Three first-year eligible candidates pushed through, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s long debate over wide receivers and coach Bill Parcells finally ended.
Parcells was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after an all-day meeting Saturday, joined by guard Larry Allen, wide receiver Cris Carter, tackle Jonathan Ogden and defensive tackle Warren Sapp.
They will be joined in Canton by seniors candidates Curley Culp and Dave Robinson.
Parcells pushed through after the longest debate among the selectors of any candidate, roughly 55 minutes in duration.
And Carter survived a logjam of receivers that included Andre Reed and Tim Browns, whose presence made it hard for any of them to get through.
Those five modern candidates pushed through from a strong group, as running back Jerome Bettis, wide receiver Andre Reed, defensive ends Michael Strahan and Charles Haley and cornerback Aeneas Williams were eliminated in the vote from 10 to the final five.
Linebacker Kevin Greene, wide receiver Tim Brown, guard Will Shields and owners Ed DeBartolo Jr. and Art Modell fell out in the voting from 15 to 10.
Next year’s first-year class doesn’t appear to be as strong as this year’s, with first-time eligible candidates including Marvin Harrison, Derrick Brooks, Tony Dungy.