CANTON, Ohio -- The inclusion of former NFL safety and convicted rapist Darren Sharper on the Pro Footballs Hall of Fame nomination list shocked some people Friday and has started a national debate over who should be eligible for induction.Sharper, a five-time Pro Bowler, appeared on the list released Thursday because at least one Hall of Fame selector nominated Sharper. He also was nominated last year -- before he pleaded guilty in a case in which he was accused of drugging and raping up to 16 women in four states. Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced him to 18 years in prison.Hall of Fame spokesman Joe Horrigan explained there is no character clause in the bylaws, which are approved by the Hall of Fames board of directors. To be eligible for the nominating process, a player or coach must be retired for at least five years. Forty-eight voters nominate and select the players, coaches and contributors to appear on the ballot based solely on the contributions they have made to the sport, Horrigan said.To make the first of several cuts, a candidate must be nominated by at least one selector. Horrigan said he didnt know who nominated Sharper this year or last, and that everyone must abide by the rules that are approved by the Halls board of directors.We do have a committee that reviews the process every year, not just from that kind of question, but who can be elected, the number of selections we can have and how the system worked or if it could work better, Horrigan told The Associated Press on Friday. So I would anticipate this would always be part of the question. But I dont anticipate any groundswell (to change the rules) based on this one case.Sharper, who won a Super Bowl with New Orleans in 2010 and also played for Green Bay and Minnesota, is not likely to be elected. But its certainly not the first time the character question has been raised in regard to Hall of Fame selections.One of the most notable honorees is O.J. Simpson, who has been incarcerated in Nevada for the past eight years due to robbery and kidnapping following a 1995 acquittal on the infamous double-murder. Despite calls for his removal more than two decades ago, Simpson remains a member of pro footballs most prestigious club.And linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who has had a series of run-ins with the law -- mostly involving drugs or alcohol -- also remains in the Hall of Fame. He pleaded guilty to charges of sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute who was 16 years old. He was sentenced to six years of probation in 2011.We had to abide by our bylaws, and our bylaws do not have any provision for removal, Horrigan said, recalling the debate about Simpson. That was probably the highest-profile case that caused us to have discussions on the incident. But ultimately our board voted that it had to be determined on how he played the game.The public may not see it the same way. Fans and journalists expressed dismay with Twitter posts on Friday.This is not a character flaw, however. This is something even Sharper described at his sentencing as heinous, Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy wrote after the nominees were released Thursday. This is not someone who was mean to reporters or undermined his teammates or got in one too many bar fights. This is someone who has acknowledged he drugged women -- notice the plural there -- for the purpose of forcing himself on them while they were incapacitated. Yeezy 350 v2 Acheter . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Cream White Pas Cher . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. http://www.pascheryeezy350v2.fr/fausse-yeezy-350-v2-hyperspace.html .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. Yeezy 350 v2 Reflective Pas Cher . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Yeezy 350 V2 Grise Pas Cher . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. Three weeks after being fired by Texas, Charlie Strong was hired Sunday to be the coach at South Florida, returning to a region where he has deep roots and a conference where he has won championships.Strong was fired by Texas on Nov. 26, the day after coaching his final game with the Longhorns. At No. 25 USF, he replaces Willie Taggart, who left the Tampa school to become coach at Oregon just a few days ago.Charlie is a tremendous leader and mentor for our student-athletes and a widely-respected coach with a resume full of achievements at the highest levels of college football, USF athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. He combines a drive to win with great integrity and deep, long-standing connections in the state of Florida. The future of USF football is very bright under his direction.The Bulls went 10-2 this season and finished second in the American Athletic Conference East division to league champion Temple.Strong was 16-21 with no winning seasons in three years at Texas after replacing Mack Brown. Before going to Texas, Strong was 37-15 in fourr years at Louisville (2010-13), including 23-3 in the final two seasons.dddddddddddd.The Cardinals were in the Big East/American Athletic Conference when Strong was coach and they won at least a share of two league championships.The 56-year-old Strong has deep roots coaching in the state of Florida. He did three stints covering 13 seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Florida under Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook and Urban Meyer, mostly as defensive coordinator. He was also defensive coordinator at South Carolina from 1999-2002.Some of the best football talent in the country is right here in the Bay Area and throughout the state of Florida, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with the young men in the USF football program and build on the strong foundation already in place, Strong said in a statement.---More college football at http://collegefootball.ap.org/---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP ' ' '