Asked if he was nervous before the announcement, Sanders said: “No. I was more nervous about playing against Snoop, and I had reason. I don’t want to sound like I’m not grateful, I am. But, and this is a lesson to kids more so than anything, what you feel about me has nothing to do with how I feel about me.”
In a flashy career in which he became one of the most successful two-sport athletes, Sanders’s celebrity often threatened to overtake his stature as a player. But the man nicknamed Prime Time put together one of the finest careers ever for a cornerback, becoming the 15th cornerback elected to the Hall of Fame.
A first-round draft pick in 1989 after starring for Florida State, Sanders played 14 seasons for the Falcons, the 49ers, the Cowboys, the Redskins and the Ravens. Named to eight Pro Bowl teams as a cornerback, Sanders was also among the game’s top punt returners and was named to the N.F.L.’s all-decade team for the 1990s at both positions.
Sanders’s finest season was 1994, when he was named Defensive Player of the Year for the Super Bowl champion 49ers. Of his six interceptions that season, he returned three of them for scores, two of which were for more than 90 yards. Sanders then caused a shift in the power balance of the N.F.C. by signing with the Cowboys in 1995 and winning a Super Bowl in his first year there.
Also elected were Bears defensive end Richard Dent, and Ed Sabol, who created NFL Films. Elected by the senior committee were Redskins linebacker Chris Hanburger and Rams linebacker Les Richter.
While not being quite as multifaceted as Sanders, Faulk was the definition of versatility as a running back. Drafted in the first round in 1994 after being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy at San Diego State, Faulk was an immediate success for the Colts, rushing for 1,282 yards as a rookie and gaining more than 1,000 yards in four of his first five seasons.
A trade to the Rams after the 1998 season took Faulk to the next level as he became the engine of an offense that earned the nickname “The Greatest Show on Turf.” In his first season with St. Louis, he became the second running back to record a season of 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards. The next season he won the N.F.L. Most Valuable Player award, scoring 26 touchdowns.
Faulk’s 12,279 rushing yards rank 10th on the career list, and his 19,154 yards from scrimmage rank fourth.
On an emotional night in which Faulk and Sharpe teared up, some levity was provided by Hanburger, who was reached by phone. When Michael Irvin pointed out that Hanburger’s signature high tackles, which earned him the nickname the Hangman, would all be illegal in today’s game, Hanburger happily agreed with him, saying they changed the rules while he was playing largely because of him.
Sabol, the only nonplayer elected this year, contacted Commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1962 about filming the N.F.L. championship, and started what eventually became NFL Films.
Not making the cut was Jets running back Curtis Martin, who was one of the 10 finalists in his first year of eligibility.
Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed, a group of receivers that combined for more than 3,000 receptions, were passed over again. The induction ceremony will be Aug. 6 in Canton, Ohio.
SIDES QUIET AFTER SESSION Negotiators for the N.F.L. and its players union met for two hours in a formal bargaining session toward a new collective bargaining agreement Saturday, their first meeting since Thanksgiving.
Members of the negotiating teams were tight-lipped as they left the meeting, but the two sides issued a joint statement saying they “plan to increase the number, length and intensity of bargaining sessions” in hopes of reaching an agreement before the current deal expires after March 3.
There was no immediate indication if progress had been made on the critical issues in the deal: how to divide the $9 billion in revenue the league generates each year, how much owners will receive off the top of the revenue pool in cost credits, and things like an 18-game regular season and a rookie wage scale. JUDY BATTISTA VICK NAMED COMEBACK PLAYER Michael Vick has won the Associated Press 2010 N.F.L. comeback player of the year award.
After missing two seasons serving a federal sentence for dogfighting, then spending most of the previous year as a seldom-used backup in Philadelphia, Vick was back at his best. He took over as starter in Week 2, and led the Eagles to the N.F.C. East title and a 10-6 record.
In the 12-year history of the honor, no player has returned from prison to earn it. (AP)
