CANTON, Ohio (Jan. 11, 2006) -- Troy Aikman and the late Reggie White were among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
They joined Thurman Thomas and Warren Moon as finalists in their first year of eligibility. Results of the vote will be announced Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl in Detroit.
Aikman quarterbacked Dallas to three Super Bowl titles between the 1992-1995 seasons. White, who died on Dec. 26, 2004, was one of the NFL's dominant defensive linemen through the 1980s and '90s.
Thomas was a star running back on the Buffalo team that won four straight AFC titles from 1990-93. Moon threw for nearly 50,000 yards in the NFL after starting his career in the Canadian Football League.
The two seniors candidates, former Dallas offensive tackle Rayfield Wright and former Oakland coach and current broadcaster John Madden, were chosen by a special committee last August and went straight to the finals. The other 13 were selected from a list of 25 semifinalists.
The other finalists are: linebackers Derrick Thomas and Harry Carson; defensive ends L.C. Greenwood and Claude Humphrey; offensive linemen Russ Grimm, Bob Kuechenberg and Gary Zimmerman; and wide receivers Michael Irvin and Art Monk.
A 39-member panel will vote on the finalists. A candidate must get 80 percent of the vote to be elected with a minimum of three and a maximum of six getting in. If fewer than three get 80 percent, the candidate with the next highest percentage will be elected.
