Saturday, February 02, 2013

Big Tuna, Cris Carter, Warren Sapp Amongst Those Elected To Pro Football HOF

Six former NFL players and two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells were elected Saturday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

Jonathan Ogden, an offensive tackle who was the very first collegiate player ever selected by the Baltimore Ravens (fourth player selected overall in 1996), went to eleven Pro Bowls and played a key role on the offensive line for the Ravens' Super Bowl XXV winners.

Bill Parcells, the "Big Tuna," who coached the New York Giants to two Super Bowl titles (SB XXI and SB XXV) and coached the New England Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI (they lost to the Green Bay Packers), later coached the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.

Larry Allen, who starred at both offensive guard and tackle, played in eleven Pro Bowls during his 14-year career, most of which was spent with the Dallas Cowboys.

Cris Carter, an outstanding wide receiver who played most of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, caught 1101 passes for 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns.  He finally won election after five failed attempts.

In his first year of eligibility, Warren Sapp, a talented defensive lineman who starred for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was chosen to the Pro Bowl on seven occasions.  He, like Larry Allen, was chosen to the National Football League's all-decade team of BOTH the 1990s and 2000s.

Nominated by the Senior Committee, defensive lineman Curley Culp was a top defensive player during the 1970s, selected to six Pro Bowls during a fourteen-year career.  He helped guide the Kansas City to their Super Bowl IV victory, and after he was traded to Houston in 1974, helped re-established the Oilers as a playoff team.

Another defensive lineman nominated by the Senior Committee, Dave Robinson played for the Green Bay Packers for ten seasons (1963-72) and played for Vince Lombardi on the first two Super Bowl championship teams.  He wrapped up his career playing for George Allen with the Washington Redskins.

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