2013 Hall of Fame Class: Predictions

Dec 17, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Houston Oilers former quarterback and pro football hall of fame member Warren Moon attends the game between the New York Jets and the Tennessee Titans at LP Field.Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

To the right is Warren Moon, Hall of Famer from the Houston Oilers, amongst other teams. Who is going to join him in the class of 2013? We will find out tomorrow at 5:30 PM on the NFL Network, as they reveal the inductees for 2013. For a list of the finalists, check out the Hall of Fame’s website.  Tonight, I wanted to give you some predictions on who will make the cut.

The most that can go in is five, and I believe we will see that many go in.  For purposes of this article, I am going to only look at candidates from the modern era, and give you five that will make it:

BILL PARCELLS: To me, it’s a wonder that we are even talking about this, as he should have made it last year. We know the turnaround he executed with the Jets. He won 2 Super Bowls with the cross town Giants, and went to one more with the Patriots. He was the first coach to take 4 teams to the playoffs (Giants, Jets, Patriots, Cowboys). This is a no-brainer, and should have been done by now.

JONATHAN OGDEN: It can be hard to quantify what a lineman does, but Ogden deserves to be in as a first ballot. After being chosen 4th in the 1996 draft, he played for 12 seasons, making the Pro Bowl 11 times. He was a 6 time first team All-Pro, and was All-AFC 9 times, and was a staple on the offensive line of the Baltimore Ravens. Rex said if he wanted to make a comeback, he would take him now, that’s how good he is. Get Ogden in the hall.

EDWARD DEBARTOLO, JR: Yes, an owner that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Everyone thinks back solely to Debartolo’s legal troubles, but look at his accomplishments. He was the owner of the 49ers as they became the only team in NFL history to win five Super Bowls. He was on the expansion and realignment committes for the league. Ed was a highly respected member of the ownership group amongst other owners, and his work has earned him enshrinement.

TIM BROWN: Sorry to any Bills fans out there, but I believe that the receiver to get the nod this year is Brown, not Andre Reed. Reed is deserving as well, and I certainly will not be annoyed if he gets in, but I just think they take one WR, and Brown is it. In seventeen season, he was voted to the Pro Bowl 9 times. He had nearly 15,000 yards, which at the time of his retirment was second in the history of the game, and 100 TDs. He is deserving, and I believe it is his year.

JEROME BETTIS: This would be the third straight year with a modern day running back getting enshrined, yet I believe it will happen for “the Bus”. He is tied for the third most 1,000 yard rushing seasons with 8, and most consecutive games with a rushing TD with 5. Most remarkably, he successfully changed from a 1,000 yard running back to a TD scoring short yardage back at the end of his career, scoring 38 TDs in his last four years. It’s time.

That is my class. What’s yours?