Carter again denied spot in hall

Former Middletown star not included in 2012 class of six inductees.

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By Rick Cassano, Staff Writer 12:32 AM Sunday, February 5, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Cris Carter has Hall of Fame numbers, but not enough votes.

The former Middletown High School star was denied a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the fifth straight year Saturday as the selection committee, meeting at the JW Marriott Indianapolis, picked a class of six that included no wide receivers.

Carter, 46, made the list of 10 modern-day finalists. Cornerback Jack Butler, offensive linemen Dermontti Dawson and Willie Roaf, running back Curtis Martin, defensive end/linebacker Chris Doleman and defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy received Hall passes and will be inducted Aug. 4 in Canton.

“I had a chance to play with him for three years in Minnesota,” Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon said of Carter. “We hooked up a ton of times. I watched his work ethic every day in practice. I watched how aggressive he was, how tenacious he was as far as wanting the football when it was in the air. I definitely think he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. No question about it.”

Carter and fellow receivers Andre Reed and Tim Brown were among the 17 finalists (15 modern day, plus seniors Butler and Dick Stanfel) heading into Saturday’s vote.

Carter caught 1,101 passes for 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns in 234 games. Reed caught 951 passes for 13,198 yards and 87 touchdowns in 234 games. Brown caught 1,094 passes for 14,934 yards and 100 touchdowns in 255 games.

Brown didn’t make the first cut to 10 modern-day finalists. Reed, who played in four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills, joined Carter as an outsider when the final five were announced.

“I think they cancel each other out when they get in that room,” Moon said. “It’s kind of hard to distinguish which guy stands out. I think that has a lot to do with it.”

The selection committee has 44 media members. It includes Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Joe Reedy of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Both tweeted their belief that the “cancel out” factor applies here, though King also tweeted, “We don’t see other voters’ ballots, so that’s a guess.”

Efforts to reach Carter were unsuccessful.

There are only 21 receivers in the Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts promoted Reed’s candidacy — “His accomplishment of getting to four Super Bowls cannot be overstated,” he said — but also said that nominated players shouldn’t get discouraged because they’ve been bypassed.

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