Three men with loose ties to the Vikings have made the cut from the list of 126 candidates to the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014.
Tony Dungy, who won a Super Bowl as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, used a standout four-year stint as Vikings defensive coordinator (1992-95) to launch his head coaching career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Colts. The former Gophers quarterback was an undrafted free agent signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1976. He switched to defensive back and won a Super Bowl as a player in Pittsburgh.
Dungy is one of three first-year eligible candidates to make the semifinalist list. The others are former Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks, former Colts receiver Marvin Harrison and former Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones.
Two other semifinalists have ties to the Vikings. Kicker Morten Anderson ended his career with the Vikings in 2004. And running back Roger Craig did the same with a two-year stint in 1992-93.
Other first-time semifinalists are former Cowboys and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson and former Raiders guard Steve Wisniewski.
The list of 25 semifinalists will be trimmed to 15 and announced on Jan. 8. Those 15 and the two Seniors Committee candidates -- Claude Humphrey and Ray Guy -- will be voted on by the full Selection Committee on Feb. 1 in New York, site of the Super Bowl.
