CANTON, Ohio — Bruce Smith, the NFL's career sack leader, and versatile defensive back Rod Woodson are among the four first-time eligibles who made the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The other two are tight end Shannon Sharpe and defensive end John Randle, on a list that will be reduced to 15 before the final vote on Jan. 31 in Tampa, Fla., the day before the Super Bowl.

There will be 17 finalists in all, including senior nominees Claude Humphrey and Bob Hayes and from that 17, four to seven new Hall of Fame members will be chosen.

Also among the 25 is running back Roger Craig, who spent most of his career with San Francisco and has been eligible since 1999 but has never made it this far before. The list also includes three people in the contributor category: former commissioner Paul Tagliabue; Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson and Art Modell, former owner of the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens.