[torQQue]

CANTON, OHIO – Two first-year eligible candidates, coach Bill Parcells and guard Will Shields, are among the 26 semifinalists being considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012. Although technically a first-year eligible candidate, Parcells has been a finalist twice before (2001, 2002) following his announced retirement as head coach of the New York Jets in 1999. At the time the Hall of Fame By-laws did not require a coach to be retired the now mandatory five seasons. Parcells returned to coach the Dallas Cowboys in 2003 and the five-year waiting period was in effect when he retired from coaching in 2006.

More...