PHOENIX — Junior Seau, Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Charles Haley and Will Shields have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The class of 2015 also includes a pair of contributors, Bill Polian and Ron Wolf, along with senior selection Mick Tingelhoff.
The announcement was made Saturday, a day before Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
Seau spent the last four seasons of his career in New England from 2006-09 and played in his second and final Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2007. His first Super Bowl appearance came with the San Diego Chargers, with whom he spent 13 seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors in 12 of those.
Seau committed suicide on May 2, 2012, at the age of 43.
Five nominees were eliminated in the final vote: Tony Dungy, Kevin Greene, Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace and Kurt Warner.
Earlier Saturday, the selection committee reduced the list of 15 modern-day finalists by cutting Morten Andersen, Terrell Davis, John Lynch and coaches Don Coryell and Jimmy Johnson.
The induction ceremony is in August at Canton, Ohio.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/Associated Press
