The Pro Football Hall of Fame Continues to Evolve

The year was 1989. The site was the steps of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The four-man class was comprised of cornerback Mel Blount, quarterback Terry Bradshaw, tackle Art Shell, and safety Willie Wood.

The ceremony was on the steps on a Saturday morning. The Hall of Fame Game between the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins was played later that afternoon. Faucet Stadium was a high school facility.

It was my first appearance at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was an amazing experience and I have been pretty much a regular attendee ever since.

There have been many changes in Canton since and the ceremonies overall. In 1999, the Hall of Fame Game became a prime time event when the Cleveland Browns re-entered the league as an expansion team after a three-year hiatus. In 2002, the enshrinement ceremonies were moved from directly outside the hall to the stadium itself. That had everything to do with the large following Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Jim Kelly brought to Canton.

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Going Forward

Flash forward to August 6, 2022. There’s a new Pro Football Hall of Fame president in Jim Porter. The playing facility has been known as Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium and it has been expanded. There’s a Hall of Fame Village that continues to expand and grow on a monthly basis.

The voting process continues to change as well. The latest alteration comes with expanding the Senior Committee’s nominee. Starting with 2023 and over a three-year period, there will be three senior nominees. There had been a lot of discussion regarding the older players who are no longer eligible for the Modern Day class. And it’s important to remind people that pro football began in 1898 and the NFL as it is now known started in 1920. The first Pro Football Hall of Fame class came in 1963.

But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed when it comes to Canton and this week of celebrating football. It’s a community where nearly 3,000 people volunteer their services to make sure the enshrinees, their families and all the guests are well taken care of.