TIPPETT

As he waited for the phone call on whether he’d been chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2007 yesterday, former Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett was taken back to the spring day in 1982 when he was waiting to see who had chosen him in the NFL Draft.

Though Tippett’s draft day 25 years ago ended happily — New England chose him out of Iowa in the second round — yesterday was bittersweet.

The 47-year old Tippett was not among the six men chosen for enshrinement this year, though he was one of the top 10 after beginning the day as one of 17 finalists.

While it was tough to get so far and fall short, Tippett found solace in the fact that his advancing to the top 10 means he’ll likely be chosen soon.

"I was prepared either way," he said. "It’s an honor in itself, and to make it to the final 10 shows that I’m not just blowing smoke."

The 40-man selection committee, made up of one media member from each of the 32 NFL markets plus eight at-large members, convened at 7:30 in the morning and debated until just after 2 p.m. Tippett stayed busy in the morning, taking his son to karate, and then went to breakfast with his son and one of his friends. After that, he relaxed and waited.

"It was tough" to sit and wait for word to come, Tippett said. "It was almost like getting ready to get drafted again. I was in Iowa City, and people were saying I might go late first round. I talked to a couple of teams. It was sort of that feeling today."

Already a Patriots Hall of Famer, Tippett had been told that this might be his year. There were no perceived "locks" for induction this year, and each Hall class must have at least three and no more than six members.

A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks from the strongside linebacking spot, including 18½ in 1984. He was named to the league’s team of the decade for the 1980s.

Tippett said he’s encouraged to know that he got to the top 10.

"I’ve persevered through a lot in my life. It isn’t the end for me; the door isn’t closed. I like my chances," he said.

Surprisingly, recently retired NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue was not selected, a move that caught Tippett off guard.

"Paul has done a lot for the NFL. You can never make everyone happy, but his legacy, what he brought (to the league), I thought he did a (heck) of a job," he said