Pro Football Hall of Fame
Updated: 12/16/2025, 9:00:39 PM Wikipedia source
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coaches, officials, franchise owners, and front-office personnel, almost all of whom made their primary contributions to the game in the National Football League (NFL). Canton is often used as shorthand or metonym for the Hall of Fame. As of 2025, there are a total of 382 members of the Hall of Fame. Between four and nine new inductees are normally enshrined every year. For the 2020 class, a 20-person group consisting of five modern-era players and an additional 15 members, known as the "Centennial Slate", were elected to the Hall of Fame to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NFL. The Chicago Bears have the most inductees, with 34 (42, including players with minor portion of their career with team).
Infobox
Established
September 7, 1963; 62 years ago (1963-09-07)
Location
2121 George Halas Dr. NW, Canton, Ohio, U.S.
Coordinates
mw- 40°49′16″N 81°23′52″W / 40.82111°N 81.39778°W / 40.82111; -81.39778
Type
Professional sports hall of fame
President
Jim Porter
Website
profootballhof.com
Tables
· Ralph Hay Pioneer Award › Honorees
| Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
· Ralph Hay Pioneer Award › Honorees
1972
1972
Year
1972
Recipient
Fred Gehrke
Notability
Designer of the first football helmet logo
1975
1975
Year
1975
Recipient
Arch Ward
Notability
Founder of the Chicago College All-Star Game and All-America Football Conference
1986
1986
Year
1986
Recipient
John Facenda
Notability
Voice of NFL Films
Note(s)
Awarded the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2021
1992
1992
Year
1992
Recipient
David Boss
Notability
Photographer, artist, and logo designer
2001
2001
Year
2001
Recipient
George Toma
Notability
Groundskeeper at Arrowhead Stadium
2004
2004
Year
2004
Recipient
City of Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Notability
Birthplace of the Anthracite League and Pottsville Maroons
2007
2007
Year
2007
Recipient
Steve Sabol
Notability
Co-founder of NFL Films
Note(s)
Inducted to the Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2020
2012
2012
Year
2012
Recipient
Art McNally
Notability
Supervisor of officials for the NFL and World League, 1968–95
Note(s)
Inducted to the Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2022
2016
2016
Year
2016
Recipient
Joe Browne
Notability
50-year employee of the NFL central office
2022
2022
Year
2022
Recipient
Marion Motley
Notability
Reintegrated professional football in 1946
Note(s)
Inducted to the Hall of Fame 1968
Woody Strode
Woody Strode
Year
Woody Strode
Kenny Washington
Kenny Washington
Year
Kenny Washington
Bill Willis
Bill Willis
Year
Bill Willis
Recipient
Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1977
| Year | Recipient | Notability | Note(s) |
| 1972 | Fred Gehrke | Designer of the first football helmet logo | |
| 1975 | Arch Ward | Founder of the Chicago College All-Star Game and All-America Football Conference | |
| 1986 | John Facenda | Voice of NFL Films | Awarded the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2021 |
| 1992 | David Boss | Photographer, artist, and logo designer | |
| 2001 | George Toma | Groundskeeper at Arrowhead Stadium | |
| 2004 | City of Pottsville, Pennsylvania | Birthplace of the Anthracite League and Pottsville Maroons | |
| 2007 | Steve Sabol | Co-founder of NFL Films | Inducted to the Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2020 |
| 2012 | Art McNally | Supervisor of officials for the NFL and World League, 1968–95 | Inducted to the Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2022 |
| 2016 | Joe Browne | 50-year employee of the NFL central office | |
| 2022 | Marion Motley | Reintegrated professional football in 1946 | Inducted to the Hall of Fame 1968 |
| Woody Strode | |||
| Kenny Washington | |||
| Bill Willis | Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1977 |
References
- Akron-Canton Football Heritagehttps://books.google.com/books?id=xn8OgEg-Az4C&pg=PA117
- "Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees"https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2023/pro-football-hall-of-fame-to-enshrine-nine-in-class-of-2023/
- "15-person centennial slate for HOF revealed Jan. 15 on NFLN"https://www.nfl.com/news/15-person-centennial-slate-for-hof-revealed-jan-15-on-nfln-0ap3000001095433
- TheStreethttps://www.thestreet.com/lifestyle/sports/nfl-history-14761022
- "History of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – Visit | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site"https://www.profootballhof.com/visit/hall-of-fame-history/
- Youngstown Vindicatorhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ki9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9FgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3905%2C2480602
