The rest of the new Hall of Fame class of 13 players and coaches announced Monday includes Southern California Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk and Danny Ford, who coached Clemson to its only national championship.

Manning started for four seasons at Tennessee and set school records for yards passing (11,201) and touchdown passes (89). He led the Volunteers to four consecutive bowl games and was Heisman Trophy runner-up as a senior in 1997.

”His stats were incredible … but as we all know his legacy goes much, much further than that,” former Tennessee coach and Hall of Famer Philip Fulmer said. ”He was absolutely the ultimate team player, the ultimate teammate, the ultimate greatest guy you could possibly want to coach.”

But Manning never did beat Spurrier’s Gators, going 0-3. Spurrier built Florida into an SEC powerhouse from 1990-2001, winning six conference titles and the school’s first national championship in 1996. He also was never shy about taking verbal jabs at his rivals such as Tennessee (“You can’t spell Citrus without U-T”) and Florida State (“Free Shoes University”).

”Steve and I, people think we’re bitter enemies, we really aren’t,” Fulmer said. ”We’re actually pretty good friends. I’ve said this before – until somebody puts a microphone in front of him, he’s a pretty good guy.”

Also to be inducted in December at the National Football Foundation banquet are:

-Notre Dame linebacker Bob Crable (1978-81)

-Michigan State wide receiver Kirk Gibson (1975-78)

-Texas offensive tackle Bob McKay (1968-69)

-Texas A&M linebacker Dat Nguyen (1995-98)

-Georgia Southern running back Adrian Peterson (1998-2001)

-Boston College nose guard Mike Ruth (1982-85)

-New Mexico defensive back Brian Urlacher (1996-99)

-Mount Union coach Larry Kehres, who won 93 percent of his games and 11 Division III national championships from 1986-2012.

Leinart won the Heisman in 2004 and led Southern California to two national championships and a BCS national title game.

Faulk was the first freshman to lead the nation in rushing and scoring in 1991. He won back-to-back rushing titles and was a three-time Heisman finalist. He went on to have a Hall of Fame NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams.

Ford was 33 when he led Clemson to the national title in 1981 and is still the youngest coach to win a national championship. He spent 12 seasons at Clemson and five at Arkansas and is second in career victories for the Tigers with 96.

Gibson’s greatest fame came as a baseball player. He played for World Series winners in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers and in 1988 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the National League MVP in ’88 and hit one of the most famous World Series home runs, against Oakland Athletics reliever Dennis Eckersley.

For the Spartans, Gibson averaged 21.0 yards on 112 receptions with 24 touchdowns.

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AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Knoxville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/RalphDrussoAP

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More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/ap-top25 .

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Following a 24-13 loss to Indianapolis in the AFC divisional playoffs on Sunday, the 38-year-old, five-time MVP was asked if he planned to return for the 2015 season.

”I guess I just can’t give that simple answer, I’m processing it,” Manning said. ”So, I can’t say that.”

As recently as Christmas Eve, Manning said he planned on being back next season if the Broncos wanted him.

Manning went 26 for 46 for 211 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. He struggled to find his rhythm, as has been the case since mid-November, when the Broncos started running the ball more.

He said he’s been dealing with a thigh bruise since the Dec. 14 game against the Chargers, but said it felt good enough to play with coming into the playoffs.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

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Peyton Manning gets to face his former team and his successor after Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts beat Cincinnati in the wild-card round Sunday.

They met last year in Indianapolis when Manning’s emotions and the Colts both got the best of him in his homecoming.

Manning won’t get caught up in the hype of the marquee matchup this time, suggested Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. He pointed to his quarterback’s coolness in this season opener when Denver beat Indy 31-24.

”We had them the first game of the season and he was fine,” Thomas said. ”It’s a playoff game so it’s a little bit different because if you lose, you’re done and if you win, you keep going. I can’t really talk for Peyton, but I think he’s fine.”

DeMarcus Ware said he was especially appreciative for the Broncos’ bye, which they earned as the AFC’s No. 2 seed, when he saw it was Luck whom he’ll be facing next weekend.

Luck has an uncanny knack for comebacks even when things look bleak such as in last year’s playoffs when he guided the Colts back from a 28-point deficit to Kansas City.

The Broncos jumped out to a 24-0 lead on the Colts in this season’s opener. But Luck led a frenetic rally that came up short when rookie Bradley Roby broke up a fourth-and-6 pass to Reggie Wayne in the final minute to secure Denver’s 31-24 win.

