TAMPA, Fla. — It occurred to Rod Woodson he was walking alone.
He was walking with purpose to the convention center where the Pro Football Hall of Fame news conference was being held Saturday afternoon, after the former safety had been granted football immortality in a vote by the 44-member Hall selection committee.
But pleasurable experiences are best when shared.
“Really, my initial reaction was disappointment for Shannon,” Woodson said. “I wasn’t thinking about myself. I thought Shannon was a slam dunk.”
Shannon Sharpe is the former Broncos tight end who made the first cut Saturday from 17 finalists to 10, but was not among the six elected. Besides Woodson, who was Sharpe’s teammate in Baltimore for two years — the only time Sharpe was not a Denver Bronco in his 14-year playing career — the Hall of Fame class of 2009 features Buffalo defensive end Bruce Smith, Minnesota left guard Randall McDaniel, Kansas City outside linebacker Derrick Thomas, Dallas receiver Bob Hayes and, in the day’s biggest surprise, Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson Jr.
“I’m doing better than I thought I would,” Sharpe said a few minutes after he received the disappointing news. “You could tell the way I was talking the other day I was really, really nervous. I was just talking to my sister, and my brother was over here and they asked me how I was doing, and I’m good. I’m at peace with it. I’m handling it a little bit better than I thought I would.”
If it’s about the Broncos and the Hall of Fame, patience is a virtue. Sharpe finished his career in 2003 with three Super Bowl rings.
He finished his career as the all-time leader among tight ends in the three most significant categories: receptions (815), yards (10,060) and touchdowns (62).
Yet, he will not follow John Elway and Gary Zimmerman as the third Broncos player to be granted entrance into the famed football museum in Canton, Ohio. Not yet, anyway. Zimmerman had been a five-year teammate of both Sharpe’s in Denver and McDaniel’s in Minnesota.
“I stopped handicapping the voters years ago,” said Zimmerman, who had to wait six years before he was elected last year. “But I’m happy for Randall and, while I’m disappointed for Shannon, I’m sure he’ll go in sooner rather than later.”
Sharpe almost joined Smith, who remains the NFL’s all-time sack leader, and Woodson, considered the best playmaking safety this side of Ronnie Lott in the modern era, in making it on his first try.
The voting committee, however, made some surprising decisions, leaving off not only Sharpe but Cris Carter, who was the NFL’s No. 2 leading receiver until Marvin Harrison passed him with his final catch of the 2008 season. Washington offensive guard and Arizona Cardinals line coach Russ Grimm also made the top 10, but not the final seven.
“Obviously, there’s disappointment,” Sharpe said. “But am I any more disappointed than any of the other guys who made it to the final 10 and didn’t get in? Probably not. Sunshine follows rain. We’ll try it again.”
Once the committee narrowed the choices to seven, the maximum number that can be elected each year, all that faced each candidate was a simple “yes” or “no” vote. It is hardly a rubber-stamp procedure, as Atlanta defensive end Claude Humphrey, a senior candidate, drew less than the required 80 percent of the vote.
Wilson made it, however, as the committee members began to open their minds to his overall contributions to the game. Besides the Bills, Wilson was an original owner of the American Football League, which was founded in 1960. The combination of Wilson turning 90 in October and the Bills entering their 50th season in 2009 made his candidacy difficult to ignore.
Thomas, who played his entire 11-year career with the Chiefs, and Hayes, the “World’s Fastest Human” after winning the 100-meter gold medal in the 1964 Olympics and arguably the league’s first deep-threat receiver, were honored posthumously.
Before Hayes died in 2002, he typed a letter to his sister Lucille Hester, telling her what to say if he was ever elected. Bullet Bob’s sister read the letter at the Hall news conference Saturday.
Following orders, Hester thanked the Cowboys, the Hall of Fame, Roger Staubach, the city of Jacksonville where he grew up, his high school, his college and his former roommate.
If Hayes had to wait seven years after he died to get in, Sharpe can wait one more year.
“I’m content with the process because this is not the first time the process has been enacted,” Sharpe said. “It’s been like this since 1963. How am I going to get upset at something that has been in place for almost 50 years?”
