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INDIANAPOLIS -- Before yesterday's Hall of Fame class was named, former Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown tweeted not to watch the announcement because he wasn't selected.

It seems Brown is mad that he wasn't selected in his third year of eligibility. If you took Brown's advice and didn't watch, you missed out on Steelers defensive back Jack Butler getting elected into the Hall of Fame after a 52-year wait. Yes, more than a half century.

Butler, 84, one of two senior nominees, was a four-time Pro Bowl player who retired after the 1959 season. His election was refreshing compared to the players today that expect to make it.

"I never, ever, ever thought I would be here. I just didn't think that would be the reality," Butler said. "When I was a kid, I dreamed about being a big, strong, good football player. I dreamed of about going to Canton, Ohio, and being in the Hall of Fame. But I never, ever down deep believed what I was dreaming."

Butler was named one of the 33 greatest Steelers of all time in 2008. His 52 interceptions were the second-most in the NFL at the time his career ended. With 52 interceptions in 103 games, Butler has the best interception rate (50.5 percent) of any player in the Hall of Fame.

“Jack was one player,” longtime Pittsburgh executive Dan Rooney said, via the team's website, “who could have played with the great Steelers teams of the 1970s.”

INDIANAPOLIS -- Over the past year, the San Francisco 49ers have hired Jim Harbaugh, drafted Aldon Smith, posted a 13-3 record, won a playoff game, placed an NFL-best nine players in the Pro Bowl, watched former owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. become a Hall of Fame finalist and secured funding for a new stadium.

Oh, and Harbaugh was named coach of the year Saturday night.

Those notable achievements should ease whatever sting the 49ers are feeling after DeBartolo failed to earn Hall of Fame enshrinement and Smith, coming off a 14-sack season, finished second to Von Miller in balloting for NFL defensive rookie of the year.

DeBartolo was a first-time finalist facing stiff competition from candidates the selectors had been considering for years, including Cortez Kennedy and Chris Doleman, enshrinees with ties to current NFC West franchises. Failing to make the cut doesn't necessarily mean a candidate was deemed unworthy. Sometimes it means there were simply five other candidates with greater appeal among the 15 modern-era finalists considered each year.

Smith, meanwhile, finished his rookie season with 14 sacks as a situational pass-rusher. He played about half the defensive snaps and did not start. Miller started 15 games and had 11.5 sacks while playing nearly 80 percent of the defensive snaps for Denver. Both were strong candidates. Smith seemed to gain on Miller late in the year.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thirteen modern-era NFL players were finalists for enshrinement Saturday in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Only one was named offensive or defensive player of the year during his career.

That was the Seattle Seahawks' Cortez Kennedy. His eight Pro Bowls, all-1990s selection and overall dominance made my job as his presenter quite simple. State the facts and let Kennedy's career do the talking. Picking the final five out of 15 modern-era finalists is always tough, however, because it usually requires leaving off worthy candidates.

The 43 other selectors and I met for more than seven hours before identifying Kennedy, Chris Doleman, Dermontti Dawson, Curtis Martin and Willie Roaf as the class of 2012. Jack Butler made it as a seniors candidate.

A few thoughts on the process and the results:

• This class made it through at a good time. Larry Allen, Michael Strahan, Jonathan Ogden, Warren Sapp, Bryant Young, John Lynch and Steve McNair become eligible for the first time in 2013. Shaun Alexander, Derrick Brooks, Marvin Harrison, Rodney Harrison, Tony Dungy and Mike Holmgren join the list in 2014. Isaac Bruce, Edgerrin James, Walter Jones, Junior Seau, Chris Samuels, Kurt Warner, Ty Law and Orlando Pace are among those eligible beginning in 2015.
• Former St. Louis Rams
  and Arizona Cardinals
  cornerback Aeneas Williams should feel great about cracking the final 10 in his first year as a finalist. Williams had 55 career interceptions and scored nine touchdowns. He was a big-time playmaker for bad and good teams alike.
• The situation at receiver remains a mess and it's not going to get easier with Harrison becoming eligible in a couple years. Voters are having a tough time deciding between Cris Carter and Andre Reed. Both made the final 10 this year. Reed made the final 10 last year as well. Having both crack the final 10 this year made it harder for one of them to break through. Voters were more likely to choose one wideout when forced to pick only five players.
• Former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. did not make the reduction from 15 to 10. I think it's tougher for voters to quantify how owners and even coaches -- think Bill Parcells, who missed the cut from 10 to five -- contributed to their teams' success. The discussions for Parcells (55-plus minutes) and DeBartolo (42-plus minutes) were more than twice as long as the discussions for other candidates. Hall bylaws prevented voters from considering the legal troubles and suspension that preceded DeBartolo's exit from the game.
• DeBartolo was a finalist in part because he hired Bill Walsh, promoted a winning culture, cared tremendously for his players and helped win five Super Bowls. He spent this weekend with former 49ers player Freddie Solomon, who is in the final days of a battle with cancer. The 49ers' renewed success this past season also reflected well on DeBartolo, who has become a tremendous resource for current team president Jed York, his nephew.
• Electing one pass-rusher (Doleman, who spent part of his career with the 49ers) to the Hall could give former 49ers and Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Charles Haley an easier time in the future. But with Strahan joining the conversation in 2013, Haley faces stiff competition again. Former Rams pass-rusher Kevin Greene did not make the final 10 despite 160 career sacks.

It's been a whirlwind day. Hall bylaws prevent me from sharing specifics about what was said in the room during the proceedings. The Hall also asked voters not to reveal their votes outright. I voted for five of the six players enshrined on the final cut and supported others. As always, however, reducing to only five in the end required leaving off candidates I hope will make it in the future.

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt released a statement congratulating tackle Willie Roaf for being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Roaf played his final four seasons with the Chiefs from 2002-05.

Here is Hunt’s statement:

“On behalf of my family and the entire Chiefs organization, we are thrilled to congratulate Willie Roaf on his well-deserved selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012. Willie is one of the finest offensive lineman to suit up in a Chiefs uniform and is worthy of this extremely prestigious honor. In his four seasons with the Chiefs, Willie anchored one of the best offensive lines in the National Football League. Today's announcement solidifies his place as one of the greatest offensive lineman in the history of pro football.”

Kansas City guard Will Shields and Oakland receiver Tim Brown were also among the 17 finalists, but they did not get elected.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Consistency and longevity matter in the NFL. That was the path former New England Patriots and New York Jets tailback Curtis Martin had to take to make it to Canton.

Martin was never the flashiest running back. He was never the quickest or fastest. But Martin was one of the most consistent and effective. Those are the traits that led Martin to the 2012 Hall of Fame class that also includes Willie Roaf, Cortez Kennedy, Dermontti Dawson, Chris Doleman and Jack Butler.

A former third-round draft pick out of the University of Pittsburgh, Martin drastically overachieved and finished fourth all-time in rushing with 14,101 yards. The only three players ahead of Martin -- Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders -- are all in the Hall of Fame.

Martin also had 10 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. The only year he didn't rush for over 1,000 yards was in 2005, which was his final season in the NFL.

There were plenty of years where Martin was counted out, but he consistently churned out yards and proved doubters wrong. He led the league in rushing with 1,697 yards in 2004 as a 31-year old.

"I'm very competitive," Martin said in a conference call Saturday. "I'm relentless when I'm sure about something and when I'm focused on something. ... I think it was more of a result of me being focused on putting my best performance out there on the field. That's what they pay us to do. To be in tip-top shape and do our best at our job."

Running back is arguably the most demanding position in the NFL. Yet Martin's durability was off the charts. He never missed more than four games in a season and played in all 16 games eight out of his 11 years.

Martin spent his first three years with the Patriots and his final eight years with the Jets. It’s rare that a player is great over the course of his career. But Martin was one of those players.

"Curtis Martin's work ethic, durability and ability to consistently play at such a high level are the hallmarks of his career and appropriately recognized by his selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame," Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "I have never come across a player who has been more dedicated to the team and doing his job. Curtis’ tremendous production on the field, regardless of how outstanding it was, pales in comparison to the man he is. An individual of unparalleled integrity, he treats everyone who crosses his path with honesty, kindness and respect and serves as a shining example of how professional athletes should carry themselves on and off the field."

Martin said he would like former coach Bill Parcells to induct him this summer. Parcells, who also was a Hall of Fame finalist but didn't make the cut, drafted Martin in 2005 and coached him in New England and New York. Martin said he hasn't discussed the induction process yet with Parcells.

The AFC East got one of its two Hall of Fame finalists in. But former Buffalo Bills receiver Andre Reed did not make the cut in his sixth attempt. Reed was still on the ballot Sunday when it was reduced to 10 players, but didn't get one of the final slots.

We spent plenty of time in recent days discussing the tough road for wide receivers making the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the process, we ignored where the selection committee has turned its attention: pass-rushers.