- Toledo Bladehttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xLBOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KQEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7319%2C6064901
- "The Pro Football Hall of Fame: Then and Now"http://www.profootballhof.com/hall/release.aspx?release_id=932
- pfhofhttps://www.profootballhof.com/hofvillage/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- www.prnewswire.comhttps://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hall-of-fame-village-llc-receives-multimillion-dollar-funding-through-constellations-efficiency-made-easy-program-302190370.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Live Nationhttps://www.livenation.com/venue/KovZpZAEvtaA/tom-benson-hall-of-fame-stadium-events?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Langanhttps://www.langan.com/portfolio/nfl-hall-fame-village-transportation-review-event-operations-plan?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- The Athletichttps://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4194476/2021/10/16/david-baker-pro-football-hall-of-fame-president-announces-retirement/
- Indoor Football Leaguehttps://goifl.com/sports/2020/11/22/ifl-hall-of-fame.aspx
- "Chicago Bears: Team History"http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.aspx?TeamAlias=chicago-bears&InfoTab=History
- "Selection Process"https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/selection-process
- ESPN.comhttp://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20126215/for-oj-simpson-welcome-mat-pro-football-hall-fame-canton-out
- NFL.comhttps://www.nfl.com/news/15-person-centennial-slate-for-hof-revealed-jan-15-on-nfln-0ap3000001095433
- CBS Sportshttps://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/jimmy-johnson-joins-bill-cowher-as-nfl-coaches-to-be-part-of-hall-of-fames-centennial-class-of-2020/
- NFL.comhttps://www.nfl.com/news/pro-football-hall-of-fame-centennial-class-revealed-0ap3000001096785
- "2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Schedule"https://web.archive.org/web/20120120020314/http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/festivalschedule.aspx
- NFL.comhttps://www.nfl.com/news/pro-football-hall-of-fame-s-gold-jacket-stands-as-strong-symbol-0ap2000000371635
- Pro Football Hall of Famehttp://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/story.aspx?story_id=2454
- "Start Time for Class of 2022 Enshrinement Set for Noon on Saturday, Aug. 6 | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site"https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2022/03/start-time-for-class-of-2022-enshrinement-set-for-noon-on-saturday-aug-6/
- ProFootballHOF.comhttps://www.profootballhof.com/black-college-football-hall-of-fame/
- WKYC.comhttps://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/football/pro-football-hall-of-fame-unveils-exhibit-honoring-hbcu-legends/95-c25045ee-f6bb-4250-9395-d58e6bfdb373
- Football Learning Academyhttps://www.football-learning-academy.com/pages/blog
- NFL.comhttps://www.nfl.com/news/pro-football-hall-of-fame-honors-the-late-john-facenda-with-pete-rozelle-radio-t
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Sitehttps://www.profootballhof.com/news/2016/07/joe-browne-to-receive-the-pro-football-hall-of-fames-ralph-hay-pioneer-award/
- National Football Leaguehttps://www.nfl.com/news/forgotten-four-of-marion-motley-woody-strode-kenny-washington-bill-willis-select
- The New York Timeshttps://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/how-to-fix-footballs-hall-of-fame-voting-system/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/sports/football/25score.html?_r=1
- Football Zebrashttp://www.footballzebras.com/2018/02/why-art-mcnally-is-long-overdue-to-be-the-first-official-in-the-pro-football-hall-of-fame/
- Football Zebrashttps://www.footballzebras.com/2021/08/art-mcnally-father-of-modern-nfl-officiating-is-the-candidate-to-be-the-first-official-in-the-pro-football-hall-of-fame/
- Football Zebrashttps://www.footballzebras.com/2022/02/art-mcnally-father-of-modern-nfl-officiating-is-the-first-official-in-the-pro-football-hall-of-fame/
- Sports Illustratedhttps://web.archive.org/web/20101006210159/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/nfl/08/02/cosell/index.html
- NFL Sports Bloghttp://inducthowardcosell.blogspot.com/
- ProPublicahttps://www.propublica.org/article/for-darren-sharper-a-place-in-prison-but-in-hall-of-fame-too
- CBSSports.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20220810142203/https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/one-hall-of-fame-voter-sheds-light-on-why-terrell-owens-didnt-make-it-in/
- The Washington Posthttps://web.archive.org/web/20220810142113/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/07/12/hall-of-fame-to-answer-terrell-owenss-snub-by-refusing-to-announce-his-induction/