The Pro Football Hall of Fame will elect its newest members today, and among the 17 finalists for induction into the NFL's highest honor is longtime Raider wide receiver Tim Brown, who spent the first seven seasons of his career in Los Angeles. Between four and seven players will be elected, after meetings from the Hall of Fame selection committee. The 2011 Hall of Fame class will be announced today at 4 p.m. PST on NFL Network, from the Super Bowl Media Center.
This is the second year on the ballot for Brown, who was a Pro Bowler nine times in his 17-year career. Brown was drafted by the Raiders, sixth overall in the 1988 draft, after winning the Heisman Trophy in 1987 at Notre Dame. Brown is fourth all-time in both receptions (1,094) and receiving yards (14,934), and is sixth with 100 receiving touchdowns. He had nine consecutive seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards from 1993-2001. Getting elected this year would be especially fitting for Brown, who was born in Dallas, the site of this year's announcement and Super Bowl.
Brown might have a tough time getting in, as he is very similar to Cris Carter, who is in his fourth year of Hall of Fame eligibility. Carter has more catches (1,101) and receiving touchdowns (130) than Brown, but Carter's receiving yards (13,899) and Pro Bowls (eight) trail Brown. Brown played in one Super Bowl, in 2002, something Carter never did, but Carter played in 14 playoff games compared to 12 for Brown.
First-time Hall of Fame finalists this season are Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, and Jerome Bettis. In addition to the 15 modern-era finalists, linebackers Chris Hanburger and Les Richter were the senior nominees selected as finalists. Richter spent all nine years of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams, from 1954-1962.