Not a single receiver made the last cut to five modern-day finalists in Saturday's balloting in Indianapolis. But former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Chris Doleman became the third consecutive NFC North pass-rusher to earn enshrinement, following Richard Dent in 2011 and John Randle in 2010. Former Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter once again failed to make the cut, a victim of the perceived value between pass-rushers and wide receivers.

At least one pass-rusher has won election in each of the past five years. Bruce Smith and Derrick Thomas were part of the 2009 class, and Fred Dean was in the class of 2008.

Doleman's 150.5 career sacks rank third in NFL history, behind Smith (200), Reggie White (198) and Kevin Greene (160). Smith and White are both in Canton, and as of Saturday, eight of the 10 players with the highest career sack totals have or will be enshrined. Greene and the recently retired Jason Taylor (139.5) are the only players who have been left out.

(More on Greene, who didn't even make the cut from 15 finalists to 10, in the coming days.)

I don't want to take anything away from Doleman, who was a pass-rushing force for an extended period in the NFL. His two best seasons -- 21 sacks in 1989 and 15 sacks in 1998 -- came nine years apart. Doleman was part of four teams that finished the season with the NFL's top-ranked defense, recovered the seventh-most fumbles (24) in league history and was an eight-time Pro Bowler.

But with the exception of Greene, it's clear that sack totals are among the most reliable tickets to the Hall of Fame. Minutes after Doleman's election was announced, longtime Twin Cities sports analyst Patrick Reusse (also a colleague of mine at ESPN 1500) tweeted: "Apparently, it's all about sacks, since in his absolute prime, Doleman was 2nd best D-lineman on his team, behind Keith Millard."

To me, the definition of a Hall of Fame player is that he was one of the best of his era. Doleman was named to the NFL's 1990's All-Decade team, along with three other defensive ends. Was he one of the best players of that generation? He was if you accept that pass rushing is as important as the voting committee considers it.

But enough of that. I'm not going to diminish Doleman's big day by questioning his credentials. There is little doubt he was a great player for a long time in this league.

Yes, the beauty of the annual Hall of Fame announcement is that it produces as much debate afterwards as it did beforehand. Chris Doleman is a Hall of Fame player because the voting committee places premium value on his particular skill set. (Again, Greene appears to be the lone exception to that rule.)

Cris Carter isn't in the Hall of Fame because the voting committee doesn't value his position and corresponding statistics nearly as much. There are still only 21 receivers in Canton, the lowest total of any position other than tight end and kicking specialist. That's the deal -- no more and no less.

Like you would expect from any proud franchise, the New Orleans Saints just sent out a massive media package moments after it was announced that offensive tackle Willie Roaf has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The packet included a long list of quotes on Roaf. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

Team owner Tom Benson: “We’re glad to congratulate William Roaf in his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He meant a great deal to our team during his career with us. He was the best player on our team during his time with us, one of the top players in the history of our franchise and one of the NFL’s greatest at his position.”

Former coach Jim Mora: “Willie Roaf had an outstanding career and definitely belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He possessed exceptional physical talent and a great work ethic. He was blessed with high quality character and a team oriented attitude. He was a team leader, always positive, upbeat, and a fun guy to coach and have on the team. Without question Willie was one of my best and favorite players ever.”

Former Saints defensive lineman Wayne Martin: “I think Willie was Pro Bowl-ready when he got to the league. He had great feet and the other intangibles you look for. He was the best tackle I played against in the league period. The only guy that I played against that came close to him was Anthony Munoz.”

Former Saints offensive line coach John Matsko: “What separated William from the rest is his tremendous desire to be the best. His determination to make himself better was reflected in the way he prepared and the way he played. He practiced like it was game day and never let down. You take that desire, that motivation and then add the great physical skills he possesses – size, speed, quickness, strength and length – you have a Hall of Fame tackle. There was no defender he couldn’t handle. And, when he played the best, he played them better every time he faced them.”

Louisiana Tech offensive line coach Petey Perot, who coached Roaf in college: “When Willie got here, the thing that is the most unique is that he came to us from Pine Bluff as a 220 pound kid that was a raw athlete. We weren’t sure where he would play on the line or at d end. We kept him on the line. He worked, was persistent, continued to do the things that great players have aspirations do and grew to a 315-pounder and an unbelievable player.’’

