Parcells, 3 WRs not among HOF inductees

Indianapolis, IN – Bill Parcells, who won two Super Bowls as head coach of the New York Giants, and all three wide receivers up for consideration failed to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Curtis Martin, Dermontti Dawson, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf and senior nominee Jack Butler were all elected by the selection committee.

Wide receivers Tim Brown, Cris Carter and Andre Reed were among those who did not make the cut.

Brown, a finalist for the third time in as many years of eligibility, warned Raiders fans on Twitter not to watch the live announcement on NFL Network.

"Raider nation!! Don't bother to watch tonight they passed on me again!!" wrote Brown, who set Raiders franchise records for receptions, receiving yards and punt return yards. "In fact, no wrs made it again. Gotta get some of y'all in there!!"

Indeed, Brown didn't make the first cut from 15 players down to 10. Running back Jerome Bettis, pass rushing specialist Kevin Greene, longtime Chiefs guard Will Shields and former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. also missed the cut.

Parcells, Carter and Reed made the first cut but were not among the finalists. Five-time Super Bowl winner Charles Haley and defensive back Aeneas Williams were also among the final 10 but were not elected.

Martin, who surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in 10 of his 11 NFL seasons, said he was grateful for the players and coaches who helped him during his career, a group that includes Parcells.

"Without him, I think my career would have been maybe 30 percent of what it was," Martin said during a phone interview with NFL Network.

Parcells had been a finalist before, in 2001 and '02 when the Hall of Fame's bylaws didn't require a coach to be retired for five years.

After a three-year absence from the sideline, Parcells returned to coach the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-06 and became the first head coach to lead four teams to the playoffs.

Of course, he is better known for his stint with the Giants from 1983-90, which included Super Bowl titles after the 1986 and '90 seasons. Parcells also coached the Patriots and Jets, with Martin on some of those teams, and led New England to a Super Bowl appearance after the 1996 seasons.

In 19 seasons, including two where he was voted Coach of the Year, he went 172-130-1 with a playoff record of 11-8.

Dawson was a center for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1988-2000; Doleman was an eight-time Pro Bowl defender for the Vikings, Falcons and 49ers; Kennedy was a defensive tackle for the Seahawks; and Roaf was a tackle for the Saints and Chiefs.

Butler was a Steelers cornerback from 1951-59 and one of two senior nominees up for consideration. The other, former Lions and Redskins guard Dick Stanfel, was not elected.

Carter, an eight-time Pro Bowler for the Eagles, Vikings and Dolphins, was a finalist for the fifth straight year and Reed is Buffalo's all-time leader in receptions.

The Hall of Fame announcement came on the eve of the Super Bowl between the Giants and New England Patriots. Enshrinement is Saturday, August 4 in Canton, Ohio.

Dawson played 184 games over 13 seasons and was selected to seven straight Pro Bowls from 1993-99. He doubled as the team's long snapper from 1988-93 and was an anchor on the line for five Steelers AFC Central Division champion teams and one AFC Championship team.

Doleman, who played most of his career with the Vikings, ranked fourth on the NFL's all-time list with 150.5 sacks at the time of his retirement. He played 232 games in 15 seasons and made eight Pro Bowls.

Kennedy was durable, playing 167 of a possible 176 games in 11 seasons and was voted to a Seahawks-record eight Pro Bowls. He had 58 career sacks, leading Seattle twice in the stat.

Roaf played 13 seasons and 189 games, beginning his career with the Saints from 1993-2001. With the Chiefs, he was a key part of the offensive line that helped the team lead the NFL in points scored in 2002 and '03.