”He’s one of those guys that you have to play a 60-minute game against,” Ware said. ”He has really good pocket awareness. He’s always one of those guys, just like Peyton, where he hits the open guy the majority of the time. He plays a fundamentally sound game.

”He’s one of those quarterbacks you don’t want to go against, but the thing is you’ve got to make sure you get pressure on him and make them one-dimensional.”

Four months have passed since the Colts (12-5) and Broncos (12-4) saw each other, but Ware stressed ”it’s still the same quarterback,” so ”I think you’ve got to go back and see what you did well. You’ve also got to see how and where you didn’t play well and make sure those things are corrected.”

Thomas figures to cringe when he watches the film.

With Wes Welker serving a two-game suspension, Thomas played the slot and caught four passes for 48 yards with a couple of huge drops that night.

Once Welker returned, Thomas went back outside and had another stellar season that included a franchise-best 1,619 yards and 11 touchdowns.

”It’s great” having Welker back, Thomas said. ”I tried to play the slot and it wasn’t for me that early in the season. Having him back is good because he is one of the best that does it and having him, you never know what defense they will play because they will have to watch everybody.

”Hopefully we will have Julius (Thomas) there healthy. It’s good to have Wes back and I can be back outside and try to do my best to play my best for the team and have a big impact on the game.”

Julius Thomas got off to a sizzling start with three TDs against Indy in the opener and a dozen by Week 10. But he hasn’t reached the end zone since spraining his left ankle Nov. 16.

After one score, microphones caught him screaming, ”It’s so easy!”

A healthy Julius Thomas could be a tremendous help for the Broncos in the playoffs – that’s one reason the bye week was such a big deal to them.

”It was big to get this week out of the way with some rest and now get back to business,” Demaryius Thomas said. ”Some guys are feeling better. That is the benefit of having a bye week off. It was real big.”

The bye also gave Pro Bowl safety T.J. Ward (neck) and top tackler Brandon Marshall (foot) more time to get healthy.

That’s ”something that we need,” Ware said. ”Especially just from a leadership standpoint but also having guys come back that are big playmakers for us.”

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

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Welker’s deal is worth $12 million, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports.

Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway tweeted the club’s agreement with the former New England Patriot.

“Excited to have Wes join the Broncos. His production & toughness will be a great asset!” Elway wrote.

The Patriots had been negotiating with Welker leading up to free agency but the sides could not find common ground on a deal. The 31-year-old Welker played under the franchise tag and a $9.5 million salary for the 2012 season and finished with a team-high 118 catches and 1,354 yards to go with six touchdowns.

The team elected not to tag him this offseason. If they had, Welker would have received an escalated salary of $11.4 million for the 2013 season.

Welker has been a fan favorite in New England ever since he arrived via trade in 2007. His 672 receptions over six seasons (an average of 112 per season) since joining the Patriots are the most in the NFL over that span. He became the first player in NFL history with five 110-catch seasons.

Among Welker’s biggest supporters is quarterback Tom Brady, who helped the Patriots clear $15 million in cap space over the next two seasons by restructuring his deal and signing an extension.

Brady was willing to accept the deal, which was considered below market value, because of the trust that exists between the two-time Super Bowl MVP and the team. Brady felt that in giving New England this cap flexibility, a source told ESPNBoston.com, he trusted the Patriots would add the right players to finish his career with the best chance to win another championship. Now, it’s unclear whether Welker will be catching passes from Brady or from Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.

Just two days ago, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he hoped Welker would be “a Patriot for life, just like Tom Brady.”

Welker had a team-high eight catches for 117 yards in New England’s 28-13 AFC Championship Game loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

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The Baltimore Sun reported talks went fine between Flacco’s agent, Joe Litna, and Ravens vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty. Talks are expected to continue as both sides try to hammer out a deal before the March 4 deadline that teams have to use their franchise tag. If no deal is reached, Flacco is expected to be tagged.

Earlier this month, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said he is optimistic that the team will get a long-term deal done with the quarterback. Flacco is not under contract for the coming season. The franchise tag, which would take the 28-year-old Flacco off the free-agent market, would take $20 million of cap space this season.

Newsome said Feb. 7 that the sides were close to a deal before the season began, but it was a mutual agreement to stop negotiations until the end of the season.

Flacco, who made less than $7 million last season, is expected to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks. Drew Brees, at an average of $20 million per season, and Peyton Manning, who made $18 million last season, currently top the pay scale for quarterbacks.

