NFL Hall Of Fame Class of 2011 Includes Shannon Sharpe, Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk

The 2011 NFL Hall of Fame Inductees were announced on Saturday night and former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe was elected into the class of 2011. Along with Sharpe, cornerback Deion Sanders and running back Marshall Faulk were inducted in their first year of eligibility.

Sharpe played 14 years in the NFL, 12 with the Denver Broncos. He won two Super Bowls with the Broncos and one with the Baltimore Ravens. He racked up 10,060 receiving yards and his 815 receptions were a position record at the time of his retirement following the 2003 season. He made the Pro Bowl eight times. Sharpe was always known for his words, always there to make a quick quip or provide some colorful commentary.

He joins John Elway, Gary Zimmerman and Floyd Little as the fourth Denver Broncos player to be enshrined in Canton. He is also the eighth tight end to make the Hall of Fame.

Sanders played 14 years in the NFL from 1989 to 2005. He began his career with the Atlanta Falcons until he moved to the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. After one season there he spent the next five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. After the 2000 season with the Washington Redskins, Sanders retired from football until the 2004 season. He spent 2004 and 2005 with the Baltimore Ravens. At his best, Sanders was an elite, shutdown corner with 53 career interceptions. He accumulated 6,492 all purpose yards as a returner. He was well known for his "Primetime" persona.

Marshall Faulk is perhaps the best dual-threat running back. In his 12-year career, Faulk totaled 12,279 rushing yards and 6,875 receiving yards.

The others elected were defensive end Richard Dent, linebackers Chris Hanburger, Les Richter and Ed Sabol, the founder of NFL Films.

Head over to Mile High Report for more on Shannon Sharpe's election to the Hall of Fame.

2011 Pro Football Hall Of Fame: Former Bronco Shannon Sharpe Among Finalists; Terrell Davis Eliminated

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Saturday the 15 modern-era finalists eligible for induction in 2011. Former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe will be among those voters can select. Sharpe was eligible in 2009 and 2010, but he was passed over both times.

Sharpe enjoyed a 14-year career from 1990-2003. With the exception of 2000-2001 with the Baltimore Ravens, Sharpe played the majority of his career with the Broncos. His 815 catches and 10,060 receiving yards were NFL records for tight ends at the time of his retirement, though Tony Gonzalez has since surpassed those numbers. Sharpe also won two Super Bowl championships with the Broncos and one with the Ravens.

Among the first-year eligible players, running backs Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk and Curtis Martin made the final group of 15. Offensive tackle Willie Roaf and cornerback Deion Sanders are also in their first-year of eligibility and among the 15 finalists.

Former Broncos running back Terrell Davis, who rushed for 2,008 yards in 1998, missed the cut once again to be a finalist. He has been a semi-finalist since 2007. Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue also failed to gain nomination as a finalist.

The 2011 inductees will be announced the day before the Super Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 5. At least four and up to seven individuals can be inducted each year.

Six Denver Broncos Make Preliminary Pro Football Hall Of Fame Voting

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the preliminary nominees for enshrinement today. Six Broncos made the cut: safety Steve Atwater, running back Terrell Davis, linebacker Karl Mecklenburg, head coach Dan Reeves, tight end Shannon Sharpe and corner back Louis Wright. Shannon Sharpe is the most likely player to reach Canton in 2011, but there are plenty of first-time candidates who will have good chance of taking the four to seven spots usually reserved for enshrinement.

Cornerback Deion Sanders and running back Marshall Faulk should certainly be first-ballot inductees. Curtis Martin was one of the quietest running backs in the NFL, but his 14,101 rushing yards rank him fourth all-time. Jerome Bettis will likely receive some support, as he's right behind Martin at fifth all-time in rushing yards with 13,662.

The Denver Post's Mike Klis reminds us that linebacker Randy Gradishar is now in the senior pool of candidates and was not selected earlier this year by that committee.