Parcells, Bettis among HOF finalists
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)
BUILDUP TO INDY
- Super Bowl XLVI: 6:30 p.m. ET, Sunday
- Manning family vs. Brady
- Super Bowl Cheat Sheet
- Patriots' Kraft still hurting
- Belichick needs to secure legacy
- Billick's matchups and storylines
- Jacobs savors another Super Bowl
- Eli's leap could come in Peyton's place
- Super Bowl odds a mix of science, art
- Giants linebacker a true inspiration
- Ochocinco has 86'd 'me' attitude
- Reason for Giants' turnaround
- Giants' Coughlin forging a legacy
- High price of the Super Bowl
- Not about Boston vs. New York
- Picks, predictions
Chris Doleman is not one of the four Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists who won a Super Bowl. He doesn't believe that should affect his chances of being elected to the shrine.
Nor does Troy Aikman.
Doleman terrorized quarterbacks and running backs as a defensive end for the Vikings, Falcons and 49ers for 15 seasons. He led the NFL in sacks in 1989 with 21 on his way to 150 1/2 sacks, fourth all-time when he retired.
Unlike Charles Haley, Bill Parcells, Jerome Bettis and Ed DeBartolo Jr. among the 17 finalists who will learn Saturday if they are voted into the hall, Doleman never got to the NFL's biggest stage.
''Yes, it can hurt me and it's unfair, absolutely,'' Doleman said Friday. ''I'd like to think the voters look at this and say, `Let's take the Super Bowl out of it.' These guys were such great players that if you placed them on that particular team, would it have won the Super Bowl? Can you take a Super Bowl player and put him on a team I played on and is he a difference maker?''
As Doleman was reflecting on his career, Aikman walked by. Asked how often Doleman put him on his back, he winced and said, ''Too many times. More than I care to remember. He was quite a player.''
Doleman is one of four defensive players known for their ability to knock down quarterbacks who made the final list. One of them, Charles Haley is the only player to win five Super Bowls, two with the 49ers and three with Dallas. Cortez Kennedy spent his entire 11-season career with Seattle, while Kevin Greene, one of the original hybrid linebacker-ends, played for four teams in his 15 pro seasons.
''It's a great group,'' said Doleman, who along with Reggie White and Bruce Smith was considered the class of pass rushers for several seasons. Indeed, Doleman might have been the prototype for the pass-rushing 4-3 end of today's game: powerful but agile, able to rush with speed or overwhelm a blocker with strength.
''I would have players and coaches telling me their teams were trying to get people to copy what I was doing,'' Doleman said.
The other Super Bowl winners are Ed DeBartolo Jr., who owned the 49ers when they won their five titles from 1981-94; Jerome Bettis, who concluded his 13 NFL seasons in 2006 by winning the championship with the Steelers - in the Bus' hometown of Detroit; and Bill Parcells, who coached the Giants to their 1987 and 1991 Super Bowl victories. Parcells also took the Patriots to the 1997 game they lost to Green Bay.
Other finalists include Curtis Martin, the fourth-leading rusher in league history (14,101 yards) and one of the most dependable running backs the league has seen, and wide receivers Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed. Carter was second in career receptions (1,101) and touchdowns (130) when he retired after the 2002 season. Brown was third with 1,094 catches when he left the game following the 2004 season.
Three powerful offensive linemen also are on the ballot: Willie Roaf, Dermontti Dawson and the other first-year nominee, Will Shields.
Roaf came out of Louisiana Tech, then a small college program, as a first-round draft choice and immediately became a starter for the Saints. He wound up playing in 11 Pro Bowls.
THEY'RE THE BEST
Where does the first Giants-Patriots Super Bowl matchup rank among the 10 best Super Bowl games?Dawson was the premier center in the NFL for most of his 13 seasons with the Steelers, making seven Pro Bowls and helping the Steelers to the 1996 Super Bowl.
Shields was a steady, no-nonsense guard for Kansas City for 14 seasons, making the league's All-Decade team for the 2000s.
Aenaes Williams is the only defensive back in the final 17. He started 12 seasons as a cornerback, then moved to safety for his last two seasons, playing for both the Cardinals and Rams.
Senior committee nominees are Jack Butler, a Pittsburgh cornerback in the 1950s, and Dick Stanfel, an elite guard in the 1950s who won two rings with Detroit before being traded to Washington.
