Marino, Young and Irving nominees for Football Hall of Fame

Friday, October 22nd 2004, 6:31 am

By: News On 6

CANTON, Ohio (AP) _ Former Alabama and Kansas City linebacker, the late Derrick Thomas and former Auburn football standout Kevin Greene who went on to be a pass-rushing specialist with several pro teams, are among nine first-time nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Other notables include quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young and wide receiver Michael Irvin. There are 89 names on the list in all.

Other first-time nominees include coach Dan Reeves, guard Nate Newton, defensive lineman Charles Haley and safety Steve Atwater.

The preliminary list will be narrowed to 25 semifinalists and then to 13 finalists. Those 13 will be joined by Bennie Friedman and Fritz Pollard, who were chosen last summer as the nominees of the old-timers committee.

Up to six of them can be elected in final voting early next year. Inductions are next summer.