Imagine sitting at the head table for dinner the night before the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2013.

Brett Favre cackles through gray stubble, and Michael Strahan flashes that gap-toothed grin after someone brings up that infamous phantom sack – that someone most likely being Warren Sapp, laughing through all five courses.

“Those guys are great characters, and very good football players. I'm sure there'll be a lot of great stories exchanged – and most of them will be embellished quite a bit,” said Green Bay tackle Mark Tauscher, who helped protect Favre from the likes of Strahan and Sapp for the better part of a decade.

Their stories might be embellished, but their resumes don't need to be.

Favre, Strahan and Sapp have retired, costing the NFL three potential first-ballot Hall of Famers with XXXL-sized personalities. Dominant offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden also left the game this offseason, joining former Baltimore teammate Steve McNair in retirement. Many expect guard Larry Allen to retire, too, and the future of linebacker Junior Seau is uncertain.

Sports talk radio and football Web sites already are buzzing with speculation that the Class of 2013 might be the Hall's best.

If Allen and Seau join Favre, Strahan, Sapp and Ogden in retirement, the NFL will lose a combined 27 first-team All-Pro selections. Favre, Strahan, Sapp, Ogden and Allen have Super Bowl rings. McNair came oh-so-close with Tennessee, and Seau deserves a place in the debate about the best players to never win a ring.

Ogden low-key

Ogden wasn't a nationally recognized personality like Favre, Strahan or Sapp, and didn't want to be. He was content with silencing the opponent's top rusher every week.

Ogden told Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome he was retiring a few weeks ago.

“True to J.O. form, he wanted no fanfare,” Newsome said. “That was almost a month ago, and he asked me to just keep it between he and I.

“And I was able to do that. And that's hard to do in this business.”

Ogden said he preferred to say “take it easy” and walk away without a news conference, but Newsome wouldn't let him.

Ogden's humble approach stands in sharp contrast to Favre, who kept Packers fans on edge for months by repeatedly flirting with retirement the past several offseasons. Even after announcing his retirement in March, he keeps dropping hints that his decision isn't final.

“There are always second thoughts, but that's not saying I am coming back,” Favre said in April. “It's never a clear-cut decision. It's something I can't expect everyone to understand.”

Of course, it's hard to blame Favre for second-guessing himself. Aside from a few cold-weather games last season, he always seemed to be having so much fun out there.

Strahan set the NFL's single-season record of 221/2 sacks in 2001, getting the last one in the season finale when Favre mysteriously fell late in the game. Many believed Favre took a dive for a player he respected, something both players have denied. Strahan said he would be honored to go into the Hall of Fame with Favre.

“That would be great,” Strahan said. “I hope he makes it the same year as I do.”

Strahan was joking, of course – just like you'd expect.

Favre had an even more celebrated back-and-forth with Sapp, especially during Sapp's days in Tampa Bay.

Sapp announced his retirement in uncharacteristically low-key fashion, posting “I'm done” on his Web site, qbkilla.com, a few days after the season. For Sapp, it was the first time in a long time that he had little to say.

A defensive tackle whose mouth moved just as fast as his feet, Sapp and Favre seemed to relish their confrontations on the field.

“We were both after the same thing, both after a championship, and our teams being on top of our games,” Sapp recalled last season. “It was just one of those deals where it was just a combative thing, but I think a little admiration between us, too.”

Sapp doesn't see similar friendly rivalries taking root with the next generation of players, sucking some of the fun out of the game.

Tauscher disagreed, saying new stars and stories are bound to emerge.

“Obviously, those guys are going to be tough to replace,” Tauscher said.

“But the thing about this league is, there's always somebody coming around the corner. Those guys are obviously legendary guys and great football players, great with the media.

“You guys have to cover something, and I'm sure something will come up.” AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan contributed.