Giants president and CEO John Mara said Parcells' selection was "long overdue," but his candidacy stirred plenty of debate -- a one-hour discussion among the selection committee members, by far the longest amount of time dedicated to any finalist.

"He's one of the best coaches in NFL history," Mara said. "He turned our franchise around. We went through a long period in the 1960's and 70's when we were a laughingstock. When Bill took over in 1983, he survived a very difficult first year, but then turned us into a perennial playoff contender and won two Super Bowls for us. He coached three other teams and everywhere he went, he had great success."

Joining in the chorus of praise for Parcells was retired linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

"I don't know if I could've done it without Bill Parcells," the former Giants star told ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor. "He didn't force me to play like everyone had played the last daggone 60 years. He allowed me to be more of an athlete instead of a linebacker, and I think that says a lot about his greatness. If I'd played for another coach on another team, I probably would've been a good player. But Bill was the one who made me LT.

"If Bill didn't finally get in this year, they needed to shut the Hall of Fame down. The whole thing wouldn't have meant anything without him in there."

No one was more emotional than Carter, an ESPN analyst, who took six years to get in despite putting up some of the best receiving numbers in NFL history. He broke down in tears but quickly pointed out, "It's not because I'm sad."

"This is the happiest day of my life," he said. "When people said, 'Aw, you know, it really doesn't matter, you're a Hall of Famer in my eyes,' I said, 'It's more important that I'm a Hall of Famer in the Hall's eyes.' And I really, really wanted this."

Sapp said his stomach was churning all day.

He doesn't have to fret anymore. Next stop, Canton.

"My feet haven't touched the ground in about 30 minutes," Sapp said. "This is unbelievable."

In addition to Bettis, four other players failed to get in on the final vote: Charles Haley, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan and Aeneas Williams. Earlier in the day, the selection committee eliminated DeBartolo and Modell, as well as ex-players Tim Brown, Kevin Greene and Will Shields.

Parcells reversed the fortunes of four teams, also coaching the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys, during 19 years as a head coach. He finished with a record of 172-130-1, most notably leading the Giants to Super Bowl titles in 1987 and 1991. He led the Patriots to the Super Bowl after the 1996 season.

Defensive lineman Warren Sapp was one of three first-year candidates to be elected into the Hall of Fame Class of 2013. Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports

Patriots owner Robert Kraft saluted Parcells' election.

"It is well deserved," he said in a statement released by the team. "As a Patriots fan, I will always appreciate the credibility he brought to our franchise as a two-time Super Bowl champion. We had never had a head coach with those credentials. I am very happy for Bill and look forward to his enshrinement ceremonies."

Jets owner Woody Johnson echoed Kraft.

"Bill Parcells infused new life into this franchise on many levels," he said. "From acquiring players like Curtis Martin to bringing back a winning culture, we will always be grateful to Bill for his contributions to the New York Jets."

Sapp got in on his first year of eligibility after playing 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders. He amassed 96½ career sacks despite playing on the interior of the defensive line, including double-digit sack totals in four seasons. He was the 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year after helping Tampa Bay claim its first division title in 18 years.

Carter played 16 seasons, becoming only the second player in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions in a career. He caught at least 70 passes in 10 seasons, and totaled 130 touchdown receptions from 13 passers.

Allen played 203 games over 14 seasons, spending the bulk of his career with the Cowboys. He played every position on the offensive line except center and was a first-team All-Pro seven straight seasons.

Ogden played a dozen seasons with the Ravens, a lineman who led the way for Jamal Lewis to become just the fifth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Ogden was a six-time All-Pro and was voted to 11 Pro Bowls.

Like Sapp, Allen and Ogden were first-year selections.

Ogden shared the moment with his family. He called his mother "first thing," and also told his 7-year-old son.

"He's real proud of his dad," Ogden said.

He watched nervously as the announcement was made on the Class of 2013.

"It's like going to the hospital with your wife to have a baby. You can't do anything about it," Ogden said. "You hear everybody say you're a first ballot for sure, but you never really know. A lot of good well deserving guys didn't get in on the first ballot."