From staff and wire reports

Gary Zimmerman of Bend joined former Denver Broncos teammate John Elway and 13 other finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, announced Wednesday.

It is the second time that Zimmerman, 42, has been a Hall of Fame finalist. He also was a finalist last year, his first year of eligibility for the ballot.

Zimmerman, who played collegiately at the University of Oregon (1980-83), went on to play 14 seasons as an offensive tackle in professional football.

After two seasons with the Los Angeles Express (1984-85) of the short-lived United States Football League, Zimmerman, a 6-foot-6-inch, 294-pound native of Fullerton, Calif., moved to the National Football League, playing seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (1986-92) before being traded to Denver.

He played five seasons in Denver (1993-97), finishing his career with the Broncos’ 31-24 Super Bowl XXXII victory over the Green Bay Packers. It was Denver’s first-ever NFL championship.

Zimmerman played in 184 NFL games, including an amazing string of 169 consecutive starts that ended in 1996 when he was sidelined by surgery.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl five times and was named all-NFL four times – including 1987, when he was honored as NFL lineman of the year.

He is one of only 10 players in NFL history to be named to two all-decade teams, for the ’80s and ’90s.

The Hall of Fame’s board of selectors chose the finalists from a list of 25 semifinalists announced in November.

Two candidates, tackle Bob Brown and wide receiver Bob Hayes, were recommended by the Hall’s senior committee.

Other finalists: running back Barry Sanders; wide receiver Art Monk; defensive ends Richard Dent, Carl Eller, and Jim Marshall; guard Bob Kuechenberg; safety Cliff Harris; cornerback Lester Hayes; and tackle Rayfield Wright.

Elway, who quarterbacked the Broncos to two Super Bowl victories, and Sanders are in their first year of eligibility for Hall of Fame induction.

Linebacker Harry Carson and general manager George Young are automatic finalists because of their high finish in last year’s voting.

Team owners Art Modell and Ralph Wilson Jr. did not make the list this year.

The new Hall of Fame class will be elected in Houston on Jan. 31, the day before the Super Bowl. Enshrinement of the Class of 2004 will take place at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8.