Hall Admits Six More

Two quarterbacks with ties to Los Angeles, a defensive end who made his name terrorizing quarterbacks and a former Oakland Raider coach best known for talking about quarterbacks (and football in general) were among the six men voted Saturday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Troy Aikman played two seasons at UCLA in the late 1980s before leading the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships in the 1990s, completing a record 70% of his passes in his three Super Bowl appearances.

Warren Moon, who played at Hamilton High and West L.A. College before a major college finally gave him a chance, passed for more yards in his 17 NFL seasons than all but two other Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Dan Marino and John Elway.

The late Reggie White is the NFL’s all-time sack leader.

And John Madden, before he became better known as one of the most recognizable faces in the history of sports broadcasting, won a Super Bowl and more than 75% of his games in 10 seasons as coach of the Raiders.

In August, they will be inducted into the pro football hall at Canton, Ohio, along with Harry Carson, who was a six-time All-Pro linebacker with the New York Giants in the 1970s and 1980s, and Rayfield Wright, a six-time All-Pro offensive tackle who played in five Super Bowls with the Cowboys in the 1970s.

Aikman, Moon and White were elected in their first year of eligibility by the 39-man panel of mostly sports journalists that makes the selections.

Moon, who won a Rose Bowl at Washington after transferring from West L.A., will be the first African American quarterback enshrined in the Hall.

“I think all the guys that played the game before me as African Americans have to share in this because we’ve made great strides over the years,” said Moon, who played six seasons in the Canadian Football League, winning five Grey Cup titles, before the NFL gave him a chance. “I really don’t want to make this a racial thing because it shouldn’t be, but it is significant because it is the first. ...

“When Doug Williams was the first African American quarterback to win a Super Bowl, I think that helped a lot of things as far as young black quarterbacks getting more opportunities, and I think this will be significant also because it shows that we have arrived at the pinnacle of our sport.”

Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans said in a statement that Moon, a Seattle Seahawk broadcaster who lives in Hermosa Beach, carved a path for African American quarterbacks to follow and that his play “ensured that those coming behind him wouldn’t have to change positions to find a place in the NFL.”

Aikman called his selection “the greatest individual athletic achievement that’s ever happened in my life” and thanked several former teammates and coaches, among them former UCLA coach Terry Donahue.

“I really feel he helped me grow as a man,” Aikman said.

But Aikman, who transferred to UCLA from Oklahoma, took issue with Michael Irvin, his favorite receiver, again failing in his second year of eligibility to garner enough support from the panel to be included among the inductees. Irvin’s career was marred by off-the-field transgressions, among them drug abuse.

“I acknowledge that I’m certainly biased in my opinion,” Aikman said, “but when I think of the career that I was able to have and the success that we were able to have as the Dallas Cowboys, there’s no question in my mind how important Michael Irvin was in achieving those goals. ...

“I will tell you that, as a biased opinion, if there ever was a Hall of Fame receiver it would be Michael Irvin.”

White’s widow, Sara, said that her late husband, an ordained minister who was one of the NFL’s fiercest competitors and most devoted humanitarians during 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, so loved football that he probably would have played for free.

“But luckily,” she quipped, “we had an agent.”

She said that she and her husband, who was 43 when he died in December 2004 from a respiratory condition that led to fatal cardiac arrhythmia, spoke often about him one day taking his place in the Hall of Fame.

“We were so looking forward to this time because it meant a lot to him to be a part of this group,” she said. “He respected the people that came before him. He respected the men who cleared the way for him to play in the NFL.”

Madden, who left coaching in 1978 after leading the Raiders to seven division titles, said he was “in shock” after making the cut after so many years.

“I know as a coach, it’s all about the players, and I had great players,” said Madden, who will be the color analyst on today’s ABC telecast of the Super Bowl. “They played hard and they played well, and I want to thank every one of them....They made this possible.”

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Class of 2006

A capsule look at those selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August:

TROY AIKMAN, Quarterback

1989-2000, Dallas Cowboys. 12 seasons, 165 games

* Highlights: Cowboys’ first-round pick (No. 1 overall) in 1989 draft.... Led team to three Super Bowl wins, was game MVP in 1993.... Closed career with 94 regular-season wins, including 90 in 1990s, making him winningest starting quarterback of any decade.

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HARRY CARSON, Linebacker

1976-88 New York Giants. 13 seasons, 173 games

* Highlights: Giants’ fourth-round pick in 1976 draft.... Became Giants’ starting middle linebacker halfway through rookie season. Led Giants in tackles five seasons.... Had career-high performance in 1982 vs. Green Bay with 20 tackles and five assists.... Ferocious run stopper whose 14 career fumble recoveries rank second on the Giants.... Made 11 career interceptions.

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JOHN MADDEN, Coach

1969-78 Oakland Raiders

* Highlights: Regular-season record of 103-32-7.... Postseason record of 9-7.... Seniors Committee nominee.... Led team to victory in the 1977 Super Bowl.... Began pro coaching career as Raiders assistant, 1967-68.... Became one of youngest head coaches in history when Raiders hired him in 1969 at age 32.... His .759 winning percentage during regular season is the highest among coaches with 100 victories.

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WARREN MOON, Quarterback

1984-93 Houston Oilers, 1994-96 Minnesota Vikings, 1997-98 Seattle Seahawks, 1999-2000 Kansas City Chiefs

* Highlights: Seventeen seasons, 208 games: Began pro career with CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos (1978-83), winning five consecutive Grey Cups.... In NFL, completed 3,988 of 6,823 passes for 49,325 yards, 291 touchdowns, 233 interceptions.... Rushed 543 times for 1,736 yards and 22 touchdowns, giving him 51,061 yards of total offense.

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REGGIE WHITE, DE/DT

1985-92 Philadelphia Eagles, 1993-98 Green Bay Packers, 2000 Carolina Panthers. 15 seasons, 232 games

* Highlights: Nicknamed “Minister of Defense,” joined Eagles after two years with USFL’s Memphis Showboats. ... During eight seasons with Eagles recorded more sacks (124) than games played (121).... In 1987, recorded 21 sacks, second most in NFL history at the time.... Became only player to accumulate 20 sacks or more in only 12 games.... In 1993, went to Green Bay and recorded another 68.5 sacks, becoming Packers’ all-time sack leader.

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RAYFIELD WRIGHT, Tackle

1967-79 Dallas Cowboys. 13 seasons, 166 games

* Highlights: Selected by Cowboys in seventh round of 1967 draft.... Seniors Committee nominee.... Used as a tight end, defensive end and offensive tackle in first three seasons.... A season later, he was All-NFL.... Known as “Big Cat,” picked for Pro Bowl six consecutive times (1971-76).... Helped Cowboys to 10 division titles, six conference championships and two Super Bowl victories.... Played in five Super Bowls.

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Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

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One spot, no waiting

Members elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame in first year of eligibility:

Troy Aikman...2006

Marcus Allen...2003

Lance Alworth...1978

Raymond Berry...1973

George Blanda...1981

Mel Blount...1989

Terry Bradshaw...1989

Jim Brown...1971

Willie Brown...1984

Dick Butkus...1979

Earl Campbell...1991

Eric Dickerson...1999

Tony Dorsett...1994

John Elway...2004

Dan Fouts...1993

Joe Greene...1987

Forrest Gregg...1977

Jack Ham...1988

John Hannah...1991

Franco Harris...1990

Ken Houston...1986

David “Deacon” Jones...1980

Jim Kelly...2002

Jack Lambert...1990

Tom Landry...1990

Jim Langer...1987

Steve Largent...1995

Bob Lilly...1980

Ronnie Lott...2000

Gino Marchetti...1972

Dan Marino...2005

Ollie Matson...1972

Hugh McElhenny...1970

Joe Montana...2000

Warren Moon...2006

Anthony Munoz...1998

Ray Nitschke...1978

Chuck Noll...1993

Merlin Olsen...1982

Jim Otto...1980

Jim Parker...1973

Walter Payton...1993

Barry Sanders...2004

Gale Sayers...1977

Don Shula...1997

O.J. Simpson...1985

Mike Singletary...1998

Jackie Slater...2001

Bart Starr...1977

Roger Staubach...1985

Jan Stenerud...1991

Lawrence Taylor...1999

Johnny Unitas...1979

Gene Upshaw...1987

Paul Warfield...1983

Randy White...1994

Reggie White...2006

Steve Young...2005