CANTON, Ohio (AP) – John Madden, a legendary coach and one of the NFL’s best-known television personalities, was named a finalist on Wednesday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with former Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Rayfield Wright.

The two, chosen by the Hall’s seniors committee, will be joined by 13 other candidates from the modern era. The selection vote will be on Feb. 4, 2006, the day before the Super Bowl in Detroit.

Three to six from that group of 15 will be elected to next year’s class.

Madden had a record of 112-39-7 with the Raiders between 1969 and 1978. His winning percentage of .739 is second among coaches with 100 or more wins behind Vince Lombardi at .750. Madden’s team won the Super Bowl following the 1976 season.

But he has gained even more fame as an analyst on NFL telecasts and more recently for the football video game that bears his name.

“There are some people who still call me Coach,” he said Wednesday. “But there are a lot of people who know me as an announcer. Then there are the youngsters who just call me Madden. They’re the ones who know me only from the game.”

Raiders spokesman Mike Taylor, representing team owner Al Davis, said:

“John Madden’s nomination is monumental and should have been done a long time ago. Mr. Davis has long supported and championed Madden’s inclusion and felt that John has been shortchanged by not being a candidate up to this point.”

Wright, one of the premier left tackles of his day, played for Dallas from 1967-79 and was on two Super Bowl winners. He narrowly missed being elected in the regular phase of the voting two years ago, his last shot before going into the seniors pool. He played in six Pro Bowls and was All-Pro three times.

“I’m really happy, he said. “I’m speechless.”


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