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The Ravens and Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, had been trading telephone calls in recent days to try to schedule the face-to-face negotiating session. Both sides will try to hammer out a deal before the March 4 deadline that teams have to use their franchise tag. If no deal is reached, Flacco is expected to be tagged.

Earlier this month, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said he is optimistic that the team will get a long-term deal done with the quarterback. Flacco is not under contract for the coming season. The franchise tag, which would take the 28-year-old Flacco off the free-agent market, would take $20 million of cap space this season.

Newsome said Feb. 7 that the sides were close to a deal before the season began, but it was a mutual agreement to stop negotiations until the end of the season.

Flacco, who made less than $7 million last season, is expected to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks. Drew Brees, at an average of $20 million per season, and Peyton Manning, who made $18 million last season, currently top the pay scale for quarterbacks.

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The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player is not under contract for next season. Newsome said the sides were “very close” to a deal before the season began, but it was a mutual agreement to stop negotiations until the end of the season.

“I’m coming away today thinking that we can get a deal done,” Newsome said at the “State of the Ravens” season-ending news conference. “We’ve got deals done with Haloti [Ngata], JO [Jonathan Ogden], Ray [Lewis], Ray Rice, Ed Reed, [Terrell] Suggs. I’ve got a very good owner who understands the business and understands the importance of certain positions. So, I’m optimistic.”

If the Ravens can’t get a deal completed before the start of free agency, the team will put the franchise tag on Flacco. The exclusive tag, which would take Flacco off the free-agent market, would take $20 million of cap space this season.

“We’re looking to get a fair deal done with Joe,” Newsome said. “If we’re able to get a deal done, it will allow us to be able to participate more in the market if we so choose. But we understand what the priority is.”
Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, was asked in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday whether Flacco should be the highest-paid at his position, to which he simply responded, “Yes.”

Flacco, 28, is younger than Peyton Manning (who’s earning $18 million per year) and Drew Brees ($20 million), and now has as many Super Bowl titles as each of them. Linta said those are the numbers that matter.

“When you do a contract of this magnitude, you look at what is the player’s body of work presently,” Linta told CNBC. “And what are the expectations going forward over the next four, five or six years.

“Joe wins on both accounts.”

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Agent Joe Linta, when asked in an interview with CNBC whether Flacco should be the highest-paid quarterback, simply responded, “Yes.”

Flacco, 28, is younger than Peyton Manning ($18 million) and Drew Brees ($20 million), and, as of Sunday, has as many Super Bowl titles as each of them. Linta said those are the numbers that matter.

“When you do a contract of this magnitude, you look at what is the player’s body of work presently,” Linta told CNBC. “And what are the expectations going forward over the next four, five or six years.

“Joe wins on both accounts.”

Flacco passed for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Ravens’ four-game postseason run, which ended Sunday with a 34-31 win against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.

Flacco was selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 2008 draft and this season became the only quarterback to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons.

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Flacco, the MVP of Super Bowl XLVII, is set to become an unrestricted free agent. His new deal is expected to rival those of Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, whose contracts are among the most lucrative in NFL history for quarterbacks.

Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, said in an interview with CNBC that Flacco should be the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback.

“I think everybody is going to see what Joe [Flacco] ends up signing for,” Rodgers said Tuesday on his weekly radio show on 540 ESPN. “I’m sure they want to lock him up. He’s a great player — had an incredible run in the playoffs — and I’m sure they want to keep him around. A guy like that, with the postseason success he’s had, you want to keep a guy like that around for a while.”

Also a former Super Bowl MVP, Rodgers is under contract through 2014, having signed a six-year, $65 million contract in October 2008. Rodgers’ base salary next season is $9.25 million, while his 2014 deal is worth $10.5 million. Manning ($18 million base salary) and Brees ($20 million base) also are former Super Bowl MVPs.

Rodgers, who didn’t discuss whether he would give the Packers a hometown discount, understands that the market will dictate his next contract.

“It kind of is what it is, as far as that goes. The team, when they’re ready to talk contract, we’ll get there when we get there,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers also is confident that things will work out with the Packers, saying, “When that time comes, we’ll get a deal done. I’m not worried about that. I think the Packers want to keep me around for a little while longer, and I’d love to be a Packer for life.”

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John Elway, of all people, agreed with that call.

