Bill Polian defends Hall of Fame vote: '95% sure' I did not conspire against Bill Belichick

Tuesday's stunning news that legendary New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer begged an initial question: Who didn't vote for him?

ESPN's initial story on Belichick's snub, which reported that he fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes needed and "politics" kept him out, offered some potential insight into that question. According to Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham, a source said that former Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian told other voters he believed Belichick should "wait a year" to be in the Hall of Fame because of his roles in cheating scandals.

Polian, whose Colts teams were often rivals to Belichick's Patriots, denied those allegations to ESPN, but also seemingly left the door open to whether or not he voted for Belichick.

Here's what to know about Bill Polian's potential non-vote for Bill Belichick's first-ballot Hall of Fame bid.

MORE: Why Bill Belichick isn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer after controversial vote

Did Bill Polian vote for Bill Belichick?

When ESPN broke that Belichick would not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer on Tuesday night, it reported one source as saying "politics kept him out," with the coach himself asking if "six Super Bowls isn't enough, considering his spectacular resume. 

The Hall of Fame includes primarily longtime NFL reporters and writers, but also former figures, like executives and coaches. It included Polian, who is a former GM for the Bills, Panthers and Colts. He was at the helm in Indianapolis throughout Belichick's first decade in New England, with Peyton Manning and the Colts having a rivalry with Tom Brady's Patriots.

ESPN reported that multiple sources said Belichick's two cheating scandals, Spygate and Deflategate, came up in the conversations of voters — and one voter told ESPN that Polian told other voters Belichick deserves to "wait a year" before his Hall of Fame induction due to those scandals.

"The only explanation [for the outcome] was the cheating stuff," a Hall of Fame voter told ESPN. "It really bothered some of the guys."

MORE: 3 reasons why Bill Belichick snub isn't as egregious as it may seem

However, Polian denied those allegations in the ESPN story, saying he heard other voters "float that idea," but he took no part in it. And while Polian said he voted for longtime Patriots owner Robert Kraft for the Hall of Fame, he "could not remember with 100% certainty if he voted for Belichick, saying he was 95% sure he voted for the coach and a player."

"I was shocked to learn Bill didn't get in," Polian told ESPN. "He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."

But considering Polian was willing to confirm his Kraft vote, but not fully confirm his Belichick vote, it left others thinking he was covering up his non-vote for the legendary Patriots head coach.

In the hours after the ESPN story was released, Polian also denied the allegations that he was an influence in Belichick's snub to Sports Illustrated, claiming he did vote for Belichick.

“That’s totally and categorically untrue," Polian told Matt Verderame. "I voted for him."

At minimum, Polian has moved a bit back-and-forth on whether or not he voted for Belichick. And one way or another, there appears to have been discussions among voters about Belichick's role in multiple scandals to keep him out of the Hall of Fame for one year. Whether or not Polian led those conversations can't be confirmed, but the former Colts GM has denied those allegations.

MORE: The NFL world reacts to Bill Belichick missing out on Hall of Fame

Who didn't vote for Bill Belichick?

It can't be confirmed which voters did not vote for Bill Belichick in this year's Hall of Fame ballot. The names of the 50 voters are known, but it's up to those voters to disclose their ballots. But they are not required to do so. At least 10 voters did not select Belichick, however. 

A few voters have come out and claimed they voted for Belichick, including Gary Myers, Dan Pompei, Mike Sando and Mary Kay Cabot. However, other than their word, it cannot be confirmed whether or not they did vote for Belichick.

Here's a look at the list of the 50 Hall of Fame voters.

MORE: What we know about Bill Belichick's snub from Hall of Fame first-ballot