CANTON, OHIO – Joe Montana, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, and Ronnie Lott, who earned All-Pro recognition at three different positions, head up the list of 15 finalists who will be considered for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2000 class of new members. Joining the two former San Francisco 49ers stars are 12 other modern-era nominees and an outstanding linebacker who is the recommended candidate of the Hall of Fame’s Seniors Committee.

The other modern-era finalists are Harry Carson, Dave Casper, Carl Eller, Marv Levy, James Lofton, Howie Long, Mike Munchak, Dan Rooney, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, Ron Yary, and Jack Youngblood. Eller, Levy, Long, Rooney, Stallworth, Swann, Yary, and Youngblood have all been finalists in previous years. Long and Swann advanced to the final six in last year’s balloting, the farthest one can advance without being elected. Although they have been eligible prior to this year, this is the first time that Carson, Casper, Lofton, and Munchak have been finalists. Joining the 14 modern-era candidates is Seniors Committee nominee Dave Wilcox.

From this year’s list of finalists, eight spent their entire NFL careers with just one team. Somewhat unusual is that three of the finalists, Rooney, Stallworth, and Swann, spent their entire careers with the same team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The modern-era finalists were determined by a vote of the Hall’s 38-member Board of Selectors that will meet at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta on Saturday, January 29, to elect the class of 2000.

Listed alphabetically, the 15 finalists with their positions, teams and years active follow:

HARRY CARSON, Linebacker, 1976-1988 New York Giants

DAVE CASPER, Tight End, 1974-1980 Oakland Raiders, 1980-1983 Houston Oilers, 1983
Minnesota Vikings, 1984 Los Angeles Raiders

CARL ELLER, Defensive End, 1964-1978 Minnesota Vikings, 1979 Seattle Seahawks

MARV LEVY, Coach, 1978-1982 Kansas City Chiefs, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills

JAMES LOFTON, Wide Receiver, 1978-1986 Green Bay Packers, 1987-1988 Los Angeles
Raiders, 1989-1992 Buffalo Bills, 1993 Los Angeles Rams, 1993 Philadelphia Eagles

HOWIE LONG, Defensive End, 1981-1993 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

RONNIE LOTT, Cornerback/Safety, 1981-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991-1992 Los Angeles
Raiders, 1993-1994 New York Jets

JOE MONTANA, Quarterback, 1979-1992 San Francisco 49ers, 1993-1994 Kansas City Chiefs

MIKE MUNCHAK, Guard, 1982-1993 Houston Oilers

DAN ROONEY, Contributor, 1955-present Pittsburgh Steelers

JOHN STALLWORTH, Wide Receiver, 1974-1987 Pittsburgh Steelers

LYNN SWANN, Wide Receiver, 1974-1982 Pittsburgh Steelers

DAVE WILCOX, Linebacker, 1964-1974 San Francisco 49ers

RON YARY, Tackle, 1968-1981 Minnesota Vikings, 1982 Los Angeles Rams

JACK YOUNGBLOOD, Defensive End, 1971-1984 Los Angeles Rams

Twelve of the 15 finalists were determined by a vote of the Selection Committee from a preliminary group of 71 modern-era players, coaches, and contributors. The 13th and 14th finalists, Long and Swann, both finished in the final six in the 1999 voting and thus automatically qualified for the final 15 this year.

To be eligible for election, modern-era players must be retired at least five years while a coach needs only to be retired. A nominee whose major contributions came in areas other than playing or coaching does not have to be retired to be considered.

The 15th finalist is the Seniors Committee nominee, Wilcox. To be eligible for the 2000 class, Seniors Committee candidates must have completed at least 70 percent of their careers by 1975. At the annual election meeting, the Seniors Committee nominee must receive the same affirmative majority – a minimum of 80 percent – required of any candidate to be elected.

At the 2000 election meeting (January 29), the selectors will thoroughly discuss the careers of each finalist before narrowing the field to the Seniors Committee nominee and six modern-era candidates. At least four modern-era candidates must be elected but the total class, including the Seniors Committee nominee, cannot number more than seven.

Of the 2000 finalists, Wilcox, the Seniors Committee nominee, has been eligible 21 years. Eller has been eligible 16 years, while Swann and Yary are both in their 13th year of eligibility. Dave Casper and Jack Youngblood have been eligible for 11 years, Stallworth eight, Carson seven, while Levy, Lofton, Long, and Munchak have each been eligible two years. Both Lott and Montana are eligible for the first time this year.

The Class of 2000 will be announced at a press conference at the media headquarters at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, at 11:30 a.m. (EST) on January 29.

Representatives of the international accounting firm of Arthur Andersen and Company will tabulate all votes during the meeting. At the press conference, they will present Hall of Fame Executive Director John Bankert with an envelope containing the names of the nominees elected. The Hall will contact each new member immediately after the announcement.

Enshrinement of the 2000 class will take place on the front steps of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on Saturday, July 29, 2000.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers are represented with three alumni each on the list of 15 finalists for the Hall of Fame Class of 2000, while two alumni represent the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and Minnesota Vikings. Five other teams are represented with finalists who spent all or a significant part of the their careers with those teams.

If elected. . .

