Five Are Elected to Hall of Fame : Pro football: Finks, Winslow, Largent, Selmon, Jordan get enough votes. Mack, Haynes, Guy do not. - Los Angeles Times
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Five Are Elected to Hall of Fame : Pro football: Finks, Winslow, Largent, Selmon, Jordan get enough votes. Mack, Haynes, Guy do not.

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection board turned their backs on Los Angeles on Saturday, spurning all three candidates from the Raiders and Rams.

The 33 voters, representing NFL-city newspapers and radio stations and several national publications, elected five former NFL players, including the late Jim Finks, whose last job was president and general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

Elected along with Finks were the old-timer-committee candidate--the late Henry Jordan, a 1960s defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers--and three who were active more recently: tight end Kellen Winslow of the San Diego Chargers, wide receiver Steve Largent of the Seattle Seahawks and defensive end Lee Roy Selmon of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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The five will be enshrined next summer at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Former Ram guard Tom Mack and two former Raiders--defensive back Mike Haynes and punter Ray Guy--did not receive the necessary votes for election.

The vote was the culmination of several extraordinary months for Largent, who was elected to the House of Representatives from Oklahoma in November.

“It’s unbelievable what’s happened to me,†Largent said. “In the same week, I can vote on an amendment to the Constitution and get elected to the Hall of Fame.â€

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Largent retired five years ago as the holder of six NFL records that have since been broken or threatened, including most catches.

Selmon was Tampa Bay’s first draft choice and was named to six Pro Bowls, but he remembers the bad old days with the Buccaneers.

“Probably a whole lot more people had more confidence than myself that I had a chance at the Hall of Fame,†he said. “Looking at the finalists list convinced me that my chances were slim and none. It just shows you that things do work out.â€

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Selmon said he was humbled.

“I’m just in awe,†he said. “Something like this is something I never dreamed of. I’ve visited the Hall of Fame and saw all the outstanding players in there. I could not envision myself as part of that fraternity.â€

Winslow was a star in one of the most memorable of all NFL games, San Diego’s 41-38 overtime victory over Miami in the 1981 playoffs.

Finks was an early ‘50s Steeler quarterback and served three teams as general manager: the Saints, Vikings and baseball’s Chicago Cubs.

Jordan joins four other defensive Packers in the Hall of Fame: Willie Davis, Willie Wood, Herb Adderley and Ray Nitschke.

The voters elected no offensive linemen.

Those rejected, in addition to Mack, were tackle Dan Dierdorf of the old St. Louis Cardinals and center Dwight Stephenson of the Miami Dolphins.

Of the five NFL players who have been named to 11 or more Pro Bowls, Mack alone has yet to win Hall of Fame recognition.

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Others in this year’s final round of 15 who did not get enough votes for election included: defensive ends Carl Eller of the Minnesota Vikings and L.C. Greenwood of the Pittsburgh Steelers, cornerback Mel Renfro of the Dallas Cowboys, and wide receivers Charlie Joiner of the Chargers and Lynn Swann of the Steelers.

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