-->

• The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the place where football immortals are enshrined. Located in Ohio town of Canton, the Hall welcomes four to seven new members every summer with induction ceremonies and a pre-season National Football League game.

  On January 31, 2009, Bob Hayes, Randall McDaniel, Bruce Smith, Derrick Thomas, Ralph Wilson Jr. and Rod Woodson were selected as the 2009 inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• Fast Facts

  1. Established: 1963
  2. Most inductees: 26 ( Chicago and Green Bay)
  3. 2009 inductees announced on January 31, 2009
  4. Only three current teams not represented: Baltimore, Houston, and Jacksonville
  5. USC has most Pro Football Hall of Fame alumni (11)
  6. Between four and seven inducted annually
  7. Nominees must receive an 80% positive vote to be inducted
  8. Classes announced each year one day before the Super Bowl

• History

  Construction on the Hall began in Canton, Ohio, on August 11, 1962 and concluded the next year. Canton was selected as the location for a variety of reasons, including that the town had one of the first two professional football teams in the history of the country. A total of 16 players, coaches and team owners were inducted in the first induction ceremony in 1963.

• Expansion

  Originally a two room building, the Hall underwent three separate renovations in 1971, 1987 and 1995. Additionally, the gallery was renovated in 2003, forming what now stands as a two floor, 82,307 square foot building.

• Inductions

  Each year fans can nominate players, coaches and other members of team management for inclusion in the Hall. Players and coaches must be retired from the league for a minimum or five years to be eligible.

  A 44 person Board of Selectors then narrows the nominations down to 15 finalists. A separate Senior Board adds two further candidates to the final voting, held each year on the day before the Super Bowl.

• Ceremony and celebration

  Generally held the first weekend of August, between four and seven members are inducted into the Hall during the official induction ceremony. The following day a NFL pre-season game, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is held. Both events bring large numbers of spectators for the week long celebration of football's finest.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  National Football League | Super Bowl | NFL Draft | NFL on CBS | NFL on FOX | Sunday Night Football | Monday Night Football | Troy Aikman | Terry Bradshaw | Jim Brown | Paul Brown | Dick Butkus | Earl Campbell | Al Davis | Dan Dierdorf | Mike Ditka | Tony Dorsett | John Elway | Joe Gibbs | Frank Gifford | Red Grange | Joe Greene | George Halas | Franco Harris | Gene Hickerson | Michael Irvin | Jim Kelly | Tom Landry | Steve Largent | Vince Lombardi | Howie Long | Ronnie Lott | John Madden | Dan Marino | Bruce Matthews | Bobby Mitchell | Joe Montana | Joe Namath | Ray Nitschke | Walter Payton | John Riggins | Art Rooney | Barry Sanders | Charlie Sanders | Gale Sayers | Don Shula | O.J. Simpson | Bart Starr | Roger Staubach | Lynn Swann | Fran Tarkenton | Lawrence Taylor | Thurman Thomas | Jim Thorpe | Johnny Unitas | Gene Upshaw | Bill Walsh | Roger Wehrli | Reggie White | Steve Young | Derrick Thomas | Bob Hayes | AP College Football Poll

Categories

• View History
• Discuss on the Message Board
• Embed this Page
• Share this page