Parcells, Keyshawn Johnson among Hall of Fame nominees

The NFL announced 103 players, coaches and contributors who are eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame today.

Among those eligible are:

New York Jets WR Keyshawn Johnson, Running back Tiki Barber, quarterback Drew Bledsoe, guard Will Shields, and coaches Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer and Jets coach Bill Parcells.

These individuals we be up against last year’s finalists:

Jets RB Curtis Martin, Jerome Bettis; wide receivers Andre Reed, Tim Brown, and Cris Carter; and defensive linemen Chris Doleman, Charles Haley, and Cortez Kennedy.

From the initial nominees, the selection committee selects 25 candidates, which they eventually drop to 15 by January, and finally vote on February 4, the day before the Super Bowl.

Johnson, the 3-time pro bowler, was the Jets 1st pick (and 1st overall) in the 1996 NFL Draft, accumulating 814 catches, 10,571 yards and 64 TDs in his career.  He spent 4 years with the Jets, 4 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2 years with the Dallas Cowboys and finished his career with a season in Carolina with the Panthers.