Michael Strahan, who helped the New York Giants win the 2008 Super Bowl, and ironman linebacker Derrick Brooks headline the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2014 class.
Other inductees announced at the National Football League honors ceremony on the eve of Super Bowl 48 included Walter Jones, Andre Reed, Aeneas Williams, Claude Humphrey and Ray Guy.
But Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison, who teamed up as coach and wide receiver to win a Super Bowl together while with the Indianapolis Colts, were left off the list.
The newest members of the Hall of Fame were selected from a list of 17 finalists who had been determined earlier by the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Selection Committee.
Strahan, 42, was a defensive end for the New York Giants from 1993-2007 and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the year in 2001 after setting an NFL single-season record with 22 1/2 quarterback sacks.
A five-time All-Pro selection and seven-time Pro Bowler, Strahan amassed 141 1/2 sacks in his 15-season career.
Brooks was a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1995-2008. He made 11 Pro Bowls and never missed a game during his 14-season career.
The 40-year-old Brooks was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2002 after helping the Buccaneers win the club's first Super Bowl.
Jones was an offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks from 1997-2009. A member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 2000s, he was named All-Pro six times and voted to nine Pro Bowls.
Jones was especially pleased to accept the honor as his former team prepared to play the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48 on Sunday.
"Coming into the league, all I wanted to do was get here and play in this game to say I could play in this game," he said. "For me to be here now, and for my team that I started with and finished with to be in the Super Bowl, is just like the icing on the cake. It has been fun, and I?m enjoying the moment and just taking it all in."
Reed caught 951 passes for 13,198 yards and 87 touchdowns in his 16-season career with the Buffalo Bills (1985-1999) and Washington Redskins (2000).
Williams was a cornerback and safety with the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1991-2000) and St. Louis Rams (2001-2004). A four-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection, he intercepted 55 passes for 807 yards and nine touchdowns during his 14-season career.
Humphrey was a defensive lineman with the Atlanta Falcons (1968-1978) and Philadelphia Eagles (1979-1981). He was named first-team All-Pro five times and earned six Pro Bowl nods during his career.
Guy is the first punter to make the Hall of Fame. He played with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders from 1973-1986.
Source: DSG
