Super Bowl winners, founding members of the NFL, some of the most important figures in league and team building as well as some of the most decorated players in league history highlight the 38 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Centennial Class.
The finalists were announced Thursday and the Centennial Class will be chosen as part of the NFL’s 100th anniversary. The 38 finalists will now be trimmed to 15 — 10 seniors players, three contributors and two coaches — on Jan. 8 in Canton, Ohio, by a panel of Hall of Famers, coaches, former league executives, members of the Hall of Fame’s board of selectors and league historians.
The 15 chosen Jan. 8 will comprise the Centennial Class. The Centennial Class will be formally enshrined in the Hall of Fame on Sept. 16-19, as part of the 100th-anniversary celebration. That is all in addition to the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 that will be chosen and announced the day before Super Bowl LIV in Miami, and those five modern-era selections will be enshrined in August.
Coaches (two will be chosen for Centennial Class):
- Don Coryell (St. Louis Cardinals 1973-77; San Diego Chargers ’78-86)
- Bill Cowher (Pittsburgh Steelers 1992-2006)
- Tom Flores (Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders 1979-87; Seattle Seahawks ’92-94)
- Mike Holmgren (Green Bay Packers 1992-98; Seahawks ’99-2008)
- Jimmy Johnson (Dallas Cowboys 1989-93; Miami Dolphins ’96-99)
- Buddy Parker (Chicago Cardinals 1949; Detroit Lions ’51-56; Steelers ’57-64)
- Dan Reeves (Denver Broncos 1981-92; New York Giants ’93-96; Atlanta Falcons ’97-2003)
- Dick Vermeil (Philadelphia Eagles 1976-82; St. Louis Rams ’97-99; Kansas City Chiefs 2001-05)
- Seniors (10 will be chosen for the Centennial Class):
- Cliff Branch, WR (Raiders 1972-85)
- Harold Carmichael, WR (Eagles 1971-83; Cowboys ’84)
- Jim Covert, OL (Chicago Bears 1982-90)
- Roger Craig, RB (San Francisco 49ers 1983-90; Raiders ’91; Minnesota Vikings ’92-93)
- Bobby Dillon, DB (Packers 1952-59)
- LaVern Dilweg, WR (Milwaukee Badgers 1926; Packers ’27-34)
- Ox Emerson, OL (Portsmouth Spartans 1931-33; Lions ’34-37; Brooklyn Dodgers ’38)
- Randy Gradishar, LB (Broncos 1974-83)
- Cliff Harris, DB (Cowboys 1970-79)
- Winston Hill, OL (New York Jets 1963-76; Los Angeles Rams ’77)
- Cecil Isbell, RB and DB (Packers 1938-42)
- Alex Karras, DT (Lions 1958-70)
- Verne Lewellen, RB (Packers 1924-27 and ’28-32); New York Yankees (’27)
- Tommy Nobis, LB (Falcons 1966-76)
- Drew Pearson, WR (Cowboys 1973-83)
- Donnie Shell, DB (Steelers 1974-87)
- Duke Slater, OL (Badgers 1922; Rock Island Independents ’22-25; Chicago Cardinals ’26-31)
- Mac Speedie, WR (Browns 1946-52)
- Ed Sprinkle, LB and DL (Bears 1944-55)
- Al Wistert, OL (Eagles 1943-51)