The NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame just announced its newest members to be formally inducted as the Class of 2023 in August.
Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame turns 60 this year.
Its permanent home is in Canton, Ohio which is the location where the NFL was founded on September 17, 1920.
Here are five fascinating facts about the players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1. 370 Players Have Been Inducted
As of the 2022 class, there are 370 players immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; 185 of them are now deceased.
There is a new class inducted each calendar year and to be considered as a potential candidate, the player must be retired for five years.
Each inducted player gets a gold jacket bearing the Hall of Fame logo.
A bust of the player’s head is displayed in the Hall of Fame.
Induction ceremonies take place during Hall of Fame weekend which is usually the first weekend in August.
In addition to the official ceremonies, there are lots of parties and events for the Hall of Famers (both newly inducted and veterans) to attend including the Hall of Fame preseason football game.
2. 37 Players Were With The Chicago Bears At Some Point In Their Careers
10% of the inducted players spent some time playing for the Chicago Bears.
That is the highest total for any NFL team.
3. 18 Players Were The Number 1 Overall Picks Of Their Draft Classes
The most recent inductee bearing this distinction was Peyton Manning in the Class of 2021.
4. 3 Players Went To The Same High School
As of the 2023 class, there will only be one high school that has three inductees.
All other high schools have two or fewer Hall of Famers.
Aliquippa High School, located 20 miles outside of Pittsburgh, holds this distinction with Mike Ditka (Class of 1988), Ty Law (Class of 2019), and Darrelle Revis (Class of 2023) as its Hall of Fame alumni.
5. First Ballot Hall of Famers Share An Extra Special Distinction
Of course, it is not an easy process to get into the Hall of Fame.
A player must be nominated and then 80% of the 49-person selection committee must approve him for induction.
For this reason, it can take players multiple years to get the votes to be inducted if at all.
Being a first-ballot Hall of Famer is an achievement that is even more special.
In the 2023 class, Joe Thomas and Darrelle Revis earned that honor.
Looking ahead to the Class of 2028, fans can plan on both Tom Brady and J.J. Watt being first-ballot Hall of Famers.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
