FINALISTS FOR SPECIAL CENTENNIAL SLATE REVEALED See All News

A special Blue-Ribbon Panel comprised of many members of the overall Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, Hall of Famers, coaches, football executives and several leading historians has scrutinized the merits of nearly 300 candidates nominated for consideration as part of the Hall’s special Centennial Class of 2020. The group of nominees has been reduced to a list of finalists that will be debated in a meeting in early January and voted on by the Blue-Ribbon Panel to elect the 15-member “Centennial Slate” to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Those new enshrinees will be revealed in the days following the vote.

The following finalists will be deliberated by the Blue-Ribbon Panel in January from which 10 Seniors, three (3) Contributors and two (2) Coaches will be elected to the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.



COACHES (8 FINALISTS) – Coaches who last coached more than five seasons ago

Don Coryell – 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986

Bill Cowher – 1992-2006

Tom Flores – 1979-1987 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-94

Mike Holmgren – 1992-98 , 1999-2008

Jimmy Johnson – 1989-1993 , 1996-99

Buddy Parker – 1949 Chicago Cardinals, 1951-56 , 1957-1964

Dan Reeves – 1981-1992 , 1993-96 , 1997-2003

Dick Vermeil – 1976-1982 , 1997-99 , 2001-05

CONTRIBUTORS (10 FINALISTS) – An individual other than a player or coach

Bud Adams, Owner – 1960-2013 Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Titans

Ralph Hay, Owner – 1918-1922 Canton Bulldogs

Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Scout/General Manager/Executive – 1960-61 , 1962-64 Washington Redskins, 1965-1970 , 1971-2006

Art McNally, Official/Administrator – 1959-2015 National Football League

Art Modell, Owner – 1961-1995 , 1996-2011

Clint Murchison, Founder/Owner – 1960-1983

Steve Sabol, Administrator/President – 1964-2012 NFL Films

Seymour Siwoff, Owner/President – 1952-2019 Elias Sports Bureau

Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League

George Young, Contributor/General Manager – 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-78 , 1979-1997 , 1998-2001 National Football League

SENIORS (20 FINALISTS) – A player who last played more than 25 seasons ago

Cliff Branch, WR – 1972-1985 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Harold Carmichael, WR – 1971-1983 , 1984

Jim Covert, T – 1983-1990

Roger Craig, RB – 1983-1990 , 1991 Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-93

Bobby Dillon, S – 1952-59

LaVern Dilweg, E – 1926 Milwaukee Badgers, 1927-1934

Ox Emerson, G/LB/C – 1931-37 Portsmouth Spartans/ , 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers

Randy Gradishar, LB – 1974-1983

Cliff Harris, S – 1970-79

Winston Hill, T – 1963-1976 , 1977 Los Angeles Rams

Cecil Isbell, TB/DB/HB – 1938-1942

Alex Karras, DT – 1958-1962, 1964-1970

Verne Lewellen, HB – 1924-27, 1928-1932 , 1927 New York Yankees

Tommy Nobis, LB – 1966-1976

Drew Pearson, WR – 1973-1983

Donnie Shell, S – 1974-1987

Duke Slater, T – 1922 Milwaukee Badgers, 1922-25 Rock Island Independents, 1926-1931 Chicago Cardinals

Mac Speedie, E – 1946-1952 [AAFC/NFL]

Ed Sprinkle, DE/LB/E – 1944-1955

Al Wistert, OT/DT/G – 1943 Phil-Pitt, 1944-1951

MODERN-ERA PLAYERS

The remainder of the one-time 20-person Class of 2020 will include five Modern-Era Players who will be elected from 15 finalists by the full Selection Committee on “Selection Saturday,” the eve of Super Bowl LIV in Miami. The list of the Modern-Era Player finalists will be announced on Jan. 2, 2020.

ENSHRINEMENT FOR CLASS OF 2020

The entire 20-person Class of 2020 will be on hand for the 2020 Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls. The group of Modern-Era players along with contributors and coaches will be formally enshrined on Saturday, Aug. 8. The 10 seniors will take center stage in the once-in-every-other-lifetime Centennial Celebration in Canton on Sept. 16-19, 2020 when they are enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

The Centennial Celebration will feature a multi-day schedule of events celebrating the NFL’s 100th Birthday party including the dedication of the new Centennial Plaza in downtown Canton near the site where the NFL was founded; and a black-tie Centennial Spectacular to kick off the league’s next century in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium showcasing thousands of NFL Legends who built the game in attendance along with world-class performances from a variety of music icons.

Specific details and ticket information will be announced shortly after the unveiling of the “Centennial Slate.” For more information, visit www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/.