Paying dues is the theme of this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame candidates.
Running back Marcus Allen and offensive tackle Gary Zimmerman are the only two finalists announced Monday who are eligible for the first time–players whose careers ended five years ago.
Bears defensive end Richard Dent, a first-time eligible nominee and former Super Bowl MVP, failed to make the final 15 candidates. Voting by the Hall’s 39-member board of selectors will take place Jan. 25 in San Diego, the day before the Super Bowl. Between four and seven people will make the Class of 2003, according to Hall bylaws.
The finalists: Allen, Zimmerman, defensive ends Elvin Bethea and Claude Humphrey, linebackers Harry Carson and Randy Gradishar, cornerback Lester Hayes, guards Joe DeLamielleure and Bob Kuechenberg, wide receivers James Lofton and Art Monk, quarterback Ken Stabler, coach Hank Stram, owner Ralph Wilson and general manager George Young.
Coach Bill Parcells, a finalist last year, was removed from this year’s list because coaches must be retired to receive consideration.
Carson, Hayes, Kuechenberg, Lofton, Monk, Stabler and Wilson have been finalists in previous years. Stram is the candidate recommended by the Hall’s seniors committee.
Many of the players’ careers ended close to 20 years ago or more. Humphrey, one of Dent’s heroes from Tennessee State, has been eligible for 17 years, Bethea, Gradishar and Kuechenberg 15 years, Stabler 14, DeLamielleure 13, Hayes 12, Carson 10, Lofton five and Monk three.
Besides Dent, other Bears on the preliminary ballot who failed to make the final 15 this year included Jim Covert, Jay Hilgenberg, Wilber Marshall and Jim McMahon.
Peppers top rookie: Not even a four-game suspension could stop Julius Peppers from winning the Associated Press NFL defensive rookie of the year award Monday.
The Carolina Panthers defensive end, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, missed the last four games of the season for violating the league’s drug policy. He took a dietary supplement that contained a banned substance, presumably ephedra.
Peppers finished with 12 sacks, second among rookies to Colts end Dwight Freeney, who played the entire season and had 13 sacks.
Peppers, a former basketball star at North Carolina, received 25 votes from a nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Freeney was next with 14. Dallas safety Roy Williams got seven votes, followed by Baltimore safety Ed Reed and Tennessee safety Tank Williams with one each.
“When I first came into this season I felt that I had a chance to win this award if I played up to my potential and did what I knew I could do,” Peppers said. “I was never focused on winning individual awards. I just tried to help the team out and do all that I could do.”
Peppers helped the Panthers leap from 1-15 in 2001 to 7-9. The defense went from last in the league to second behind Tampa Bay. Under new coach John Fox, Carolina had 52 sacks, behind only Philadelphia.
Carthon, Parcells reunited: Parcells named former player and trusted friend Maurice Carthon to run the Dallas Cowboys’ offense and retained defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer on Monday.
Carthon, offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions last season, played under Parcells on both of his Super Bowl-winning teams with the New York Giants and also served as an assistant coach under Parcells with the New England Patriots and New York Jets.
Zimmer has directed the Cowboys’ defense for the last three years under former coach Dave Campo. Carthon will replace offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet.
Graves promoted: Former Bears personnel director Rod Graves, assistant to Arizona Cardinals President Bill Bidwill since 1997, was promoted to the newly created position of vice president-football operations.
Graves will continue to oversee scouting, player contract negotiations and the draft in addition to assuming the duties of general manager Bob Ferguson, who was not retained.
Graves, 43, joins Ozzie Newsome of the Baltimore Ravens as the highest-ranking African-American executive in the NFL.
Coach Dave McGinnis also fired offensive coordinator Rich Olson and defensive backs coach Kevin Ramsey.
Accolades: Oakland Raiders All-Pro quarterback Rich Gannon won player of the year honors from the Maxwell Football Club, and Andy Reid of the Philadelphia Eagles was coach of the year.
