Tomorrow morning, a group of 46 voters will conduct a lengthy meeting, in which football immortality will come for as many as seven players.
The finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be whittled down and voted upon, before being announced tomorrow night.
Voters will choose a maximum of five modern-era candidates from the list of 15 finalists.
That group includes four first-year finalists (linebacker Derrick Brooks, wide receiver Marvin Harrison and tackle Walter Jones, along with coach Tony Dungy. Also making the cut to 15 were nine of last year’s 10 finalists: Wide receivers Andre Reed and Tim Brown, running back Jerome Bettis, guard Will Shields, defensive ends Michael Strahan and Charles Haley, linebacker Kevin Greene and cornerback Aeneas Williams, along with owner Ed DeBartolo Jr.
Rounding out the 15 are kicker Morten Andersen and safety John Lynch are the other finalists.
A pair of seniors committee finalists — punter Ray Guy and defensive lineman Claude Humphrey — are voted on separately, requiring 80 percent of the vote to be approved for the Hall.
For the others, an initial wave of discussions will be held, at which point the finalist list will be whittled to 10. Then comes more discussion, and the list is cut to five. At that point, a yes-no vote is held on each of the candidates individually, with the same 80 percent threshold.