LAKE FOREST, Ill. – For the fourth time in the last five years, all-time Bears sack leader Richard Dent on Tuesday was named as one of 17 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008.

Richard Dent hopes to join 26 other Bears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Dent played 12 of his 15 NFL seasons with the Bears, registering a franchise-high 124½ sacks. He was named Super Bowl XX MVP, was an integral part of a championship defense that is considered one of the best in NFL history, and was selected to four Pro Bowls.

The 6-5, 265-pound defensive end led the NFC with a team-record 17½ sacks in 1984 before recording 17 sacks in 1985 while helping the Bears win their first league title in 22 years.

The Hall of Fame’s Board of Selectors will meet in Phoenix on Feb. 2, the day before Super Bowl XLII, and choose 4-7 inductees.

The other 16 finalists announced Tuesday included two first-year eligible players (wide receiver Cris Carter and cornerback Darrell Green); 11 modern-era players (defensive end Fred Dean; linebackers Randy Gradishar, Derrick Thomas and Andre Tippett; guards Russ Grimm, Bob Kuechenberg and Randall McDaniel; punter Ray Guy; wide receivers Art Monk and Andre Reed; and tackle Gary Zimmerman); one contributor (former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue); and two players nominated earlier by the Hall’s Senior Committee (Marshall Goldberg and Emmitt Thomas).

A year ago, Dent survived the cut from 17 finalists to 11, but he was eliminated when the list was pared to the final six. Those six then all received the 80 percent vote required to gain entry. 

The Hall of Fame’s Class of 2007 consisted of Gene Hickerson, Michael Irvin, Bruce Matthews, Charlie Sanders, Thurman Thomas and Roger Wehrli.

Dent was also chosen as a finalist in 2004 and 2005.

The enshrinement of the Class of 2008 will take place at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday, Aug. 2 at 5 p.m. (CT). The ceremony will be televised by both ESPN and NFL Network.

The Bears have an NFL-high 26 players in the Hall of Fame, including three of Dent’s former teammates: Running back Walter Payton, middle linebacker Mike Singletary and defensive lineman Dan Hampton.