The semifinalists will be trimmed to 15 in early January by mail ballot. Two others, Bob Hayes and Claude Humphrey, have been nominated by the Seniors Committee. The class of 2009 will be determined Jan. 31 in Tampa, Fla., before the Super Bowl.
Former Ravens Rod Woodson and Shannon Sharpe are also on the list (as first-year-eligible players). Modell is one of three semifinalists in the "contributor" category, joining former commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson.
End zone
Tight end Todd Heap (illness) and wide receiver Terrance Copper missed practice yesterday. Among those limited in drills were defensive end Trevor Pryce and Terry with concussions, plus Gaither (shoulder) and Anderson (foot). Pryce took a helmet-to-helmet shot in the third quarter Sunday but said he had passed his baseline test. Terry suffered his concussion when his helmet hit the turf. "I've gotten a lot better since Sunday," Terry said. ... Also limited were wide receiver Derrick Mason (shoulder) and fullbacks Lorenzo Neal (thigh) and Le'Ron McClain (thigh).
