The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 15 finalists today.
Kevin Greene
Among the group is Green Bay Packers outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene who finished a 15-year playing career (1985-99) ranked third all-time in sacks and first among linebackers with 160.
Greene is a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro selection (’94, ’96), leading the league in sacks both of those years.
Greene is entering his fourth season with the Packers in 2012 as outside linebackers coach, his first full-time NFL coaching job.
The group includes four first-time eligible nominees: G Larry Allen, T Jonathan Ogden, DT Warren Sapp and DE Michael Strahan.
It also includes 9 other finalists besides Greene that didn’t make the final cut last year: RB Jerome Bettis, WR’s Tim Brown, Chris Carter and Andre Reed, G Will Shields, DE Charles Haley, CB Aeneas Williams along with Bill Parcells and Ed DeBartolo, Jr.
The group will be whittled to no more than five inductees the day before the Super Bowl.
Two senior nominees, former Chiefs and Oilers nose tackle Curley Culp and former Packers and Redskins linebacker Dave Robinson, are voted upon separately, for a maximum class of seven.