2012 NFL Hall Of Fame Voting: Doleman Gets Call To Canton

With the announcement that Chris Doleman is headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame later this year in Canton, Ohio, The Minnesota Vikings and their fans can now begin wondering who their next Hall of Fame selection will be. there are several possible choices over the next few seasons, and Pro Football Talk broke down who is eligible in each of the next five years.

The first player with former Vikings ties that might get in is kicker Morten Andersen in 2013:

Andersen is a tough case. Only one pure kicker, Jan Stenerud, is in the Hall of Fame, and although Andersen certainly has a strong case as the NFL’s all-time leading scorer, no kicker can ever be viewed as a lock for the Hall. It’s worth noting that one of the biggest annual Hall of Fame arguments revolves around punter Ray Guy, who hasn’t been inducted but frequently makes the list of finalists.

The 2016 class presents another famous pair of Vikings, with Randy Moss and Brett Favre (assuming they stay retired):

The debate about Moss’s Hall of Fame merits has already started, and there will be a similar debate about Owens. Both guys did some incredible things on the field, but both also wore out their welcomes on multiple teams and were ultimately considered more trouble than they were worth. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Hall of Fame selection committee puts them both in Canton the first year they’re eligible, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if neither one of them gets in.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NFL hub at SBNation.com/NFL.

Former Minnesota Vikings' defensive end Chris Doleman was one of six players selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2012 on Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis.

Doleman was selected by the Vikings with the fourth overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh. After spending his first couple of seasons as a linebacker, Doleman was moved to defensive end, where he truly flourished. Of his 150.5 career sacks. . .a number that places him fourth in NFL history in that category. . .96.5 of them came as a member of the purple and gold. He played for the Vikings from 1985 to 1993, and returned to the team again for his final season in 1999. The Vikings traded him to the Atlanta Falcons prior to the 1994 season, and he played for the Falcons for two years before moving on to play for the San Francisco 49ers from 1996 to 1998.

This past season, Doleman was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings' Ring of Honor, the 19th person to receive that honor. Doleman's selection means that, for the third time in four years, an individual associated with the Minnesota Vikings will be inducted into Canton. John Randle was part of the Class of 2010, and Randall McDaniel was inducted in 2009.

Former Vikings' receiver Cris Carter was passed over again, the fifth time that he's been on the ballot and not gotten in. We'll have further opinion on that over the next day or two.