List trimmed for Pro Football Hall of Fame

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CANTON, Ohio, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Cris Carter and Darrell Green were the only first-year eligible players to make the semifinal list Wednesday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The semifinalists announced for the Class of 2008 came from the previously released list of 124 preliminary nominees. The group will be reduced to 15 modern-era candidates, from which the new members of the Hall of Fame will be announced the day before the Super Bowl.

Multi-purpose back Marshall Goldberg and cornerback Emmitt Thomas have been recommended by the Seniors Committee and will also be considered along with the 15 finalists.

Carter, who played for Philadelphia and Minnesota, is second in career touchdown receptions to Jerry Rice. Green played in Washington's defensive backfield for two decades.

Nominees included on the semifinal list for the first time, although eligible prior to this year, are linebacker Rickey Jackson and defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy.

The rest of the semifinalists have reached this stage before. They include Terrell Davis, Dermontti Dawson, Fred Dean, Richard Dent, Randy Gradishar, Kevin Greene, Russ Grimm, Ray Guy, Charles Haley, Lester Hayes, Joe Jacoby, Bob Kuechenberg, Randall McDaniel, Art Monk, Andre Reed, Ken Stabler, Paul Tagliabue, Steve Tasker, Derrick Thomas, Andre Tippett, George Young and Gary Zimmerman.