On Monday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 113 modern-era nominees that make up this year’s preliminary candidates for the Class of 2011.
Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis, Karl Mecklenburg, Shannon Sharpe and Louis Wright are the former Broncos players among the names, and Dan Reeves is a candidate to head to Canton as a coach.
Sharpe was among the 17 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010 — the class in which fellow Ring of Famer Floyd Little joined the Hall.
From here, 25 semifinalists will be chosen by the Hall of Fame selectors — a list which will be announced in mid-November.
The semifinalists will be reduced to 15 modern-era finalists that will be announced in early January. Two senior nominees — former Washington Redskins linebacker Chris Hanburger and former Los Angeles Rams linebacker Les Richter — round out the finalists.
The actual voting for the Class of 2011 will be conducted at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee’s annual meeting, which will be held on Saturday, February 5, 2011 — the day before Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in North Texas.
That evening, the class will be announced.
While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the selection process by-laws provide that between four and seven new members will be selected.
Click here for a full list of the preliminary nominees, which include first-year eligible candidates the likes of Deion Sanders, Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin, Jimmy Smith, Willie Roaf and coach Dick Vermeil.
Tags: Dan Reeves, Floyd Little, Karl Mecklenburg, Louis Wright, Shannon Sharpe, Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis
All great names there, as usual no Gradishar…
All those Broncos deserve to be Hall of Famers but with names like Deion Sanders & Bettis among many others, the committee is bound to show favoritism to other teams. I’ll be pleasantly surprised if we get anyone from Denver named to the 2011 class. Good luck to all 6 of them.
Keep the faith Broncos Country…
GO BRONCOS in 2010!!!!
Gradishar isn’t on the list because his 25 years of elegibility were up several years ago. His only hope is to follow in Floyd Littles path. As political as the HOF induction process is, he needs someone to mount a very professional, very successful campaign.
Saldy, the only Bronco with any chance this year is Shannon. Since he should have been a 1st ballot HOF, I wouldn’t bet on it. There are 6 spots for regular induction. Sanders, Bettis, Faulk and Roaf should be shoe ins. That leaves two for the other 109 candidates. It sucks to be a Bronco come HOF time. East coast/Dallas Cowboy bias is very difficult to overcome.
Minor modification to my HOF guess. Roaf out as linemen don’t make it 1st year no matter how much they deserve it. Add Chris Csarter who was left out because the HOF voters didn’t want to induct the #2 all time receiver before the #1 all time receiver was in.
i agree that most almost all (sharpe) will not make it cuz they are Broncos. Which is very sad cuz all are multi pro bowlers
If they don’t elect at least 2 of our guys WE RIOT!!!
Well the back east press hates the Broncos so sad Floyd Little should have been in long ago it is a crying shame it took an Elway to get anyone into the HOF.
Why is Atwater rarely supported as a HOF candidate, even by Bronco fans?
8 Pro Bowls – how many safeties have that? Played in 3 Super Bowls, won 2, and was one of the most feared hitters of the 90s.
After getting stiffed the last 2 yrs, Sharpe may have trouble getting in in the near future if the accusations by that woman are legitimate.
Shannon will get in eventually regardless because he re-invented the TE position, all the new model TE’s have him to thank for, specially Gonzales who broke all his records.