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Plenty of worthy candidates as Steelers prepare to announce 2nd Hall of Honor class

Joe Rutter
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Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
Hines Ward holds nearly every Steelers receiving record and also has a Super Bowl MVP award to his credit.
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Pittsburgh Steelers' Alan Faneca holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Seattle Seahawks

Myron and Hines. Troy and Rocky. Dwight and Louis. Alan and Gary.

There is no shortage of candidates for the second class in the Steelers Hall of Honor. One thing is certain, though: It guarantees to be much smaller than the inaugural group.

After electing 27 members to the first edition of the Hall of Honor, selection committee members will pick between two and four members for subsequent classes, starting with the one that will be unveiled later this year.

The inaugural class was announced last August and was recognized during a November prime-time game against the Green Bay Packers. That class included 23 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, plus former players Andy Russell, Dick Hoak, Donnie Shell and L.C. Greenwood.

If the Steelers wish to fete the Class of 2018 under the lights, they have two options: Sunday, Sept. 30, against the Baltimore Ravens and Thursday, Nov. 8, against the Carolina Panthers.

Criteria to be considered for the Hall of Honor are:

• Player must be retired for at least three seasons.

• Player must have played for Steelers for at least three seasons.

• Player must have noteworthy career highlights, records and achievements.

For coaches and contributors, the requirements include those who have made significant contributions to the team and community.

The selection committee consists of five members: Art Rooney II, Joe Gordon, Bob Labriola, Tony Quatrini and Stan Savran.

Here are some possibilities for this year's class, broken down into various eras:

 

21st Century candidates

Hines Ward, Alan Faneca and Troy Polamalu head this group. Ward holds virtually every franchise receiving record. Faneca has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist, and Polamalu will be among that group someday.

Under the requirement of a player being retired for three years, Polamalu becomes eligible for the Hall of Honor for the first time. But since his retirement, Polamalu's relationship with the organization has been frosty. Perhaps some more cooling off is needed before the Steelers induct their former All-Pro safety.

Other possibilities: Joey Porter, Casey Hampton, James Farrior

 

Candidates from the 1980s-90s:

Gary Anderson is the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Louis Lipps was the best receiver from the 1980s until Ward arrived in 1998, and Greg Lloyd teamed with Hall of Honor inductee Kevin Greene to make a formidable pass-rushing duo in the '90s.

 

Super '70s candidates

The selection committee left a few noteworthy members of the franchise's greatest decade to be included in future Hall of Honor classes. Chief among them are Rocky Bleier, Dwight White, Mike Wagner and Jon Kolb.

If elected, Bleier would join running mate Franco Harris, and White would become the third member of the Steel Curtain to join the Hall of Honor. Wagner would join defensive backs Mel Blount and Donnie Shell, and Kolb would join center Mike Webster among offensive linemen from the Super '70s.

 

Contributors

• Legendary broadcaster Myron Cope heads a strong list of candidates who are worthy of induction based on off-the-field work. Aside from his lengthy broadcasting career, Cope spearheaded the Terrible Towel that has raised millions of dollars for the Allegheny Valley School.

• Bill Nunn spent 46 years as a scout with the Steelers and was responsible for finding players from historically black colleges who contributed to the team's success in the 1970s. Players that Nunn discovered included L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, John Stallworth and Donnie Shell.

• Art Rooney Jr., brother of Dan Rooney, was the player personnel director who assembled what is considered the greatest draft class in NFL history: the 1974 group that included Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, Stallworth and Webster among his first five picks.

• Bill Cowher coached the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title before retiring after the 2006 season.

Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jrutter@tribweb.com or via Twitter @tribjoerutter.