Detroit ? Troy Aikman made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s biggest class in years. The guy he threw to – Michael Irvin – will have to wait once again.

Reggie White, Warren Moon, Harry Carson, John Madden and Rayfield Wright also were elected Saturday. Not since 2001 had the maximum number of candidates been chosen.

Former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas was not elected. Thomas, who died from complications from injuries he suffered in an auto accident in 2000, was in his second season of eligibility and was among the 15 finalists.

Emmitt Smith, who joined with Aikman and Irvin to win three Super Bowls for the Dallas Cowboys, had campaigned vigorously for his two former teammates. But Irvin, plagued by off-the-field troubles in recent years, was left out in his second try.

“I wouldn’t want to get into why he didn’t make it in,” Aikman said. “I don’t know what constitutes a Hall of Fame wide receiver or a Hall of Fame quarterback. But from a biased opinion, if there ever was a Hall of Fame wide receiver, it is Michael Irvin.”

Irvin celebrated Aikman’s selection rather than bemoan his miss.

“Any level of disappointment I have is undermined by my joy for Troy,” said Irvin, who was sitting in the audience for the announcement. “Last year this time, I was in my room crying. I couldn’t move. Now, I’m out here, and I’m going to laugh and enjoy this moment for Troy.

“It’s not about me, it’s about Troy.”

The late White, the NFL career sacks leader when he retired in 2000, and star quarterbacks Aikman and Moon made it in their first year of eligibility.

Members of The Pro football hall of fame class of 2006 pose for a photograph. Shown from left Saturday in Detroit are Troy Aikman, John Madden, Sara White, widow of Reggie White, Warren Moon and Rayfield Wright. Not pictured is Harry Carson.

Moon became the first black quarterback in the Hall.

“To be the first African-American quarterback into the Hall of Fame, all African-American QBs who played before me should share in this,” Moon said.

Moon’s transient career took him from the CFL, where he won five straight Grey Cups, to Houston as a free agent in 1984. He also played for Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City and completed his career with 51,061 yards of total offense and 313 touchdowns.

The class of 2006 will be inducted the weekend of Aug. 5-6 in Canton, Ohio.