INDIANAPOLIS -- It was the first year in which former New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and New York Jets coach Bill Parcells was eligible for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so the fact that he did not make it is not devastating. There's reason to believe he will get in eventually, but on Saturday night he was not among the final final candidates. Neither was former Cowboys great Charles Haley. My personal opinion is that they should both be in, but Parcells is the more surprising omission, so let's take a look at it.

The 44 voters are not allowed to discuss any part of the discussion they had during a seven-hour, 37-minute selection meeting here Saturday, so we are left to speculate. Here are three possible reasons you might hear for why Parcells didn't get in, and my opinion on the validity of each:

1. He might come back. Parcells has retired four times and returned to football three times, most recently in 2007 as the Miami Dolphins' director of football operations. There's a sense that voters like to make sure a guy's career is really over before electing him, which is the main reason for the five-year waiting period. But while I don't have any insight into the discussion that went on Saturday, I do know many of the football writers in the room, and I don't think there's a sense among the current football media community that the 70-year-old Parcells, who now works as an ESPN studio analyst, might return to the sidelines or a front office. I do not believe this is one of the reasons he did not get elected.

2. Two Super Bowl wins isn't enough. It's impressive that Parcells won two Super Bowl titles with the Giants, but he's hardly the only coach to turn the trick. George Seifert, Jimmy Johnson and Tom Flores each won two Super Bowls, and none of them is in. Winning it twice doesn't make you automatic. Now, the primary argument for Parcells is that he built all four of the teams he coached into playoff teams and took the Giants and the Patriots to the Super Bowl. Being able to go multiple places and build winners is impressive, and it's likely what gets him in eventually. But playoff and Super Bowl success are, I believe, major factors in this particular committee's decision-making, and two isn't three. My guess is that the names of Flores, Johnson and Seifert were brought up by people who voted against Parcells on Saturday.

3. Team-jumper? I have heard people point out that the way in which Parcells left the Patriots to jump to the Jets in 1997 remains a possible argument against him, since it could allow those who oppose his candidacy to paint him as a coach who was more interested in his own career, legacy and bank account than the success of the teams and players for which he was responsible. I think this is absurd, and that Parcells' record of success should trump any such concerns, but opinions do differ, and the way Parcells went about his business did occasionally ruffle a feather or two.

Again, I think it seems clear that he eventually gets in. But he didn't make it on the first ballot, and those are my best guesses as to why not. Parcells will be in Canton this summer for the induction ceremony, however. Curtis Martin, the former Jets and Patriots running back who credits Parcells for much of his own success, was elected Saturday and said on a conference call Saturday night that Parcells will present him at the induction.

Willie Roaf is going to Canton, Ohio.

However, two other players with AFC West ties will have to continue waiting to be enshrined. Tim Brown and Will Shields did not make the cut from the initial list of 17 finalists to the final 10.

Unlike Roaf, who played the final four seasons of his career in Kansas City, both Brown and Shields are most known for their work in the AFC West.

I expected Shields to get in, but he may have been blocked by Roaf. Shields may take the same route that Roaf did. He was a finalist in his first year of eligibility, but didn’t make it. He made it in his second year of eligibility.

I can see Shields making it next year. He went to 12 Pro Bowls and he made 223 straight starts, which was the second-longest active streak in the NFL at the time of his retirement.

I was not shocked Brown didn’t make it for the third straight year. He certainly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and he will have a bronze bust someday. But it may take a while.

The voters didn't do him any favors Saturday. None of the six men elected were receivers. Cris Carter and Andre Reed will need to get in some day as well and Brown may have to wait for them to get in first.

As for Roaf, he is a strong representative for the AFC West.

Roaf, who started his career with New Orleans, made the Pro Bowl 11 teams and he made the All-Pro team seven times. He made it three times with the Chiefs. Roaf and Shields were the anchors of one of the most dominated offensive line in the NFL early last decade.

Perhaps next year Shields will join Roaf, his former teammate, in Canton.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Dermontti Dawson was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame tonight and Jerome Bettis was not. The reason: Dawson stood out because he redefined his position.

Dawson, the Steelers' center from 1988 to 2000, had a unique combination of being tough and athletic -- something that had never been seen before at that position. He was durable, playing 170 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Steelers history. He was also agile enough to get to the outside after snapping the ball and fast enough to get downfield to block safeties.

Dawson becomes the seventh pure center of the modern era to reach the Hall of Fame. But his impact on the position hasn't been an immediately recognized one by the Hall of Fame selectors. This was his eighth year of eligibility.

