Bill Parcells was a winner everywhere he coached. Time and time again,
he
took over struggling franchises and showed them what it takes to be a
success, including a pair of Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants.
Parcells pulled off another victory Saturday — election to the Pro
Football Hall of Fame.
Getting
in on his fourth try, Parcells led an induction class that also
included mouthy defensive lineman Warren Sapp, prolific receiver Cris Carter and a pair of stalwarts from the trenches, offensive linemen
Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen.
The class of 2013 also included
a pair of senior selections, Curley Culp and Dave Robinson. The
announcement was made in New Orleans, site of Sunday's Super Bowl.
Almost
as noteworthy were the finalists who didn't get in, including running
back Jerome Bettis and owners Art Modell and Edward DeBartolo Jr.
Players and coaches from the Baltimore Ravens, who will face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, spent all week lobbying for Modell,
their former owner who died last year, to claim a place in the hall.
It didn't work out, no doubt pleasing fans in Cleveland who remain
bitter about Modell moving the original Browns to Baltimore.
Parcells
had to wait a while, earning a bust in Canton on his fourth try. He
thought he might get in the previous year in tandem with one of his
former players, Curtis Martin.
''It was a little less stressful
than last year,'' Parcells said in a telephone interview from Florida.
''I was kind of hoping we could do it together, but as fate would have
it, it didn't work out.''
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HALL
OF FAME 2013
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Giants
president and CEO John Mara said Parcells' selection for the hall was
''long overdue,'' but his candidacy stirred plenty of debate — a
one-hour discussion among the selection committee members, by far the
longest amount of time dedicated to any finalist.
''He's one of
the best coaches in NFL history,'' Mara said. ''He turned our franchise
around. We went through a long period in the 1960s and 70s when we were
a laughingstock. When Bill took over in 1983, he survived a very
difficult first year, but then turned us into a perennial playoff
contender and won two Super Bowls for us. He coached three other teams
and everywhere he went, he had great success.''
No one was more
emotional than Carter, who took six years to get in despite putting up
some of the best receiving numbers in NFL history. He broke down in
tears but quickly pointed out ''it's not because I'm sad.''
''This
is the happiest day of my life,'' he said. ''When people said, `Aw, you
know, it really doesn't matter, you're a Hall of Famer in my eyes,' I
said, `It's more important that I'm a Hall of Famer in the Hall's
eyes.' And I really, really wanted this.''
Sapp said his stomach was churning all day.
He doesn't have to fret anymore. Next stop, Canton.
''My feet haven't touched the ground in about 30 minutes,'' Sapp said.
''This is unbelievable.''
In
addition to Bettis, four other players failed to get in on the final
vote: Charles Haley, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan and Aeneas Williams.
Earlier in the day, the selection committee eliminated DeBartolo and
Modell, as well as ex-players Tim Brown, Kevin Greene and Will Shields.
Parcells
reversed the fortunes of four teams, also coaching the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys, during 19 years as a head
coach. He finished with a record of 172-130-1, most notably leading the
Giants to Super Bowl titles in 1987 and 1991. He led the Patriots to
the Super Bowl after the 1996 season.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft saluted Parcells' election.
''It
is well deserved,'' he said in a statement released by the team. ''As a
Patriots fan, I will always appreciate the credibility he brought to
our franchise as a two-time Super Bowl champion. We had never had a
head coach with those credentials. I am very happy for Bill and look
forward to his enshrinement ceremonies.''
Jets owner Woody Johnson echoed Kraft.
''Bill
Parcells infused new life into this franchise on many levels,'' he
said. ''From acquiring players like Curtis Martin to bringing back a
winning culture, we will always be grateful to Bill for his
contributions to the New York Jets.''
Sapp got in on his first
year of eligibility after playing 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders. He amassed 96 1/2 career sacks despite
playing on the interior of the defensive line, including double-digit
sack totals in four seasons. He was the 1999 NFL Defensive Player of
the Year after helping Tampa Bay claim its first division title in 18
years.
Carter
played 16 seasons, becoming only the second player in NFL history to
reach 1,000 receptions in a career. He caught at least 70 passes in 10
seasons, and totaled 130 touchdown receptions from 13 passers.
Allen
played 203 games over 14 seasons, spending the bulk of his career with
the Cowboys. He played every position on the offensive line except
center and was a first-team All-Pro seven straight seasons.
Ogden
played a dozen seasons with the Ravens, a lineman who led the way for
Jamal Lewis to become just the fifth running back in NFL history to
rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Ogden was a six-time All-Pro and was
voted to 11 Pro Bowls.
Like Sapp, Allen and Ogden were first-year selections.
Ogden shared the moment with his family. He called his mother ''first
thing,'' and also told his 7-year-old son.
''He's real proud of his dad,'' Ogden said.
He watched nervously as the announcement was made on the Class of 2013.
''It's
like going to the hospital with your wife to have a baby. You can't do
anything about it,'' Ogden said. ''You hear everybody say you're a
first ballot for sure, but you never really know. A lot of good well
deserving guys didn't get in on the first ballot.''
''When
I got drafted (by Dallas), they'd just won a Super Bowl,'' Allen said.
''When they threw me in, I just didn't want to be the one to mess it
up.''
His philosophy never changed over his long career: make
the guy across from him ''quit . . . tap out.'' He joins three other
players from that great Cowboys offense of the 1990s in the hall,
following Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin.
''All
those guys — Troy and Mike, Emmitt — they were kind of like big
brothers,'' Allen said. ''I looked up to them. They came to work every
day and showed me how to do it. They all wanted to be the best.''
Culp
was a defensive stalwart for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1960s and
`70s, and also played for the Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions. He
started at tackle in Kansas City's Super Bowl win over Vikings in 1970
and was selected to six Pro Bowls.
''Curley was a dominating
force on the defensive line for the Super Bowl IV championship team and
one of many great players that helped build the tradition and
foundation of the Kansas City Chiefs,'' the team's chairman and CEO,
Clark Hunt, said in a statement. ''We look forward to seeing him take
his rightful place in Canton.''
Robinson played on the
powerhouse Green Bay teams of the 1960s, starting at outside linebacker
on coach Vince Lombardi's two Super Bowl champions. He closed his
12-year career with the Washington Redskins.
''He was such a
vital part of those great defenses in the 1960s,'' said Packers
President and CEO Mark Murphy. ''Dave's contributions to the Packers
have not been limited to the field, as he has also been a great
ambassador for the organization over the years. We are thrilled that he
received this honor.''
Robinson was the 22nd member of the Packers to be election to the Hall
of Fame.
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