Sapp, Strahan among NFL Hall of Fame finalists

Defensive stars Warren Sapp and Michael Strahan are among the finalists announced on Friday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013. Sapp and Strahan are among four players eligible for the first time, along with Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden. Eleven more candidates are eligible from the "modern era" along with two senior nominees. All 17 will be considered for election when the Hall of Fame's Selection Committee meets on February 2 in New Orleans, on the eve of the Super Bowl. Sapp was a seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle in a 13-year NFL career with Tampa Bay and Oakland from 1995-2007, helping the Buccaneers win a Super Bowl title in 2002. Strahan played 15 seasons at defensive end with the New York Giants from 1993-2007 and went out as a Super Bowl champion, helping his team to a 17-14 win over previously undefeated New England in the title game. The other modern-era finalists are wide receivers Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed, running back Jerome Bettis, defensive end/linebackers Kevin Greene and Charles Haley, guard Will Shields, cornerback Aeneas Williams, coach Bill Parcells and owners Art Modell and Eddie DeBartolo jnr. Defensive tackle Curley Culp and linebacker Dave Robinson are the senior nominees. From : AFP