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2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction class announced

By Phil Watson

Aug 3, 2014; Canton, OH, USA; General view of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 3, 2014; Canton, OH, USA; General view of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Eight new members will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in August, with the new class of inductees announced Saturday.

Five of the 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame were elected Saturday by the Hall’s selection committee, each receiving the necessary 80 percent of the 46 votes cast.

Junior Seau and Will Shields—both 12-time Pro Bowl selections in their respective careers—were elected from the modern-era ballot, as were finalists Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown and Charles Hale.

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Also elected were senior candidate Mick Tingelhoff and contributors Bill Polian and Ron Wolf.

Induction is scheduled for Aug. 8 at the shrine in Canton.

This year’s class will swell the ranks in the Hall to 295, with the maximum of eight nominees elected.

Seau, who died in 2012, was in his first year of eligibility. Shields was a finalist for the fourth straight year, Bettis was a finalist for the fifth straight year and Haley and Brown were finalists for the sixth time each.

Haley finally got in, the only player in NFL history to be on five Super Bowl winning teams, and Brown had waited his turn in a logjam of wide receivers being considered for induction.

Wolf was honored for his work returning the Green Bay Packers to relevance after more than two decades of futility, while Polian built winners in Buffalo, Carolina and Indianapolis in more than 20 years as an NFL general manager.

Here is are capsule looks at each of this year’s inductees:

Jerome Bettis, running back
Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams 1993-95, Pittsburgh Steelers 1996-2005

  • 2-time All-Pro selection
  • 6 Pro Bowl selections
  • 13,662 rushing yards (sixth-most all-time)
  • 91 rushing touchdowns (tied for 10th-most all-time)

Tim Brown, wide receiver/kick returner
Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders 1988-2003, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2004

  • 9 Pro Bowl selections
  • Led NFL with 104 receptions in 1997
  • 1,094 receptions (fifth-most all-time)
  • 14,934 receiving yards (sixth-most all-time)
  • 100 receiving touchdowns (tied for seventh-most all-time)
  • 3,320 career punt return yards (sixth all-time)

Charles Haley, defensive end/linebacker
San Francisco 49ers 1986-91, 1998-99; Dallas Cowboys 1992-96

  • 2-time All-Pro selection
  • 5 Pro Bowl selections
  • Only player in NFL history to play for five Super Bowl championship teams

Junior Seau, linebacker
San Diego Chargers 1990-2002, Miami Dolphins 2003-05, New England Patriots 2006-09

  • 6-time All-Pro selection
  • 12 Pro Bowl selections
  • 56½ career sacks, 18 career interceptions, 23 career passes defensed, 11 career forced fumbles

Will Shields, offensive guard

Kansas City Chiefs 1993-2006

  • 2-time All-Pro selection
  • 12 Pro Bowl selections

Mick Tingelhoff, center
Minnesota Vikings 1962-78

  • 5-time All-Pro selection
  • 6 Pro Bowl selections

Bill Polian, executive
General manager: Buffalo Bills (1986-92), Carolina Panthers (1995-97), Indianapolis Colts (1998-2009)

  • Super Bowl champion (XLI)
  • Five conference championships

Ron Wolf, executive
General manager: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1975-78), Green Bay Packers (1991-2001)

  • Super Bowl champion (XXXI)
  • Two conference championships

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