Playing center was filled with pressure for Dawson. He followed Hall of Fame center Mike Webster, and he outperformed him in many ways. Dawson was named to seven straight Pro Bowls (1992 to 1998) and was a six-time first-team All-Pro.

For Bettis, this is the second straight year that he failed to make the Hall of Fame. He was one of 15 modern day finalists but he didn't make the cutdown to 10 finalists. Bettis ranks sixth all time in the NFL with 13,662 yards rushing. Martin is fourth with 14,101, 439 more yards than Bettis.

The Steelers had a second member in the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 with defensive back Jack Butler. A senior nominee, he was a four-time Pro Bowl player in the 1950s and was named one of the 33 greatest Steelers of all-time in 2008.

The NFC North will have one representative in the 2012 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Chris Doleman was elected Saturday during the annual meeting of the Hall of Fame's selection committee in Indianapolis.

Congratulations to Chris, whose 150.5 career sacks rank fourth in NFL history. We'll have more on this developments, which brought another year of disappointment for former Vikings receiver Cris Carter, in a bit. Former Detroit Lions guard Dick Stanfel, a nominee of the Seniors Committee, did not garner enough votes for enshrinement.

As they near their 50^th year of existence, the New Orleans Saints finally have a legacy.

The arrival of coach Sean Payton and Drew Brees in 2006 has made the Saints one of the league’s top teams since and they won the franchise’s first Super Bowl in the 2009 season. But the real cool thing is the recent success undoubtedly has helped people remember some of the bright spots of what had been a mostly inglorious franchise history.

The latest example of that came Saturday as offensive tackle Willie Roaf was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This summer, Roaf joins linebacker Rickey Jackson, a 2010 inductee, as the only player to spend the bulk of his career with the Saints in the Hall of Fame.

Roaf’s selection was more than deserved. In a 13-year career, he was an All-Pro seven times and a Pro Bowl selection 11 times. He also was selected to the All-Decade team for the 1990s and 2000s.

Roaf played for the Saints from 1993 through 2001 and then went onto finish his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. His final season was 2005. There’s no doubt Kansas City fans are celebrating this one as well, but this is bigger for New Orleans because Roaf spent the bulk of his career there.

The Saints weren’t great during Roaf’s tenure. They won two NFC West titles (that’s the division they played in before the NFC South came into existence in 2002), but little else. That could have worked against Roaf, but it didn’t. His résumé was strong enough because he was viewed as one of the elite tackles of his era.

He and Jackson now represent the Saints in the Hall of Fame, even though this isn’t like baseball’s Hall of Fame, where an inductee has to choose which team’s cap he wants forever on his plaque.

Roaf did some time with Kansas City and Jackson also played in San Francisco. But they’ll be viewed mostly as Saints and that’s great for the franchise’s legacy.

There’s some pride from the old days now and the legacy is only going to continue to grow with the success of the modern-era Saints. It’s a virtual certainty that Brees will join Jackson and Roaf five years after his retirement. And there could be more. Tight end Jimmy Graham is only in his second season, but he’s showing signs he can be an all-time great.

Guards Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks are generally viewed as the best in the league at their position. If they keep that going, they could also get there. If Payton continues to pile up wins and offensive records, he someday could be a candidate.

The Saints have built a legacy through the years, but Roaf’s selection takes it to another level and there’s going to be plenty more to come.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis failed to reach the Hall of Fame today.

Bettis, the sixth all-time leading rusher in NFL history, was one of 15 modern day finalists but he didn't make the cut to 10. Running back Curtis Martin, who ranks fourth on the all-time rushing list, is among the 10 finalists.

This was Bettis' second year of eligibility. Steelers center Dermontti Dawson is also among the 10 finalists.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The other Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors and I have broken from our day-long selection meeting.

NFL Network will announce results during a broadcast that begins at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Hall officials have asked selectors to withhold what we know about the results. None of the selectors knows for sure which candidates will be enshrined. After the final reduction, selectors voted yes or no on the remaining candidates. We do not know which ones received the necessary 80 percent approval.

INDIANAPOLIS — The next stop for "The Bus" won't be the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Don't misinterpret this — running back Jerome Bettis will eventually be enshrined beside the likes of other former Steelers greats such as Jack Lambert, Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris. It just won't happen tomorrow, when the Hall of Fame's 44-person selection committee meets to determine the Class of 2012.

Bettis' biggest roadblock to getting the nod is running back Curtis Martin, even though "The Bus" would actually plow right through Martin if he was standing in the way.

