Parcells To Head 2013 NFL Hall Of Fame Class

Bill Parcells, Warren Sapp and Cris Carter are among seven people slated to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame this weekend, as reported by NFL.com. Also, it is the 50th anniversary of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, located in Canton, OH. This is the eighth consecutive year that the Hall Of Fame has inducted at least 6 members. There are 280 players currently in the Hall Of Fame, according to Yahoo! News.

The latest group entering the Pro Football Hall Of Fame is quite a decorated bunch. There are eight Super Bowl rings among them, as well as countless Pro Bowl appearances. Wide receiver Cris Carter is ranked fourth all-time in both receptions and touchdown catches. Offensive lineman Jonathan Ogden was the very first pick for the new Baltimore Ravens back in 1996, and is now the franchise’s first ever Hall Of Fame inductee. Offensive lineman Larry Allen was named to the NFL’s all-decade team for the 1990s and the 2000s, even though he didn’t play organized football until he was 15 years old. Parcells is the only coach in NFL history to lead 4 different teams (Patriots, Cowboys, Giants, Jets) to playoff berths.

Dave Robinson, a Green Bay Packers defensive lineman from the Vince Lombardi era, played on the first two Super Bowl winners. Defensive lineman Curley Culp is regarded as the first defensive player to play nose tackle full time, lining up directly over the ball on defense. Warren Sapp was a integral cog in what became known as the ‘Tampa 2’ defense, which has been copied around the league since Tampa Bay won their title in 2002. Sapp, along with Ogden and Allen, are getting in the Hall Of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

As usual, the first preseason game will be played. Dubbed The Hall Of Fame Game, this year’s contest is between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.