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Pro Football Hall of Fame: Class of 2009
Bob Hayes
Wide receiver, 5-feet-11, 185 pounds
NFL career: 1965-1974 Dallas Cowboys, 1975 San Francisco 49ers.
Notes: Senior candidate. Cowboys’ seventh-round pick (88th overall) of 1964 NFL draft and Broncos’ 14th-round pick (105th overall) of 1964 AFL draft. . . . Won a pair of gold medals in the 1964 Olympic Games, earning him the title “World’s Fastest Human”. . . . Played 11 seasons, 132 games. . . . As a rookie, his 46 receptions for 1,003 yards led all Cowboys receivers. . . . His world-class speed was major factor in Cowboys’ offensive successes. . . . “Bullet Bob” terrorized defensive backs and demanded deep double coverage rarely seen in the NFL then. . . . Often said that bump-and-run defense was developed to slow him down. . . . Used his speed “in a football sense,” rather than just trying to run fast. . . . Four times was named first- or second-team All-NFL. . . . Three times led the Cowboys in receptions, including back-to-back titles in 1965-1966 when he caught a combined 110 passes for more than 2,200 yards and 25 touchdowns. . . . Hayes accumulated 7,414 yards and 71 touchdowns in his career. . . . The 71 TDs remain a Cowboys’ club record.
Randall McDaniel
Guard, 6-3, 276
NFL career: 1988-99 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-01 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 14 seasons, 222 games.
Notes: Selected by Minnesota in the first round (19th overall) of 1988 draft. . . . Played in all 16 games as rookie, starting 15, and earned all-rookie honors. . . . Started in 13 consecutive playoff games with the Vikings. . . . Started in 202 consecutive games before retiring. . . . Possessed uncanny ability to either finesse block or overpower opponents. . . . Led Vikings offensive line that held opponents to a sack every 22.7 attempts (1994), and every 21.3 attempts in 1998. . . . Blocked for six 1,000-yard rushers and five 3,000-yard passers during career . . . With McDaniel leading the offensive line, team captured NFC Central Division titles in 1989, 1992, 1994 and 1998. . . . Anchored offensive line of explosive Vikings team that led league with then-record 556 points in 1998. . . . Named All-Pro nine consecutive times (1990-98). . . . Selected to play in a record 12 consecutive Pro Bowls (1990-2001).
Bruce Smith
Defensive end, 6-4, 280
NFL career: 1985-99 Buffalo Bills, 2000-03 Washington Redskins. 19 seasons, 279 games.
Notes: Selected by Buffalo with the first pick overall of 1985 draft. . . . Considered one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history. . . . Known as fierce pass rusher who possessed tremendous strength. . . . His 200 career sacks is NFL all-time record. . . . Recorded 10 or more sacks in an NFL record 13 seasons. . . . Most consider 1990 as his finest single season during which he recorded 19 sacks, including four against Colts QB Jeff George in the first 20 minutes of a Week 14 game and sacked Giants QB Jeff Hostetler for a safety in the 1991 Super Bowl. . . . Was a dominant part of Bills championship teams that between 1988-95 won six AFC Eastern Division crowns (1988-91, 1993, 1995) and four AFC championships (1990-93) . . . . Named NFL defensive player of the year, 1990 and 1996. . . . Named to the NFL’s All-Decade teams of the 1980s and 1990s . .. Named first- or second-team all-pro 11 times and selected to play in 11 Pro Bowls (1988-91, 1993-99).
Derrick Thomas
Linebacker, 6-3, 243
NFL career: 1989-99 Kansas City Chiefs. 11 seasons, 169 games.
Notes: Selected by Kansas City in the first round (fourth overall) of 1989 draft. . . . Had 10 sacks as a rookie and added 75 tackles to earn defensive rookie of the year honors. . . . In 1990, led NFL with team-record 20 sacks, including NFL-record seven in one game. . . . Chosen for nine Pro Bowls. . . . Accumulated most sacks in NFL during 1990s (116 1/2). . . . Recorded 126 1/2 career sacks. Had 10 or more in a season seven times and multisack games 27 times. . . . Forced 45 fumbles, recovered 19. Scored four touchdowns on fumble returns and added three safeties. . . . In the 11 years he anchored the defense, Chiefs finished first or second in the AFC West 10 times, made seven playoff appearances and won three division titles. . . . All-pro three times. . . . Selected to nine straight Pro Bowls. . . . Member of the NFL’s all-decade team of the 1990s.
Ralph Wilson Jr.
Founder/owner
NFL career: 1960-present Buffalo Bills.
Notes: One of original founders of American Football League, Wilson formed Buffalo Bills in 1959. . . . During tenure as team owner, Bills won AFL championships in 1964 and 1965, AFC titles in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 on way to unprecedented four consecutive appearances in Super Bowls. . . . Bills’ 103 regular-season wins, second-most in NFL during 1990s. . . . Helped lead AFL through early years making tough decisions that were necessary for league’s survival. . . . Began talks with Carroll Rosenbloom, then owner of NFL’s Colts in January 1965, that eventually resulted in AFL-NFL merger. . . . Considered “voice of reason,” Wilson served as president of AFL, was on AFL’s expansion committee and AFL-NFL negotiations committee. . . . Was prominent in 1977 negotiations between NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association. . . . Has served as chairman of NFL pension committee, labor committee, Super Bowl site committee, NFL expansion committee, NFL realignment committee.
Rod Woodson
Cornerback/safety, 6-0, 200
NFL career: 1987-96 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers, 1998-2001 Baltimore Ravens, 2002-03 Oakland Raiders. 17 seasons, 238 games with 229 starts.
Notes: Selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (10th overall) of 1987 draft. . . . First interception of pro career resulted in 45-yard touchdown return. . . . From 1991-94 recorded 12 sacks and 19 interceptions, returning three for TDs. . . . In 1995 suffered serious knee injury with recovery time projected to be six to 12 months. . . . Returned to action in just four months and played in the 1996 Super Bowl. . . . Member of NFL’s 75th anniversary team and NFL’s All-Decade team of the 1990s. . . . NFL defensive player of the year, 1993. . . . Intercepted 71 passes in career, third on NFL all-time list. . . . Is NFL’s all-time leader in interception return yardage (1,483). . . . Holds NFL record for most interceptions returned for TDs (12). . . . Six-time first-team all-pro choice (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2001). . . . Earned all-pro honors as cornerback, kick returner, safety. . . . Chosen to play in 11 Pro Bowls — seven with Steelers, three with Ravens and one with Raiders.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
2008 — Bob Hayes, Randall McDaniel, Bruce Smith, Derrick Thomas, Ralph Wilson, Rod Woodson.
2007 — Gene Hickerson, Michael Irvin, Bruce Matthews, Charlie Sanders, Thurman Thomas, Roger Wehrli, Gary Zimmerman.
2006 — Troy Aikman, Harry Carson, John Madden, Warren Moon, Reggie White, Rayfield Wright.
2005 — Benny Friedman, Dan Marino, Fritz Pollard, Steve Young.
2004 — Bob Brown, Carl Eller, John Elway, Barry Sanders.
2003 — Marcus Allen, Elvin Bethea, Joe DeLamielleure, James Lofton, Hank Stram.
2002 — George Allen, Dave Casper, Dan Hampton, Jim Kelly, John Stallworth.
2001 — Nick Buoniconti, Marv Levy, Mike Munchak, Jackie Slater, Lynn Swann, Ron Yary, Jack Youngblood.
2000 — Howie Long, Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana, Dan Rooney, Dave Wilcox.
1999 — Eric Dickerson, Tom Mack, Ozzie Newsome, Billy Shaw, Lawrence Taylor.
1998 — Paul Krause, Tommy McDonald, Anthony Munoz, Mike Singletary, Dwight Stephenson.
1997 — Mike Haynes, Wellington Mara, Don Shula, Mike Webster.
1996 — Lou Creekmur, Dan Dierdorf, Joe Gibbs, Charlie Joiner, Mel Renfro.
1995 — Jim Finks, Henry Jordan, Steve Largent, Lee Roy Selmon, Kellen Winslow.
1994 — Tony Dorsett, Bud Grant, Jimmy Johnson, Leroy Kelly, Jackie Smith, Randy White.
1993 — Dan Fouts, Larry Little, Chuck Noll, Walter Payton, Bill Walsh.
1992 — Lem Barney, Al Davis, John Mackey, John Riggins.
1991 — Earl Campbell, John Hannah, Stan Jones, Tex Schramm, Jan Stenerud.
1990 — Buck Buchanan, Bob Griese, Franco Harris, Ted Hendricks, Jack Lambert, Tom Landry, Bob St. Clair.
1989 — Mel Blount, Terry Bradshaw, Art Shell, Willie Wood.
1988 — Jack Ham, Mike Dikta, Fred Biletnikoff, Alan Page.
1987 — Larry Csonka, Len Dawson, Joe Greene, John Henry Johnson, Jim Langer, Don Maynard, Gene Upshaw.
1986 — Paul Hornung, Ken Houston, Willie Lanier, Fran Tarkenton, Doak Walker.
1985 — Frank Gatski, Joe Namath, Pete Rozelle; O.J. Simpson, Roger Staubach.
1984 — Willie Brown, Mike McCormack, Charley Taylor, Arnie Weinmeister.
1983 — Bobby Bell, Sid Gillman, Sonny Jurgensen, Bobby Mitchell, Paul Warfield.
1982 — Doug Atkins, Sam Huff, George Musso, Merlin Olsen.
1981 — Morris (Red) Badgro, George Blanda, Willie Davis, Jim Ringo.
1980 — Herb Adderley, David (Deacon) Jones, Bob Lilly, Jim Otto.
1979 — Dick Butkus, Yale Lary, Ron Mix, Johnny Unitas.
1978 — Lance Alworth, Weeb Ewbank, Alphonse (Tuffy) Leemans, Ray Nitschke, Larry Wilson.
1977 — Frank Gifford, Forrest Gregg, Gale Sayers, Bart Starr, Bill Willis.
1976 — Ray Flaherty, Len Ford, Jim Taylor.
1975 — Roosevelt Brown, George Connor, Dante Lavelli, Lenny Moore.
1974 — Tony Canadeo, Bill George, Lou Groza, Dick (Night Train) Lane.
1973 — Raymond Berry, Jim Parker, Joe Schmidt.
1972 — Lamar Hunt, Gino Marchetti, Ollie Matson, Clarence (Ace) Parker.
1971 — Jim Brown, Bill Hewitt, Frank (Bruiser) Kinard, Vince Lombardi, Andy Robustelli, Y.A. Tittle, Norm Van Brocklin.
1970 — Jack Christiansen, Tom Fears, Hugh McElhenny, Pete Pihos.
1969 — Glen (Turk) Edwards, Earle (Greasy) Neale, Leo Nomellini, Joe Perry, Ernie Stautner.
1968 — Cliff Battles, Art Donovan, Elroy (Crazylegs) Hirsch, Wayne Millner, Marion Motley, Charley Trippi, Alex Wojciechowicz.
1967 — Chuck Bednarik, Charlie Bidwill, Paul Brown, Bobby Layne, Dan Reeves, Ken Strong, Joe Stydahar, Emlen Tunnell.
1966 — Bill Dudley, Joe Guyon, Arnie Herber, Walt Kiesling, George McAfee, Steve Owen, Hugh (Shorty) Ray, Clyde (Bulldog) Turner.
1965 — Guy Chamberlain, John (Paddy) Driscoll, Dan Fortmann, Otto Graham, Sid Luckman, Steve Van Buren, Bob Waterfield.
1964 — Jimmy Conzelman, Ed Healy, Clark Hinkle, Roy (Link) Lyman, August (Mike) Michalske, Art Rooney, George Trafton.
1963 — Sammy Baugh, Bert Bell, Joe Carr, Earl (Dutch) Clark, Red Grange, George Halas, Mel Hein, Wilbur (Pete) Henry, Cal Hubbard, Don Hutson, Earl (Curly) Lambeau, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, Johnny (Blood) McNally, Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers, Jim Thorpe.
