In The News

108 Modern Era Nominees Announced For Class Of 2016

Pro Football Hall of Fame, September 16, 2015

Pro Football Hall of Fame

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CANTON, OHIO – Quarterback Brett Favre, who retired as the National Football League’s all-time leader in nearly every passing category, along with wide receiver Terrell Owens, guard Alan Faneca and safety Lawyer Milloy headline a list of first-time eligible Modern Era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016. The group also includes all the finalists from last year who were not elected. Those nominees are: kicker Morten Andersen, coaches Don Coryell, Tony Dungy and Jimmy Johnson; running back Terrell Davis, linebacker/defensive end Kevin Greene, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, safety John Lynch, tackle Orlando Pace and quarterback Kurt Warner.

The list of Modern Era nominees includes a total of 108 individuals under consideration for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2016. The nominees consist of 93 players (51 offense, 33 defense, 9 special teams) and 15 coaches. The Modern Era nominees will be trimmed to 25 semifinalists in November and, from there, to 15 finalists in January.

Eighteen finalists will be presented to the full 46-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual selection meeting on the eve of Super Bowl 50. The finalists will consist of 15 Modern Era finalists, the recently named senior candidates, Ken Stabler and Dick Stanfel, and 2016 contributor candidate Edward DeBartolo, Jr.

The Selection Committee will meet on Saturday, February 6, 2016 in San Francisco to elect the Class of 2016. While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the selection process by-laws provide that between four and eight new members will be selected.

The Senior finalists and Contributor finalist will be voted “yes” or “no” for election at the annual selection meeting and must receive at least 80 percent support from the Committee to be elected. The Modern Era finalists will be trimmed during the meeting from 15 to 10 and then from 10 to 5. The remaining five finalists will be voted on individually, “yes” or “no” and must receive the same 80 percent positive vote as the seniors and contributor candidates to earn election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Class of 2016 will be announced during the “NFL Honors” nationally broadcast award show that evening.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016 will be formally enshrined on Saturday, August 6, 2016. The enshrinement is one of three marquee events held in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium during the Enshrinement Weekend along with the Concert for Legends and the NFL/Hall of Fame Game.

The annual Enshrinement Ceremony is televised nationally by the Hall of Fame’s broadcast partners, NFL Network and ESPN.

Tickets

The 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend included record crowds for the Enshrinement, NFL/Hall of Fame Game and Concert for Legends. Now, for the first time ever, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is offering fans the opportunity to guarantee tickets to the three biggest events of the Enshrinement Weekend through an exclusive Pre-sale Program. Fans can visit ProFootballHOF.com/tickets now and pay a nominal one-time ticket reservation fee to ensure the opportunity to purchase tickets to the 2016 events, or enter a random ticket lottery.

Official Fan Packages to the 2016 Enshrinement Weekend are already on sale and may be purchased at HOFExperiences.com.

Fan Vote

For the third consecutive year, fans can visit nfl.com/hofvote and vote for their favorite Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee, presented by Ford, The Official Automobile of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Fans can also enter for a chance to win a 2016 Ford F-150 plus the ultimate football fan package, a VIP trip to Canton for the 2016 Enshrinement Weekend by going to Fordhalloffame.com.

Modern Era Nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2016

(108 nominees)
*Finalist in 2015; CAPS UNDERLINED indicate first year of eligibility

QUARTERBACKS (6)
Drew Bledsoe, BRETT FAVRE, Steve McNair, Phil Simms, Vinny Testaverde, *Kurt Warner

RUNNING BACKS (15)
Shaun Alexander, Ottis Anderson, Tiki Barber, Roger Craig, Stephen Davis, *Terrell Davis, Eddie George, Priest Holmes, Edgerrin James, Daryl Johnston, Jamal Lewis, CLINTON PORTIS, Herschel Walker (also KR), Ricky Watters, BRIAN WESTBROOK

WIDE RECEIVERS (9)
Isaac Bruce, Gary Clark, Henry Ellard (also PR), *Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt, TERRELL OWENS, Sterling Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith

TIGHT ENDS (2)
Mark Bavaro, Jay Novacek

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (19)
Tony Boselli (T), Jeff Bostic (C), Jim Covert (T), ALAN FANECA (G), Jay Hilgenberg (C), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), Joe Jacoby (T), Jon Jansen (T), Mike Kenn (T), Jim Lachey (T), Kevin Mawae (C/G), Mark May (G/T/C), Tom Nalen (C), Nate Newton (G), *Orlando Pace (T), Chris Samuels (T), Mark Schlereth (G), Steve Wisniewski (G)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (6)
Dexter Manley (DE), Charles Mann (DE), Leslie O’Neal (DE), Simeon Rice (DE), Fred Smerlas (NT), Bryant Young (DT)

LINEBACKERS (13)
Cornelius Bennett, Tedy Bruschi, KEITH BULLUCK, *Kevin Greene (also DE), Ken Harvey, Levon Kirkland, Clay Matthews, Willie McGinest (also DE), Karl Mecklenburg, Matt Millen, Sam Mills, Zach Thomas, MIKE VRABEL

DEFENSIVE BACKS (14)
Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Joey Browner (S), LeRoy Butler (S), Rodney Harrison (S), Ty Law (CB), Albert Lewis (CB), *John Lynch (S), LAWYER MILLOY (SS), DARREN SHARPER (FS), Shawn Springs (CB), Troy Vincent (CB/S), Everson Walls (CB), Darren Woodson (S)

KICKERS/PUNTER (6)
*Morten Andersen (K), Gary Anderson (K), JOHN CARNEY (K), Jason Elam (K), Sean Landeta (P), Nick Lowery (K)

SPECIAL TEAMS/POSITION PLAYERS (3)
ETHAN ALBRIGHT (LS), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB), Steve Tasker (also WR)

COACHES (15)
*Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, *Tony Dungy, Tom Flores, Mike Holmgren, *Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Pete Rodriguez, Lou Saban, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil

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Located in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of the National Football League, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Mission is to Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values, & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.

Hundreds of thousands of fans from across the globe travel to Canton annually to experience the exciting museum that chronicles America’s most popular sport. Millions more are reached through the Hall of Fame’s 100-plus special events held annually outside Canton and through the multiple nationally broadcast programs focused on the selection of the newest Class of Enshrinees and the Enshrinement Weekend. This year, the NFL’s Road to Super Bowl 50 began in Canton during the 2015 Enshrinement Weekend and will continue through the election of the Hall’s new class of enshrinees on the eve of the Super Bowl in San Francisco. Added to the Hall of Fame’s outreach schedule is a new traveling tour, “Honor the Heroes” a family-oriented interactive experience that will visit numerous cities across the country. Now in its third year of traveling, Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a large-scale traveling exhibition that presents a panoramic view of pro football’s story and includes hundreds of artifacts from the Hall’s expansive collection. Gridiron Glory will be at the Bullock Texas State History Museum from Sept. 26, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016 and is scheduled for three-month stays at various museums and cultural institutions through 2019. Enshrinees from the Class of 2015 along with numerous other Hall of Fame members will receive the spectacular Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence by Kay® Jewelers during ceremonies held in NFL stadiums during 13 of the 17 weeks of the 2015 NFL regular season. The Hometown Hall of Famer™ program presented by Ford honors Hall of Fame heroes with a program and permanent plaque to honor the Hall of Famer’s hometown support. Now in its 4th year, the US Army-Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence honors 20 high school students nationally for excellence in community service, academics and athletics. Construction on HOF Village, a $476 million development project, is under way in Canton to transform the Hall of Fame’s campus.

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