Hall of Fame Gold Rush for Montana, Lott

By BOB OATES

Jan. 30, 2000 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

ATLANTA —

For the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday was California Day.

All four players voted in by the selection board have a California connection.

The most prominent member of the group is former San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana, who said he “never gave the Hall of Fame a thought.”

Instead, Montana said, he has been thinking about Super Bowls since age 9, “when I was out in the backyard playing my first Super Bowl game.”

Eventually, he played in four Super Bowls for the 49ers, whose 1980s teams won them all.

Two other 49er alumni joined Montana in the Hall of Fame’s class of 2000--former safety Ronnie Lott, who like Montana was chosen in his first year of eligibility, and the old-timers committee nominee, linebacker Dave Wilcox.

Raider defensive tackle Howie Long, who played most of his career during the club’s Los Angeles era, also was elected.

“It’s disappointing that we don’t have an NFL team [in L.A.] now,” Long said. “But I think of Los Angeles as the Ellis Island of 2000. Everyone in L.A. is from Cleveland, Cincinnati, Denver or somewhere else. It’s hard for them to identify with Los Angeles.”

Pittsburgh Steeler owner Dan Rooney also earned entrance, but two other Californians were a few votes shy.

They are Jack Youngblood, a former Ram defensive end, and Lynn Swann, a former Pittsburgh receiver who like Lott played his college football at USC.

Youngblood and Swann were included in the final round of six candidates.

As a rule, those making the final six are elected. All it requires at that point is a “yes” vote from 80% of the 38 selectors, most of them reporters.

But “no” votes by any eight selectors can ding a candidate, and Youngblood and Swann were rebuffed on the final ballot.

The selection process began several months ago when the names of the original 50-odd nominees were submitted to the selection board, which in a mail vote last month whittled the list to 15.

Then, in a meeting Saturday morning, the board cut the list to 10 candidates and then to six.

The numerical results of the balloting, which are audited by an outside agency, are never released by Hall of Fame officials, although it was believed that Montana was chosen unanimously.

Rooney, whose late father, Art, made the Hall of Fame in 1964 after founding the Steeler franchise in 1933, had been rejected last year after reaching the round of six.

“Being here with my father makes this something special,” he said.

When one of his favorite players, Swann, did not get the necessary vote, Rooney said: “I hate to think I might be here taking his place.”

Long regarded his election as the greatest honor of his life.

“I’ve been on the verge of tears since I was [informed],” Long said. “I could die tomorrow. I was shocked when I was drafted, I was shocked to make the Pro Bowl, and I was shocked here.”

Montana was asked why he played for the Kansas City Chiefs instead of retiring in 1993 after the 49ers promoted Steve Young to starting quarterback.

“When your [football career] is over, it’s over,” he said. “You try to make it last as long as you can knowing you can never go back to it.”

Montana said that during his career, he “never tried to emulate any other quarterback--but Joe Namath was in his heyday when I was coming up, and I also [liked] Johnny U [Unitas] and [Terry] Bradshaw. Bradshaw was hammered early [in his career] but never gave up.”

Lott and Montana said former 49er owner Eddie DeBartolo was their inspiration in San Francisco.

“Ronnie and Mr. DeBartolo are the reason I’m here,” said Montana, who added that he would like to have DeBartolo as his presenter this summer when he is enshrined at Canton, Ohio, site of the Hall of Fame.

Of Lott, Montana said: “My son Nicholas will have two fathers there. Ronnie is his godfather.”

Montana and Lott named the 1984 49ers, who finished the regular season 15-1 and defeated the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl, 38-16, as San Francisco’s best-ever team.

“That was a team in what is truly a team sport,” Montana said. “You can win a baseball game if someone hits three home runs. On a football team you need all 53 players.”

Said Lott: “We had a special run.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

HALL OF FAME

Five were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday:

HOWIE LONG

* DEFENSIVE END

1981-93 Oakland /

Los Angeles Raiders

RONNIE LOTT

* CORNERBACK / SAFETY

1981-90 San Francisco 49ers, 1991-92

Los Angeles Raiders, 1993-94 New York Jets