Detroit – Troy Aikman made it into the Pro Football
Hall of Fame’s biggest class in years. The guy he threw to – Michael Irvin
– will have to wait once again.
Reggie White, Warren Moon, Harry Carson, John Madden and
Rayfield Wright also were elected Saturday. Not since 2001 had the
maximum number of candidates been chosen.
Emmitt Smith, who joined with Aikman and Irvin to win three
Super Bowls for the Dallas Cowboys, campaigned vigorously Friday
for his two former teammates. But Irvin, plagued by off-the-field
troubles in recent years, was left out in his second try.
The late White, the NFL career sacks leader when he retired in
2000, and star quarterbacks Aikman and Moon made it in their first
year of eligibility. Moon is the first black quarterback in the
Hall.
Madden and Wright were seniors committee candidates and Carson
was in his seventh year as a finalist.
The class of 2006 and will be inducted in Canton, Ohio, on the
weekend of Aug. 5-6.
