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Super teammates Montana, Lott top candidates for football Hall of Fame
Posted: Friday January 14, 2000 07:36 AM
CANTON, Ohio (AP) -- Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott, teammates on four of the San Francisco 49ers' Super Bowl championship teams, lead the list of 15 finalists announced Thursday for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Montana, who played for the 49ers from 1979-92 before spending two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, never threw an interception in 122 Super Bowl passes while completing 68 percent of his attempts. He holds Super Bowl records for career touchdown passes (11), passing yards in a game (357 in 1989 against Cincinnati) and a career (1,142). Lott, an All-Pro at three different positions during a 14-year career with the 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders and New York Jets, starred as a defensive back on the 49ers teams that won Super Bowls in 1982, '85, '89 and '90. Montana and Lott were the only nominees to make the list of finalists in their first year of eligibility. The list also includes Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders defensive end Howie Long and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann, both of whom finished in the top six in last year's balloting but fell short of the votes needed for induction. As a result of their finish in the 1999 voting, both were automatically included on the list of finalists this year. The remainder of the finalists are linebacker Harry Carson (New York Giants 1976-88), tight end Dave Casper (1974-84 with the Raiders, Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings), defensive end Carl Eller (1964-78 Vikings and 1979 Seattle Seahawks), coach Marv Levy (1978-82 Chiefs and Buffalo Bills 1986-97), wide receiver James Lofton (1978-93 with the Green Bay Packers, Raiders, Bills, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles), offensive guard Mike Munchak (1982-93 Oilers), current Pittsburgh Steelers owner and administrator Dan Rooney, wide receiver John Stallworth (1974-87 Steelers), offensive tackle Ron Yary (Vikings 1968-81, '82 Rams) and defensive end Jack Youngblood (Rams 1971-84). Joining the 14 modern-era finalists is another 49er, linebacker Dave Wilcox, who was nominated in his 21st year of eligibility. Players must have been retired five years before they are eligible for induction. The hall's 38-member board of selectors will select at least four and no more than seven new inductees when it meets in Atlanta on Jan. 29, the day before the Super Bowl. Enshrinement of the induction class will take place on the front steps of the hall on July 29.
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