Going to Canton

*CANTON, OHIO – The full 15-person Centennial Slate for the Class of 2020 was revealed today. The special slate of enshrinees consisting of 10 Seniors (players who last played more than 25 years ago), three Contributors (an individual other than a player or coach) and two Coaches were elected by a special Blue-Ribbon Panel during a meeting at the Hall of Fame last week. It marked the first time in history that a group of enshrinees was selected during a meeting held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The two coaches, BILL COWHER and JIMMY JOHNSON, were surprised by Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker, who informed them of their election on their respective studio shows during last weekend’s NFL divisional playoff games.

The Centennial Slate of Enshrinees will be joined in the Class of 2020 by five Modern-Era Players who will be elected on “Selection Saturday,” the day before Super LIV in Miami. Those five individuals will be revealed and join the members of the Centennial Slate on NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on the eve of Super Bowl LIV at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Details and ticket information for the annual Enshrinement Ceremony and the Centennial Celebration will be revealed in the coming weeks.

COACHES

  • Bill Cowher – 1992-2006 Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Jimmy Johnson – 1989-1993 Dallas Cowboys, 1996-99 Miami Dolphins

CONTRIBUTOR

  • Steve Sabol, Administrator/President – 1964-2012 NFL Films
  • Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
  • George Young, Contributor/General Manager – 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-78 Miami Dolphins, 1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 National Football League

SENIORS

  • Harold Carmichael, WR – 1971-1983 Philadelphia Eagles, 1984 Dallas Cowboys
  • Jim Covert, T – 1983-1990 Chicago Bears
  • Bobby Dillon, S – 1952-59 Green Bay Packers
  • Cliff Harris, S – 1970-79 Dallas Cowboys
  • Winston Hill, T – 1963-1976 New York Jets, 1977 Los Angeles Rams
  • Alex Karras, DT – 1958-1962, 1964-1970 Detroit Lions
  • Donnie Shell, S – 1974-1987 Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Duke Slater, T – 1922 Milwaukee Badgers, 1922-25 Rock Island Independents
  • Mac Speedie, E – 1946-1952 Cleveland Browns [AAFC/NFL]
  • Ed Sprinkle, DE/LB/E – 1944-1955 Chicago Bears

CENTENNIAL SLATE BLUE-RIBBON PANEL

The Centennial Slate Blue-Ribbon Panel was comprised of many members of the overall Selection Committee in addition to Hall of Famers, coaches, football executives and several leading historians. The panel considered nearly 300 nominees in the lengthy process to elect the slate.

“This was the most thorough vetting of candidates in the Hall’s history and it needed to be. Our charge was to scour 100 years of professional football and find the most deserving candidates who have slipped through the cracks,” commented veteran Hall of Fame Selector Rick Gosselin. “All 38 finalists for the Centennial Slate were Hall of Fame worthy but we could only choose 15. I am proud to be a part of this process that honors these men who shaped the NFL in its first century.”

  • Bill Belichick – New England Patriots Head Coach
  • Jarrett Bell – Hall of Fame Selector, USA Today
  • Gil Brandt – Pro Football Hall of Fame Contributor
  • Joel Bussert – Former NFL Executive, Pro Football Historian
  • John Clayton – Hall of Fame Selector, The Washington Post
  • Frank Cooney – Hall of Fame Selector, Sports Xchange
  • John Czarnecki – Hall of Fame Selector, FOX Sports
  • Rick Gosselin – Hall of Fame Selector, Talk of Fame Network
  • Elliot Harrison – Pro Football Historian and Long-time TV Analyst
  • Joe Horrigan – Retired Pro Football Hall of Fame Executive Director, Football Historian
  • Ira Kaufman – Hall of Fame Selector, JoeBucsFan.com
  • Dick LeBeau – Pro Football Hall of Fame Cornerback, Longtime NFL coach
  • Jeff Legwold – Hall of Fame Selector, ESPN/ESPN.com
  • John Madden – Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach
  • John McClain – Hall of Fame Selector, Houston Chronicle
  • Gary Myers – Hall of Fame Selector, Sports Illustrated
  • Ozzie Newsome – Pro Football Hall of Fame Tight End, EVP Baltimore Ravens
  • Sal Paolantonio – Hall of Fame Selector, Senior National Correspondent – ESPN
  • Carl Peterson – Longtime Pro Football Executive
  • Bill Polian – Pro Football Hall of Fame Contributor
  • Dan Pompei – Hall of Fame Selector, The Athletic
  • Charean Williams – Hall of Fame Selector, Pro Football Talk
  • Chris Willis – Producer-Head of Research Library – NFL Films, Football Historian
  • Barry Wilner – Hall of Fame Selector, Associated Press
  • Ron Wolf – Pro Football Hall of Fame Contributor
Dan Leberfeld
Dan Leberfeldhttps://www.jetsconfidential.com
Publisher of Jets Confidential Magazine. Call 1-800-932-4557 (M-F, 12-4) to subscribe. Co-host of Press Coverage every Saturday on SiriusXM NFL Radio from 11-2.

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