Craig, Branch miss cut on Centennial Hall of Fame
Roger Craig and Cliff Branch, two of the most overlooked stars from their respective 49ers and Raiders playing days, missed the cut for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Centennial Class that was announced Wednesday morning.
Each was among 20 former players who were senior finalists, 10 of whom were selected, along with two coaches and three contributors, including former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Those who make up the Centennial Class will be enshrined in September, a month after the annual ceremony that will feature the five modern-era players who are announced Feb. 1.
Last weekend, two coaches — former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and current CBS analyst Bill Cowher and former Dallas Cowboys head coach and current FOX analyst Jimmy Johnson — were surprised with the news during live playoff broadcasts.
The final 13 senior candidates selected were Tagliabue, former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Harold Carmichael, former Chicago Bears tackle Jim Covert, former Green Bay Packers safety Bobby Dillon, former Cowboys safety Cliff Harris, former New York Jets tackle Winston Hill, former Detroit Lions
defensive tackle Alex Karras, former Steelers safety Donnie Shell, former Cleveland Browns receiver Mac Speedie, former Bears defensive end Ed Sprinkle, and two-way lineman Duke Slater, an African-American pioneer in the early years of the NFL. Also in the contributor category are former New York Giants general manager George Young and NFL Films executive Steve Sabol.
Other players bypassed for the centennial class were LaVern Dilweg, Ox Emerson, Randy Gradishar, Cecil Isbell, Vern Lewellen, Tommy Nobis, Drew Pearson and Al Wistert. CARDINALS WR FITZGERALD WILL RETURN >> Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is coming back to the team for the 2020 season.
There was speculation the 36-year-old Fitzgerald might retire, but the team announced he has signed a one-year contract.
In 16 seasons with Arizona, Fitzgerald is the Cardinals’ franchise leader in games played (250), receptions (1,378), receiving yards (17,083), receiving touchdowns (120), total touchdowns (120) and 100yard games (49). STEELERS STAYING PAT AT QB >> Art Rooney II isn’t quite sure what to make of what the Pittsburgh Steelers president called one of the “craziest” seasons he’s experienced during his 50plus years around the NFL.
The Steelers lost quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at halftime of Week 2. They pulled off an audacious trade for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick that had Rooney “pacing the floor” as he weighed the pros and cons of the franchise trading a first-round draft pick for the first time in more than half a century. They spent the final 14 weeks jockeying between Mason Rudolph and undrafted rookie free agent quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges.
Rooney expects that stability under center to return in 2020. Roethlisberger remains in the early stages of rehabilitation after undergoing surgery to repair his right elbow in September, but expects to pick up the pace in the near future. Rooney praised the twotime Super Bowl winner’s attitude and doesn’t believe the team needs to bring in a veteran backup as a precaution should Roethlisberger’s comeback hit a snag.