Parcells, 'The Bus', C-Carter Among Pro Football Hall Of Fame 2012 Finalists

The 44-member Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee will meet on Feb. 4 in Indianapolis, the day before Super Bowl XLVI, to select the official inductees. The Hall of Fame’s current ground rules stipulate that between four and seven new members will be selected each year.

To be eligible for election, modern-era players and coaches must be retired at least five years. Contributors need not be retired.

The list of 17 finalists for the Class of 2012 (in alphabetical order):

• Jerome Bettis, RB: 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers

• Tim Brown, WR/KR: 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Jack Butler, CB: 1951-59 Pittsburgh Steelers

• Cris Carter, WR: 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins

• Dermontti Dawson, C: 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers

• Edward DeBartolo, Jr., Owner: 1979-2000 San Francisco 49ers

• Chris Doleman, DE/LB — 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers

• Kevin Greene, LB/DE: 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers

• Charles Haley, DE/LB: 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys

• Cortez Kennedy, DT: 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks

• Curtis Martin, RB: 1995-97 New England Patriots, 1998-2005 New York Jets

• Bill Parcells, Coach: 1983-1990 New York Giants, 1993-96 New England Patriots, 1997-99 New York Jets, 2003-06 Dallas Cowboys

• Andre Reed, WR: 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins

• Willie Roaf, T: 1993-2001 New Orleans Saints, 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs

• Will Shields, G: 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs

• Dick Stanfel, G: 1952-55 Detroit Lions, 1956-58 Washington Redskins

• Aeneas Williams, CB/S: 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis Rams

Butler and Stanfel were selected as candidates by the Hall of Fame’s seniors committee, which reviews the qualifications of players whose careers took place more than 25 years ago.

The other 15 modern-era finalists were determined by a vote of the Hall of Fame’s selection committee from a list of 105 preliminary nominees that earlier was reduced to a list of 26 semifinalists.

Among those who did not make the final list were Paul Tagliabue (NFL commissioner (1989-2006), Terrell Davis, Roger Craig, Clay Matthews and Donnie Shell.

PHOTOS: Jerome Bettis (front page): Aaron Josefczyk/Icon SMI; Bettis (above): Aaron Josefczyk/Icon SMI