CANTON, Ohio -- Marcus Allen and Gary Zimmerman are the only first-time candidates among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced yesterday.
The Class of 2003 will be announced Jan. 25, the day before the Super Bowl. At least four and no more than seven new members will be inducted.
For the first time since 1985, no former Steelers player made the list of finalists. Last year, three of 14 modern-day finalists were former Steelers -- John Stallworth, L.C. Greenwood and Donnie Shell. Stallworth was elected, the third year in a row someone from the organization was inducted. Lynn Swann was elected in 2001 and Dan Rooney in 2000.
Next year will be Greenwood's final chance to be elected as a modern-day candidate.
After that, he would have to go through the senior committee, which recommends one candidate for election each year.
Other players nominated for the Class of '03 were quarterback Ken Stabler, wide receivers James Lofton and Art Monk, cornerback Lester Hayes, defensive ends Elvin Bethea and Claude Humphrey, linebackers Harry Carson and Randy Gradishar, and offensive linemen Joe DeLamielleure and Bob Kuechenberg.
Former New York Giants general manager George Young and Buffalo Bills founder and owner Ralph Wilson also are finalists.
Hank Stram, who coached the Kansas City Chiefs to the 1970 Super Bowl title, was nominated by the seniors committee. He had 238 victories in 17 seasons as a coach. He is the only coach in AFL history to take a team to two Super Bowls.
Allen ran for 12,243 yards -- seventh on the career list -- and had more than 5,000 yards receiving, playing for the Raiders and Chiefs. The Heisman Trophy winner was NFL Rookie of the Year and was the MVP of the 1984 Super Bowl. He was the first player in NFL history to rush for 10,000-plus yards and catch passes for 5,000 more.
Zimmerman played in seven Pro Bowls while starring for the Vikings and Broncos from 1986-97. He is one of a handful of players to be named to two NFL All-Decade Teams (1980s, 1990s).
Bill Parcells was dropped from consideration for the hall after becoming the Dallas Cowboys' coach a week ago.
Parcells, who won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, automatically had been a finalist because he was in the top seven in last year's voting but didn't get enough support to be elected.
But active players, coaches and administrators are ineligible.
Stabler, Lofton, Monk, Carson, Hayes, Kuechenberg and Wilson have been finalists before. Bethea, DeLamielleure, Gradishar, Humphrey, Stram, and Young have been eligible in the past, but they never were finalists.
The hall's 39-member board of selectors determined the 14 modern-era finalists from a preliminary group of 74 players, coaches and contributors.
Of the 2003 finalists, Stram has been eligible 25 years, Humphrey 17 years, Bethea, Gradishar, and Kuechenberg 15 years, Stabler 14 years, DeLamielleure 13 years, Hayes 12, Carson 10, Lofton five, and Monk three.
The class will be enshrined Aug. 3.
Post-Gazette sports writer Ed Bouchette contributed to this report.
Football Hall of Fame: Marcus Allen heads Hall list 
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