson, of course, played the majority of his career as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dawson spent his entire career in the Steel City.
When I made those original picks I missed a note that L.C. Greenwood, of the Steelers' 1970s Steel Curtain defense, is no longer eligible as a modern-era candidate. Having been retired for 15 years he now must be nominated by the Seniors Committee.
Including Greenwood, I was right on 12 of my 25 picks going into the Semi-final round.
In addition the aforementioned nine original picks I predicted Cortez Kennedy would be a finalist. That made me right on 10 of my 15 finalist picks!
The ones I missed were Lester Hayes, Charles Haley, Roger Craig, Terrell Davis and Chris Doleman.
The five who made it as finalists that I didn't pick are Randall McDaniel, John Randle, Paul Tagliabue, Derrick Thomas and Ralph Wilson.
The Board of Selectors will get together in Tampa, Florida on January 31, the day before Super Bowl XLIII, to select the Class of 2009.
In order to be elected, a finalist must receive a positive vote of at least 80 percent.
Under it's current ground rules, the Board will select a class ranging in size from four to seven.
These are my picks for the Class of 2009 to be inducted in the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio...
Ron Woodson
Dermontti Dawson
Shannon Sharpe
Richard Dent
Chris Carter
Bruce Smith
Claud Humphrey
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