Dan Rooney, Lynn Swann, and/or John Stallworth will become the 15th, 16th, and/or 17th members of the Steelers to be elected. Other Steelers Hall of Fame members include Mel Blount, Terry Bradshaw, Bill Dudley, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Franco Harris, John Henry Johnson, Walt Kiesling, Jack Lambert, Bobby Layne, Chuck Noll, Art Rooney, Ernie Stautner, and Mike Webster. Blount, Bradshaw, Greene, Ham, Harris, Lambert, Noll, Art Rooney, and Webster were all members of the four Steelers’ Super Bowl teams in the 1970s, as were the three Steelers nominees for 2000 election.

Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana, and/or Dave Wilcox will become the 8th, 9th, and/or 10th members of the San Francisco 49ers to be elected. Previously elected 49ers include Jimmy Johnson, Hugh McElhenny, Leo Nomellini, Joe Perry, Bob St. Clair, Y.A. Tittle, and Bill Walsh.

Carl Eller and/or Ron Yary will become the 6th and/or 7th member of the Vikings to be elected. Previously elected Vikings include Jim Finks, Bud Grant, Paul Krause, Alan Page, and Fran Tarkenton.

Dave Casper and Howie Long will be the 10th and/or 11th Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders elected to the Hall. Fred Biletnikoff, George Blanda, Willie Brown, Al Davis, Mike Haynes, Ted Hendricks, Jim Otto, Art Shell, and Gene Upshaw are the other Raiders Hall of Famers.

Harry Carson will be the 17th member of the New York Giants to be elected. He was preceded by Red Badgro, Roosevelt Brown, Frank Gifford, Mel Hein, Sam Huff, Tuffy Leemans, Tim Mara, Wellington Mara, Steve Owen, Andy Robustelli, Ken Strong, Fran Tarkenton, Lawrence Taylor, Y.A. Tittle, Emlen Tunnell, and Arnie Weinmeister.

Marv Levy will be the 3rd long-time member of the Buffalo Bills to be elected. Billy Shaw and O.J. Simpson are the only other Bills Hall of Fame members.

James Lofton will join 19 previously enshrined Green Bay Packers. He was preceded by Herb Adderley, Tony Canadeo, Willie Davis, Forrest Gregg, Arnie Herber, Clarke Hinkle, Paul Hornung, Cal Hubbard, Don Hutson, Henry Jordan, Curly Lambeau, Vince Lombardi, John "Blood" McNally, Mike Michalske, Ray Nitschke, Jim Ringo, Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, and Willie Wood.

Mike Munchak will become the fourth long-time Houston Oilers player to be elected. George Blanda, Earl Campbell, and Ken Houston are the other Oilers in the Hall of Fame.

Jack Youngblood will become the 11th, long-term member of the Rams to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Other Rams Hall of Famers include Eric Dickerson, Tom Fears, Elroy Hirsch, Deacon Jones, Tom Mack, Ollie Matson, Merlin Olsen, Dan Reeves, Norm Van Brocklin, and Bob Waterfield.

THE MODERN-ERA POSITION ROSTER WILL CHANGE AFTER 2000 ELECTION

If elected. . .

James Lofton, John Stallworth and/or Lynn Swann will join 14 other modern-era receivers in the Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Fame receivers include Lance Alworth, Raymond Berry, Fred Biletnikoff, Tom Fears, Elroy Hirsch (also a halfback), Charlie Joiner, Steve Largent, Dante Lavelli, Don Maynard, Tommy McDonald, Bobby Mitchell (also a halfback), Pete Pihos, Charley Taylor (also a halfback), and Paul Warfield.

Dave Casper will become the 6th tight end to be elected. The five current Hall of Fame tight ends are Mike Ditka, John Mackey, Ozzie Newsome, Jackie Smith, and Kellen Winslow.

Ronnie Lott will be the 16th modern-era defensive back in the Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Fame defensive backs include Herb Adderley, Lem Barney, Mel Blount, Willie Brown, Jack Christiansen, Mike Haynes, Ken Houston, Jimmy Johnson, Paul Krause, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Yale Lary, Mel Renfro, Emlen Tunnell, Larry Wilson, and Willie Wood.

Joe Montana will join 16 other modern-era quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame. Other quarterbacks include George Blanda, Terry Bradshaw, Len Dawson, Dan Fouts, Otto Graham, Bob Griese, Sonny Jurgensen, Bobby Layne, Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton, Y.A. Tittle, Johnny Unitas, Norm Van Brocklin, and Bob Waterfield.

Mike Munchak will be the 6th player who played exclusively as a guard to be elected. Other Hall of Fame guards are John Hannah, Larry Little, Tom Mack, Billy Shaw, and Gene Upshaw.

Ron Yary will be the 12th modern-era player who played all or a major portion of his career as an offensive tackle to be elected. Other Hall of Fame tackles include Roosevelt Brown, Lou Creekmur, Dan Dierdorf, Forrest Gregg, Lou Groza, Mike McCormack, Ron Mix, Anthony Munoz, Jim Parker, Bob St. Clair, and Art Shell.

Carl Eller, Howie Long, and/or Jack Youngblood will become the 8th, 9th and/or 10th defensive end to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Fame defensive ends are Doug Atkins, Willie Davis, Len Ford, Deacon Jones, Gino Marchetti, Andy Robustelli, and Lee Roy Selmon.

Harry Carson, and/or Dave Wilcox will join 13 other Hall of Fame linebackers including Bobby Bell, Dick Butkus, George Connor, Bill George, Jack Ham, Ted Hendricks, Sam Huff, Jack Lambert, Willie Lanier, Ray Nitschke, Joe Schmidt, Mike Singletary, and Lawrence Taylor.