HALL OF FAME: SIX GET THEIR CALL TO THE HALL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NATIVES MOON, AIKMAN AMONG NEW CANTON INDUCTEES.

Byline: A.J. Perez Staff Writer

DETROIT - Initially, rumors weren't going to move Warren Moon out of his hotel room and toward the news conference where this year's cast of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees were being announced on Saturday.

Moon was finally convinced to make the cross-town trip, which was nearly interrupted by some good news from a not-so-official source.

``My sister called and left me a voicemail. She told me how proud she was of me,'' Moon said. ``That's when I got emotional. ... My wife almost had to take the wheel.''

Troy Aikman, the late Reggie White, Harry Carson, John Madden and Rayfield Wright were also elected in the largest class since 2001. The ceremony will be held Aug. 5-6 in Canton, Ohio.

Moon, who grew up in the Baldwin Hills area, became the first black quarterback elected to the Hall of Fame and joins Dan Fouts as the only quarterbacks to make it in without ever playing in a Super Bowl.

``To be the first African-American quarterback into the Hall of Fame, all African-American QBs who played before me should share in this a little bit,'' Moon said. ``I don't want to make this a racial thing, but I think it is significant because it is the first. ... It shows that we have arrived at the pinnacle of our sport.''

After graduating from Hamilton High of Los Angeles, Moon drew no interest from major colleges as a quarterback. He impressed enough during a season at West L.A. College to land an offer from the University of Washington.

But three solid seasons there elicited little notice from the NFL and he landed in the Canadian Football League, where he won five Grey Cups in six seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos.

He came back to the U.S. in 1984 for the first of 10 seasons with Houston Oilers. Moon went on to play in Minnesota and Seattle before retiring in 2000 with the Kansas City Chiefs. He passed for 49,325 yards and had 313 total TDs in his 17-year NFL career.

Aikman, who was born in West Covina and lived for a time in Cerritos, took a more direct route minus a change of schools during his collegiate career. After transferring from Oklahoma, Aikman led UCLA to a 20-4 record in two seasons and was drafted with the first overall pick by in 1989 by the Dallas Cowboys - where he spent his entire 12-year career.

``I've heard people say, 'Troy was real fortunate because he played with a lot of great players,' '' Aikman said. ``I've never denied that. You would be hard-pressed to find a quarterback in the Hall of Fame that didn't play with great players.''

One of those players - wide receiver Michael Irvin - was passed over for the second year in a row.

White, who was represented by his wife, Sara, was the only other first- ballot selection. White, considered by many to be the best defensive linemen in the game's history, died in December 2004. He compiled an NFL record 198 sacks in his 15 seasons with the Eagles, Packers and Panthers.

Madden, whom the younger generations know more for his video games and work as a TV analyst, got in as coach of the Raiders. He led Oakland to 112 victories - including Super Bowl XI - in his 10 seasons.

Wright, who along with Madden was a senior committee nominee, helped anchor the Cowboys offense as a tackle during the team's two championships in the 1970s. Carson, a former New York Giants linebacker, was the only player not represented at the news conference.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Troy Aikman

(2) John Madden

(3) Reggie White

(4) Harry Carson

(5) Warren Moon

(6) Rayfield Wright

Box:

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME'S CLASS OF 2006