DALLAS — Shannon Sharpe is up and at ’em, trying to stay relaxed.
The 44-member Pro Football Hall of Fame election committee is currently sequestered, discussing the 17 finalists.
Sharpe is one. The former Broncos’ tight end will find out like everybody else whether or not he achieved football immortality when the NFL Network makes its announcement starting at 5 p.m. MST.
The expectation is Sharpe will at least make the cutdown to 10 finalists. Then again, he made the final 10 in each of the previous two years.
“My brother (Sterling) has told me, ‘You’re so close,’ ” Sharpe said. “But how close am I really?”
You’re either in or you’re out.
If Sharpe gets the nod in his third year as finalist, and third year overall, he would be in good company. The Hall of Famers who were elected in their third year as finalist, and third year on the ballot: cornerbacks Herb Adderly and Mike Haynes, quarterbacks Joe Namath and Fran Tarkenton, receiver Michael Irvin, tight end Kellen Winslow, linebacker Joe Schmidt and coach Marv Levy.
The hall class of 2011 is almost certain to include cornerback Deion Sanders and running back Marshall Faulk from the modern-era ballot, and senior finalists Chris Hanburger, the former Washington Redskins’ linebacker, and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Les Richter.
That leaves 13 modern-era finalists competing for the final three spots. Sharpe’s primary competition figures to include Pittsburgh center Dermontti Dawson, pass-rushers Charles Haley and Richard Dent, receivers Cris Carter and Tim Brown, and NFL Films creator Ed Sabol.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.
