T Jackie Slater and DE Jack Youngblood are among the 15 finalists in this year's induction class. The inductees will be announced Saturday, January 27, 2001 in Tampa, Fla., site of Super Bowl XXXV.

Slater who played all 20 NFL seasons with the Los Angeles-St. Louis Rams, an NFL record for most seasons played with one team. A third-round pick out of Jackson State in 1976, Slater played in 259 regular season games, the most of any offensive lineman at the time of his retirement following the 1995 season.

A mainstay of the Rams' offensive line during his tenure with the Rams, Slater was a first or second-team all-Pro choice five seasons (1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989) and first or second-team all-NFC choice seven times (1983, 1985-90).

Super Bowl XI winning coach and current FOX Network NFL analyst John Madden once said, "Jackie Slater has every move that every tackle has ever had in the history of this league."

Slater became a starter in his fourth season in 1979. Despite an injury-plagued season for the Rams in which 19 players (primarily offensive) missed games, Slater was one of just two Rams' linemen to start all 16 games in helping the Rams earn their first Super Bowl appearance that season. In dominating fashion in the NFC Championship Game, Slater and the Rams' offensive unit controlled the ball for nearly 38 minutes, rushing for 216 of their 379 total yards in the Rams' 9-0 shutout win over Tampa Bay.

Slater went on to start the next 14 seasons at the right tackle position, earning seven Pro Bowl invitations (1984, 1986-1991). A total of 15 times during Slater's career did a Rams' RB rush for at least 1,000 yards: Lawrence McCutcheon (1976-77), Wendell Tyler (1979-81), Eric Dickerson (1983-86), Charles White (1987), Greg Bell (1988-89), Cleveland Gary (1992), and Jerome Bettis (1993-94).

Among those 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Dickerson set an NFL rookie-record for rushing yards with 1,808 in 1983. He followed that season with an NFL record 2,105 rushing yards in 1984. Dickerson, a 1999 inductee in the Hall of Fame, was introduced by Slater at the induction ceremonies. During that 1983 season Slater and the O-line demonstrated their versatility. As Dickerson rushed for over 1,800 yards, the line allowed just 23 sacks as QB Vince Ferragamo passed for more than 3,200 yards.

Slater blocked for 24 different quarterbacks and 37 different running backs during his career. During that time, Ram quarterbacks produced 27 300-yard passing games. In addition, Ram running backs rushed for at least 100 yards 107 times. Slater was named NFC Lineman of the Year four times and NFL Lineman of the Year three times, including Most Valuable Player by USA Today following his 17th NFL season in 1992.

In the Rams' inaugural season in St. Louis in 1995, Slater played his 20th and final season, setting an NFL record for most seasons played with one team, surpassing Minnesota's Jim Marshall. Despite a torn triceps muscle in his left arm suffered in October 1994, Slater showed the grit and determination that embodied his career, working through the injury to play in the Rams' first game at the Trans World Dome. With Slater starting at right tackle against Carolina November 12, the Rams won 28-17 as Slater was carried of the field by teammates in his final NFL game.

Hall of Fame running back the late Walter Payton, a teammate of Slater's at Jackson State, said in an 1996 interview "Of all the people I played with or against, he be one of the first three I'd pick if I were starting a team."

The Rams posted 11 winning seasons in Slater's career, making the postseason following each campaign. Slater started 214 of his 259 games, and is the Rams' career leader in playoff games with 18.

Like Slater, Youngblood played all 14 NFL seasons with the Rams, playing in 202 games from 1971-1984. The 20th player selected in the 1971 draft out of the University of Florida, Youngblood missed just one game in his career. Youngblood played in 201 consecutive games, a Rams' record, surpassing the mark set by of Hall of Famers Merlin Olsen (198 games, 1962-76), and Tom Mack (184 games, 1966-78).

The rugged, durable defensive end earned NFL all-pro honors five times (1974-76, 1978-79), earning all-NFC honors seven times. Youngblood made seven consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 1973-79, the same seasons that the Rams' won an NFL record seven consecutive division titles in the NFC West. Youngblood made at least 10.5 sacks in a season eight times, including four consecutive seasons of at least 14 sacks from 1973-76.

Among some of his greatest performances, several stand out. In the 1975 NFC Division playoff against the St. Louis Football Cardinals, Youngblood registered a sack, a forced fumble, one blocked PAT and a 47-yard interception return in a 35-23 win. In his final season of 1984, in a regular season game at St. Louis, Youngblood registered three sacks, forced a fumble, drew three holding penalties, and blocked a game-tying field goal with three seconds to play to preserve a 16-13 victory.

Perhaps Youngblood's greatest and most memorable performance came during the Rams' Super Bowl run of the 1979 season. Setting career-highs in tackles (80), sacks (18), and forced fumbles (five), Youngblood helped the Rams to their seventh consecutive division title. In the Rams' divisional playoff game at Dallas, Youngblood broke the fibula in his left leg. According to the Los Angeles Times, he told the Rams' medical staff "Tape it up, give me two more aspirin and let's go play."

Youngblood did just that, playing in the Rams' final two playoff games that season. Led by Captain Blood's inspired effort, the Rams shutout Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship game 9-0, limiting the Bucs to just seven first downs and 22 minutes of possession time. It is one of just eight shutouts in conference championship games since the 1970 merger.

Also during that 1979 season, Youngblood and the Rams' defense set an NFL record for fewest yards allowed in a game. On November 4 at Seattle, the Rams' defense limited the Seahawks to a record low -7 yards in a 24-0 victory.

Youngblood was named to the first team of the 1970's all-decade team. During his 14 seasons, Youngblood was unanimous all-Pro four times, first-team all-Pro five times, first or second team all-Pro eight times, Pro Bowl starter six times, and defensive player of the year two times.

The Rams posted winning seasons in 11 of Youngblood's 14 seasons, winning the division seven times, earning playoff berth's 11 times. Of tho ---