Three former Raiders among Hall of Fame semifinalists

The NFL announced the 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the list includes three former Raiders, though for Raider fans it may seem more like there is just one. The most notable former Raiders on the list is “Mr Raider” Tim Brown. The others are former general manager Ron Wolf and running back Roger Craig.

Tim Brown is among the greatest receivers of all time statistically. He is in his second year of eligibility. Brown is the Raiders’ all-time leader in catches and yards and helped the team to reach Super Bowl XXXVII. He was drafted number six overall by the Raiders out of Notre Dame as the Heisman Trophy winner, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

Ron Wolf was in the Raiders’ front office from 1963-1974 and 1978-1990. During his first tenure with the team, he helped evaluate and draft future Hall of Fame talents such as Art Shell and Gene Upshaw, as well as quarterback Ken Stabler and safety Jack Tatum. During his second tenure with the Raiders, they won two Super Bowls. He would later help the Green Bay Packers win a Super Bowl.

Roger Craig spent most of his career with the San Francisco 49ers before playing one season with the Raiders (1991) and finished out his career with two seasons in Minnesota.

Here is the entire list of 26 semifinalists:

» Steve Atwater, S — 1989-1998 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets
» Jerome Bettis, RB — 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers
» Tim Brown, WR/KR — 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
» Cris Carter, WR — 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
» Don Coryell, Coach — 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers
» Roger Craig, RB — 1983-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991 Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-93 Minnesota Vikings
» Terrell Davis, RB — 1995-2001 Denver Broncos
» Dermontti Dawson, C — 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers
» Edward DeBartolo, Jr., Owner — 1979-2000 San Francisco 49ers
» Chris Doleman, DE/LB — 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers
» Kevin Greene, LB/DE — 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers
» Charles Haley, DE/LB — 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys
» Cortez Kennedy, DT — 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks
» Curtis Martin, RB — 1995-97 New England Patriots, 1998-2005 New York Jets
» Clay Matthews, LB — 1978-1993 Cleveland Browns, 1994-96 Atlanta Falcons
» Karl Mecklenburg, LB — 1983-1994 Denver Broncos
» Bill Parcells, Coach — 1983-1990 New York Giants, 1993-96 New England Patriots, 1997-99 New York Jets, 2003-06 Dallas Cowboys
» Andre Reed, WR — 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
» Willie Roaf, T — 1993-2001 New Orleans Saints, 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs
» Donnie Shell, S — 1974-1987 Pittsburgh Steelers
» Will Shields, G — 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs
» Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner — 1989-2006 National Football League  
» Steve Tasker, ST/WR — 1985-86 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills
» Aeneas Williams, CB/S — 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis Rams
» Ron Wolf, Contributor — 1963-1974, 1978-1990 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, 1975-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1990 New York Jets, 1991-2001 Green Bay Packers
» George Young, Contributor — 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-78 Miami Dolphins, 1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 National Football League

In January, these 26 semifinalists will be whittled down to 15 finalists. Between four and seven new members will be selected for the Class of 2012 which will be determined at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting on Saturday, February 4, in Indianapolis, the day before Super Bowl XLVI.

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