Three former Dallas Cowboys got one step closer to Canton on Tuesday when they were named semifinalists for the NFL Hall of Fame with the inductees set to be named on Jan. 31, the day before the Super Bowl.
Former defensive end Charles Haley, a five-time finalist, made the cut again along with former head coach Jimmy Johnson, who orchestrated the three world titles in the 1990s (unless you believe Jerry was the mastermind). He was also joined by former teammate Darren Woodson, the safety of those 1990s defenses who was a three-time All Pro.
The odds seem to be against all of them, given the fact that only five pure safeties are in the Hall of Fame, Johnson only coached the Cowboys for a handful of seasons and had an unsuccessful stint in Miami, and Haley has missed the final cut several times before despite having won more Super Bowls than any player in NFL history with the Cowboys and 49ers.
The finalist list will be announced on Jan. 8. You can bet pretty safely that Haley will be on that list again, but the other two would be a surprise.
