text: LONG HAUL TO THE HALL - Orlando Sentinel
  LONG HAUL TO THE HALL
  Making the NFL Hall of Fame is as much a tribute to a player's endurance as his excellence.
  That makes forecasting potential Hall of Famers a difficult task. Injuries or just wear-and-tear have gutted the hopes of many magnificent talents through the years.
  "In some ways, it's not fair to the Hall of Fame to predict," said former player Mike Golic, now an ESPN analyst. "It's just like when a guy comes out of college, and people say he's the next Anthony Munoz or some other great player. To project forward is almost, in my mind, unfair to do."
  "But it makes for great conversation," he added.
  So for great conversation, we look at which of the current players are either Hall of Fame locks or could be if they keep it up. There are several players at the sunset of great careers who will make it: Jerry Rice, Bruce Smith, Emmitt Smith, Rod Woodson, Brett Favre, Junior Seau, Tim Brown, Bruce Matthews, Cris Carter and Shannon Sharpe.
  That group is special, so much so that it would measurably, favorably -- if not be arguably the best -- against any collection of players in any era.
  "It's a great time to be a football fan," said former quarterback Steve Young, who does some work for ESPN now.
  Those revolutionary talents are complemented by some great rising young stars. But who of these stars has the most potential to be a Hall of Famer?
  "You can't just look at the athletic skills," Golic said. "Lots of players have those. At times, everybody looks like a great one. But you have to look at the intangibles, the instinctual things, the way they carry themselves, whether they are content at being very good or pushing themselves to greatness."
  Providing they continue to produce, the real special younger players include: three wide receivers (Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison, Isaac Bruce), three running backs (Marshall Faulk, Eddie George, Edgerrin James), a linebacker (Ray Lewis), a defensive tackle (Warren Sapp) and four offensive linemen (Tony Boselli, Larry Allen, Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace).
  And this does not even count the blossoming stars less than three years into their careers like Donovan McNabb, Daunte Culpepper, Jevon Kearse and Champ Bailey. But they may very well develop into Hall of Fame players.
  It also does not it include a player like Jacksonville wide receiver Jimmy Smith, a late bloomer, who could be a Hall of Famer if he can have two or three more productive seasons.
  And what about Oakland Raiders guard Steve Wisniewski, a six-time Pro Bowler in 11 NFL seasons? Is that enough? Does he need a few more years, a few more Pro Bowls? He enters his 12th NFL season right on the bubble.
  The trouble with forecasting football Hall of Famers can be summed up in two words: Terrell Davis. Three years, he was a lock. All he needed to do was continue to run the football. A couple of major injuries later, Davis -- one of only seven players in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons -- is struggling to regain his starting spot with the Denver Broncos.
  More than any other sport, injuries play a role in determining who sustains excellence.
  So that means Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He's 41 now, going into his 19th NFL season with seven career Pro Bowls.