After nine years of disappointment, former Raiders coach Tom Flores moved one giant step closer Thursday night to possible induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The two-time Super Bowl-winning coach and 49ers general manager John Lynch, a former safety, were among the
15 modern era finalists for induction in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame announced.
“It’s exciting. But I don’t even know how to act,” Flores said by phone. “I’ve never been this far before. People say, ‘How do you feel?’ Well, I don’t know yet.”
Ex-Cal star tight end Tony Gonzalez, on the ballot for the first time, joined Flores and Lynch as finalists, as did former Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour.