Projo Pats Blog

New England Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett, who made it to the final 10 last year but fell short in the final vote, is once again among the finalists for this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction class.

Tippett, who recorded a franchise-record 100 sacks in his 151-game career, is one of 17 finalists. One of the dominating linebackers of his era, Tippett was a member of the NFL Team of the Decade for the 1980s; the strongside 'backer had a career-high 118 tackles and still-standing franchise record 18.5 sacks in 1984. The next year, when the Patriots surprisingly advanced to Super Bowl XX, Tippett had 16.5 sacks.

The Hall of Fame selection committee will meet in Arizona during on Feb. 2, the day before the Super Bowl, to pick this year's class. Nominees need to receive at least 80 percent of the vote to gain induction; there are 44 members on the voting committee, including one from each of the NFL's 32 franchise cities, one from the Pro Football Writers of America, and 11 at-large members. Hall rules stipulate that a minimum of four and maximum of seven inductees are chosen each year.

The full list of finalists, listed alphabetically:

Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins

Fred Dean – Defensive End – 1975-1981 San Diego Chargers, 1981-85 San Francisco 49ers

Richard Dent – Defensive End – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles

Marshall Goldberg – Back – 1939-1943, 1946-48 Chicago Cardinals

Randy Gradishar – Linebacker – 1974-1983 Denver Broncos

Darrell Green – Cornerback – 1983-2002 Washington Redskins

Russ Grimm – Guard – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins

Ray Guy – Punter – 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Bob Kuechenberg – Guard – 1970-1984 Miami Dolphins

Randall McDaniel – Guard – 1988-1999 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Art Monk – Wide Receiver – 1980-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 New York Jets, 1995 Philadelphia Eagles

Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins

Paul Tagliabue – Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League

Derrick Thomas – Linebacker – 1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs

Emmitt Thomas – Cornerback – 1966-1978 Kansas City Chiefs

Andre Tippett – Linebacker – 1982-1993 New England Patriots

Gary Zimmerman – Tackle – 1986-1992 Minnesota Vikings, 1993-97 Denver Broncos

**Carter and Green are in their first year of eligibility.

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