Pro Football Hall of Fame facts for kids
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| Established | September 7, 1963 |
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| Location | 2121 George Halas Dr NW, Canton, Ohio |
| Type | Professional sports hall of fame |
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is a special museum in Canton, Ohio. It celebrates the best people in American football. This includes amazing players, coaches, officials, team owners, and others who helped the sport grow. Most of these people made their biggest impact in the National Football League (NFL).
The Hall of Fame first opened its doors on September 7, 1963. As of 2023, there are 371 members in the Hall of Fame. Each year, usually between four and nine new members are chosen. In 2020, a special group of 20 people was added. This "Centennial Slate" celebrated the NFL's 100th birthday. The Chicago Bears team has the most members in the Hall of Fame.
Contents
The Hall of Fame Story: How it Began
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The city of Canton, Ohio worked hard to have the Hall of Fame built there. They had three main reasons why Canton was the perfect spot.
First, the NFL was actually started in Canton. This happened on September 17, 1920. Back then, it was called the American Professional Football Association. Second, the Canton Bulldogs were a very successful football team. They were the NFL's first team to win championships two years in a row (in 1922 and 1923). Third, the people of Canton raised almost $400,000 to help build the Hall of Fame.
Work on the building started on August 11, 1962. The Hall of Fame officially opened to the public on September 7, 1963.
Growing Bigger: Expansions Over Time
The first building was quite small, with only two rooms. But the Hall of Fame quickly became popular! So, they started making it bigger.
- In April 1970, they began the first expansion. This added another room and a gift shop. It was finished in May 1971. After this, more than 200,000 people visited each year. This was partly because professional football became more popular.
- Another expansion started in November 1977. It was completed in November 1978. This project made the gift shop and research library larger. It also doubled the size of the theater.
- The building stayed mostly the same until July 1993. Then, a big expansion added a fifth room. This was finished on October 1, 1995. A cool new part was the GameDay Stadium. It shows NFL films on a huge screen.
- The Hall of Fame had its largest expansion and makeover in 2013. It is now much bigger than when it first opened!
Hall of Fame Village: A New Project
Next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there's a huge project called Hall of Fame Village. This project is still being built. The first part was finished in 2022. It aims to create a whole area for football fans to enjoy.
Leaders of the Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame has had several important leaders over the years. They are called Executive Directors or Presidents.
- Dick McCann (1962 – 1967)
- Dick Gallagher (1968 – 1975)
- Pete Elliott (1979 – 1996)
- John Bankert (1996 – 2005)
- Steve Perry (2006 – 2014)
- David Baker (2014 – 2021)
- Jim Porter (2021 – present)
Who Gets In? The Inductees
Most people in the Hall of Fame played in the NFL. One player, Billy Shaw, played his whole career in the American Football League (AFL). This was before the AFL and NFL joined together in 1970.
Some Hall of Famers also played in other leagues. These include the Canadian Football League or the Arena Football League. But to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, they must have made big contributions to the NFL, AFL, or All-America Football Conference.
There are also separate Halls of Fame for other leagues. For example, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Football Hall of Fame. Only a few people are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and another league's Hall of Fame.
The Chicago Bears team has the most Hall of Famers.
How Are Inductees Chosen?
The Selection Committee
A group of 50 people chooses who gets into the Hall of Fame. This group is called the Selection Committee. Most of them are media members, like sports reporters. Each city with an NFL team sends one person from their local media. There are also 15 other members.
The Voting Process
To be considered, a player or coach must have been retired for at least five years. Other people, like team owners, can be voted in at any time.
Fans can suggest anyone they think should be in the Hall of Fame. They can do this by writing a letter or email. The Selection Committee then narrows down the list. First, they pick 25 semi-finalists. Then, they choose 15 finalists.
There are also special committees for "Seniors" (players who finished their careers more than 25 years ago) and "Contributors" (people who helped the game but weren't players or coaches). These committees add one or two more finalists each year. This makes a final list of 18 people to consider. The committee members only look at what a person did in professional football.
The Selection Committee meets the day before the Super Bowl game. This is called "Selection Saturday." To be chosen, a person must get at least 80% of the votes. Each year, at least four, but no more than nine, people are elected.
The 2020 Centennial Slate
In 2020, a special group of 15 new members was chosen. This was to celebrate the NFL's 100th anniversary. This group was called the Centennial Slate. Ten of these were "seniors" (players from a long time ago).
Hall of Fame president David Baker surprised some of the new members on TV. He told Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson they were chosen while they were working as TV analysts. The other 13 members were announced a few days later.
These 13 members were: Jim Covert, Winston Hill, Harold Carmichael, Duke Slater, Ed Sprinkle, Steve Sabol, Alex Karras, Bobby Dillon, Donnie Shell, George Young, Cliff Harris, Mac Speedie, and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. They were officially honored in 2021 because of COVID-19. But they are still part of the 2020 Centennial Class.
The Enshrinement Ceremony
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The enshrinement ceremony is a big event. It kicks off the NFL season each year. This celebration happens in Canton during a special week. All past Hall of Fame members are invited to attend.
When someone is inducted, they are not chosen as a member of a specific team. Instead, all the teams they played for are listed equally. Unlike baseball, where plaques show players in a team cap, football busts don't show any specific team. New inductees get a special Gold Jacket. Past inductees almost always wear their Gold Jackets to the ceremonies.
The ceremony used to be held on the steps of the Hall of Fame building. Since 2002, it has been held at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. This stadium is also in Canton.
The Hall of Fame Game
The Hall of Fame Game is the first NFL preseason game of the year. It is played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. This game officially starts the NFL preseason and is part of the Enshrinement Week.
Black College Football Hall of Fame Exhibit
The Pro Football Hall of Fame museum has a special area. It honors the members of the Black College Football Hall of Fame. These two organizations started working together in 2016. They also created the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic game. This game is played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Ralph Hay Pioneer Award
The Ralph Hay Pioneer Award is a very special honor. The Pro Football Hall of Fame gives it to people who have made important and new contributions to professional football. It's named after Ralph Hay, who helped start the NFL. This award is the highest honor given by the Hall of Fame, besides being inducted as a member.
Only a few people have received this award and also become Hall of Fame inductees. These include Steve Sabol, Art McNally, Marion Motley, and Bill Willis.
Award Honorees
| Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| Year | Recipient | Notability | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Fred Gehrke | Designed the first football helmet logo | |
| 1975 | Arch Ward | Started the Chicago College All-Star Game | |
| 1986 | John Facenda | The voice of NFL Films | |
| 1992 | David Boss | Photographer and logo designer | |
| 2001 | George Toma | Groundskeeper at Arrowhead Stadium | |
| 2004 | City of Pottsville, Pennsylvania | Birthplace of the Pottsville Maroons team | |
| 2007 | Steve Sabol | Co-founder of NFL Films | Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2020 |
| 2012 | Art McNally | Supervisor of officials for the NFL | Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2022 |
| 2016 | Joe Browne | Worked for the NFL for 50 years | |
| 2022 | Marion Motley | Helped bring Black players back to pro football in 1946 | Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1968 |
| Woody Strode | |||
| Kenny Washington | |||
| Bill Willis | Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1977 |
See also
- List of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Canadian Football Hall of Fame
- Arena Football Hall of Fame
- Indoor Football League Hall of Fame
- Dick McCann Memorial Award
- Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award
