Curtis Martin semi-finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame

On Sunday the National Football League announced that running back Curtis Martin was one of 26 semi-finalists being considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2011 class.  Martin, who played for the Jets from 1998-2005, will have some tough competition as running backs Marshall Faulk, Terrell Davis, Roger Craig, and Jerome Bettis were also nominated.

From the NFL:

The list of 26 semifinalists will be reduced by mail ballot to 15 finalists. That list will increase to 17 with the inclusion of two candidates recommended by the Hall of Fame’s seniors committee. The Seniors Committee nominees, who were announced in August, are linebacker Chris Hanburger (1965-1978, Washington Redskins) and linebacker Les Richter (1954-1962, Los Angeles Rams).

The 15 finalists will be announced in early January.

To be considered for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a nominated player or coach must not have participated as an active player or coach for five consecutive seasons. A contributor still may be active in his pro football career.

Although there isn’t a set number of enshrinees for any Hall of Fame class, the current ground rules stipulate that between four and seven new members will be selected each year. No more than five modern-era nominees can be elected in a given year, and a class of six or seven enshrinees can only be reached if one or both senior nominees are elected.

The Class of 2011 will be determined at the selection committee’s annual meeting Feb. 5, the day before Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas. The election results will be announced at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) during a one-hour NFL Network special, live from the Super Bowl media headquarters.

Quick Note: Many are going to break down and analyze Martin’s numbers but you will never find a tougher warrior on the field or a classier, more charitable man off of it.

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