Last year, in Bettis' first year of eligibility, he was passed over for Marshall Faulk. That was the expected outcome because, despite not having as many rushing yards as Bettis or Martin, Faulk redefined the position as an all-purpose weapon.

This year, Bettis will get denied again, but this will be based on the numbers. Martin has the edge over Bettis in nearly every category and he played two fewer seasons as well as 24 fewer games.

"The way I looked at it now, I've learned to manage my expectations," Bettis told the NFL Network. "When you look at that list, there's not a name on it that doesn't deserve to be in. You can make an argument for anyone on that list. If it's this year, that's great. If it's not this year, that's great, too. That means some great football players are going into the Hall of Fame. You can't really complain about it."

Bettis is one of 15 modern day finalists this year (of which a maximum of five are selected), but his true competition is just Martin.

Two players from the same offensive position rarely get in the same year these days. It hasn't happened since 1996, when quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Warren Moon were both inducted. This is the reason why there has been a logjam at wide receiver.

"If a running back gets in this year, it's going to be Curtis Martin," one Hall of Fame voter said this week. "And two running backs aren't going in."

So, if the decision comes down to Bettis or Martin, the choice is Martin.

Bettis has fewer 1,000-yard seasons in his career. He has fewer yards per carry. He has fewer receptions. He has fewer total touchdowns.

There are a couple of places where Bettis has the upper hand on Martin, who played his first three seasons for the New England Patriots and his last eight with the New York Jets. Bettis has more 100-yard rushing games and he has a Super Bowl championship.

Still, running backs are judged more on rushing yards than rings. Bettis ranks sixth all-time in the NFL with 13,662 yards rushing. Martin is fourth with 14,101, which is 439 more rushing yards than Bettis.

Three voters brought up one other statistic that pushes Martin over the top of Bettis.

"It's hard for me to vote Bettis instead of Martin when Bettis didn't average four yards per carry for his career," one voter said.

On the surface, rushing average might not seem big in this debate. Bettis averaged 3.9 yards per carry while Martin had 4.0 yards per attempt. The difference is Bettis cracked four yards per carry in four of his 13 seasons. Martin did it in seven of his 11 seasons.

One argument for Bettis goes beyond the statistics. The burly 5-foot-11, 255-pound running back defined ball-control offense for his time. Others counter by saying Bettis' numbers are inflated by Pittsburgh's run-heavy philosophy.

But Martin epitomized toughness for a running back, too. He carried the ball over 360 times in four seasons and recorded the lowest fumble rate (.820, 29 fumbles on 3,518 carries) among running backs with 1,500 attempts.

Bettis' broad smile and down-home personality has made him a big fan favorite in Pittsburgh. In a SportsNation poll this week, 49 percent of the over 5,500 voters say Bettis is the Steeler who is the most deserving to get into the Hall of Fame this year. But it's the media voters who ultimately count and they're not as convinced as Steeler Nation.

"Bettis is a borderline pick like [John] Riggins," one voter said of the former Washington Redskins running back who also averaged 3.9 yards per carry for his career.

The Steelers won't get shut out in this year's Hall of Fame voting. Longtime center Dermontti Dawson and cornerback Jack Butler (a senior nominee) are favorites to get voted in tomorrow.

Dawson succeeded Hall of Fame center Mike Webster in 1988, and some believe he outperformed him over the next decade. He was tough, playing in 170 consecutive games, the second-longest in Steelers history. What separated Dawson from the other centers was his ability to snap the ball and lead a sweep on the outside. While some of the best centers can get to the second level of defenses and block linebackers, Dawson often reached the safeties.

The other offensive linemen among this finalist group are tackle Willie Roaf and guard Will Shields. There are only eight centers currently in the Hall of Fame, but Dawson isn't like most centers.

"The guy was a tremendous athlete, the strongest and probably most athletic offensive lineman I've ever seen," former Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette two years ago.

While this looks to be Dawson's year, 2013 should be the one for Bettis. If Martin gets inducted, that would mean the top four all-time leading rushers would be in the Hall of Fame. The next logical candidate is Bettis.

Next year would be Bettis' third as a finalist, which is not a long wait by the Hall's standards. Wide receiver Michael Irvin (third year as a finalist), linebacker Derrick Thomas (fifth), wide receiver John Stallworth (10th) and tight end John Mackey (15th) all just some of the players who made the Hall of Fame after two years of failing to make the final cut.

"Last year, I was disappointed because I didn't know how the process worked," Bettis said. "Now I understand and I'm fine with it."