The finalists were announced Thursday and the Centennial Class will be chosen as part of the NFL's 100th anniversary. The 38 finalists will now be trimmed to 15 -- 10 seniors players, three contributors and two coaches -- on Jan. 8 in Canton, Ohio, by a panel of Hall of Famers, coaches, former league executives, members of the Hall of Fame's board of selectors and league historians.
The panel includes Bill Polian, John Madden, Bill Belichick, Ron Wolf, Gil Brandt and Dick LeBeau as well as several longtime members of the Hall of Fame's board of selectors.