Related Stories
Trending Now
-
Better teamwork without Danica?
Michael Andretti's three drivers go into the Indianapolis 500 with strong chances to ... -
Jeff Van Gundy slams Magic CEO?
Jeff Van Gundy lashed out at the Orlando Magic Friday, labeling the team's top execut... -
End of Big Three era may be in sight
Celtics battle for survival in Game 7 unsure of Big Three's future. -
Joyce's slam helps lift Rays by BoSox
Matt Joyce hit his second grand slam in six games and Elliot Johnson had a two-run sh... -
Els upset with Wentworth condition
Ernie Els has launched an expletive-laced attack on European Tour officials and green...
NFL Videos
Peter Schrager talks about Peyton Manning's first practice and Tim Tebow's contr...
Laura Okmin sits down with Rams RB Steven Jackson about life on and off the fiel...
NFL Headlines
More Than Sports on MSN
Fox Sports Store
| itemName | itemURL | imageSrc | price | itemDescription |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nike New Orleans Saints Ladies Team Established V-Neck T-Shirt - Gold | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_New_Orleans_Saints/browse/featuredproduct/792884/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_792000/ff_792884_xl.jpg&w=100 | 27.95 | Nike New Orleans Saints Ladies Team Established V-Neck T-Shirt - Gold |
| Nike New York Jets Legend Authentic Football Font Performance T-Shirt - Green | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_New_York_Jets/browse/featuredproduct/799723/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_799000/ff_799723_xl.jpg&w=100 | 29.95 | Nike New York Jets Legend Authentic Football Font Performance T-Shirt - Green |
| Nike Arizona Cardinals Just Do It T-Shirt - Red | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Arizona_Cardinals/browse/featuredproduct/800436/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_800000/ff_800436_xl.jpg&w=100 | 27.95 | Nike Arizona Cardinals Just Do It T-Shirt - Red |
| Nike Denver Broncos Blockbuster T-Shirt - Navy Blue | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Denver_Broncos/browse/featuredproduct/801105/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_801000/ff_801105_xl.jpg&w=100 | 27.95 | Nike Denver Broncos Blockbuster T-Shirt - Navy Blue |
| New Era New England Patriots 2012 NFL Draft Fitted Hat - Navy Blue | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_New_England_Patriots/browse/featuredproduct/803136/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_803000/ff_803136_xl.jpg&w=100 | 34.95 | New Era New England Patriots 2012 NFL Draft Fitted Hat - Navy Blue |
| Nike Justin Tuck New York Giants #91 Replica Name & Number T-Shirt - Royal Blue | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_New_York_Giants/browse/featuredproduct/819243/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_819000/ff_819243_xl.jpg&w=100 | 31.95 | Nike Justin Tuck New York Giants #91 Replica Name & Number T-Shirt - Royal Blue |
| Nike Andrew Luck Indianapolis Colts 2012 Draft Game Jersey - Royal Blue | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Indianapolis_Colts/browse/featuredproduct/851313/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_851000/ff_851313_xl.jpg&w=100 | 99.95 | Nike Andrew Luck Indianapolis Colts 2012 Draft Game Jersey - Royal Blue |
| Nike Robert Griffin Washington Redskins 2012 Draft Game Jersey - Burgundy | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Washington_Redskins/browse/featuredproduct/851315/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_851000/ff_851315_xl.jpg&w=100 | 99.95 | Nike Robert Griffin Washington Redskins 2012 Draft Game Jersey - Burgundy |
| Nike Trent Richardson Cleveland Browns 2012 Draft Game Jersey - Brown | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Cleveland_Browns/browse/featuredproduct/851598/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_851000/ff_851598_xl.jpg&w=100 | 99.95 | Nike Trent Richardson Cleveland Browns 2012 Draft Game Jersey - Brown |
| Nike Morris Claiborne Dallas Cowboys 2012 NFL Draft Game Jersey - Navy Blue | http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Dallas_Cowboys/browse/featuredproduct/852589/source/prsp_ca | http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_852000/ff_852589_xl.jpg&w=100 | 99.95 | Nike Morris Claiborne Dallas Cowboys 2012 NFL Draft Game Jersey - Navy Blue |

Member Comments
Please note by clicking on "add a comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.