Given the ball at his 20 with 31 seconds, two timeouts and one of the best quarterbacks in the game, the Broncos coach decided to run out the clock and head to overtime.

Result: Baltimore 38, Denver 35. End of season in Broncoland.

Fox said he felt good about the decision when he made it Saturday, toward the end of one of the most disheartening losses in the franchise’s history. After hashing it over during the last two sleepless nights, he stood by his decision.

“I’d do it again 10 times if it presented itself in that situation,” he said Monday at Denver’s season-ending news conference, where he was joined by Elway, the quarterback-turned-front office executive.

Even 48 hours after the game, that single decision remained the most hotly debated of the many Fox, Manning and the Broncos made in their gaffe-filled loss to the Ravens. The second-guessing only got more intense Sunday after Atlanta moved the ball 41 yards in 12 seconds to set up the game-winning field goal in its 30-28 victory over Seattle.

But, Fox said, Denver’s situation was nowhere near what the Falcons faced. The Falcons were losing and had no other choice. They were playing in a dome. The Broncos had just given up a game-tying 70-yard touchdown pass and were standing on the sideline in disbelief. The temperature was below 10 degrees. Manning had thrown the ball downfield a grand total of twice the entire game.

“You watch a (70)-yard bomb go over your head, there’s a certain amount of shock value,” Fox said. “A little bit like a prize fighter who gets a right cross on the chin at the end of a round, you’re looking to get out of the round.”

Elway, of course, built his career around extracting the Broncos from impossible situations. But asked specifically how he would’ve responded in his playing days if told to take a knee under those circumstances, he sounded not at all like the go-for-broke quarterback he once was.

“I thought it was the right thing at that time,” Elway said. “I think with where the team was mentally and the situation we were in, I thought that it was a good move.”

Though the Broncos recovered and stopped Baltimore twice in the overtime, eventually Manning threw an interception that set up the Ravens for the winning field goal. It was a sudden, shocking end to a season that had Super Bowl written all over it. Instead, this year is drawing more comparisons to 1996, when the Broncos also were 13-3, also were top seeds and also lost by three points in the divisional round — to Jacksonville instead of Baltimore.

At the time, Elway was 36 and still searching for his first Super Bowl title. He won the next two.

Currently, Manning is 36 and stuck on one Super Bowl title. He signed with the Broncos last offseason to win a few more.

“I think having been through this before, and having been disappointed before, I realized that this was a possibility,” Elway said. “The bottom line is how we learn from this situation. If we get defensive and don’t look at everything we did in this game and try to learn from it, then there is a chance we can experience it again. Hopefully, we’re back in this situation again and we will have looked at it the right way and learned from the situation.”

While Fox conceded there were coaching mistakes in the game — most notably not having safety Rahim Moore coached up well enough to properly defend the pass that tied the game — he stood by his two most important strategic decisions.

A few minutes before kneeling on the ball, Denver was up by seven and trying to grind out the clock. Despite being down to their third-string running back, 188-pound Ronnie Hillman, the Broncos called three straight running plays, including a run off right guard on third-and-7 that went for no gain. That ran the clock down to 1:15 and made Baltimore burn all its timeouts.

But three plays after a punt, Joe Flacco threw the improbable 70-yard touchdown over Rahim Moore and into the hands of Jacoby Jones that tied the game.

“I’ve never believed in, `It’s one guy, one play,” Fox said when asked about Moore’s role in the loss. “It obviously was a big play.”

Fox said he played the percentages on all the calls — nothing more, nothing less.

According to his calculations:

-There’s a 38 to 40 percent chance of converting a third-and-7 into a first down.

-By punting and giving Baltimore the ball on its 23-yard line, trailing by a touchdown with 1:09 left and no timeouts, the Broncos had a 97 percent chance of winning.

-That percentage spiked to 99.9 percent when the Ravens had the ball on the 30 with 41 seconds left.

Turned out, the Broncos are a “.1 percenter.”

“I mean this in all sincerity, if I felt like we were going to give up a 70-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds to go, we might have re-evaluated that,” Fox said. “But that’s not what the percentages said.”

Game notes
Elway said the Broncos intend to pick up the option on Manning for the next two years, which would pay him $40 million for two seasons. Manning still has to pass a physical later this winter to get the money. Elway also said the Broncos would like to bring free agent LT Ryan Clady back. … By losing, the Broncos coaching staff gets assigned to coach the AFC in the Pro Bowl, the week before the Super Bowl. Manning said he will play in the game, as well.

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