After more than a year-long process, we are thrilled to announce that your votes have been counted, and we are pleased to unveil who you have chosen as the inaugural United States Athletic Hall of Fame Class.

The nominees were determined by a committee of athletes and writers who came up with the best qualifying athletes (to qualify, the athlete must be at least 50, and be, of course American).  Representatives of 17 different sports were nominated, and put forth before the public to decide on and in a pure democratic vote, the top 25 Players, top six Coaches and top six Contributors have been elected.

Here are the members of the first United States Athletics Hall of Fame Class (Athletes) in order of their vote total.

1. Muhammad Ali (Boxing):  Known as “The Greatest” Ali won the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship three times, Olympic Gold in 1960, and was named the Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated.

2. Michael Jordan (Basketball):  Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA Championships, and was the Finals MVP in all of them.  A 14-time All-Star, Jordan won the NBA MVP five times, and led the U.S. Dream Team to Gold in 1992.

3. Hank Aaron (Baseball):  Aaron went to 25 All-Star Games, won a World Series, an MVP and is the all-time leader in RBIs, Total Bases and Extra Base Hits.

4. Jim Thorpe (Track & Field, Football & Baseball). Thorpe is also a member of the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

5. Jim Brown (Football):  An NFL Champion with the Cleveland Browns, Brown won eight Rushing Titles over nine years, was a Pro Bowl Selection every year, and was named to the NFL 50^th, 75^th and 100^th Anniversary Teams.  He was also named the greatest College Football Player in history.

6. Jesse Owens (Track & Field):  Owens won Gold four times at the 1936 Olympics, and set three world records and tied another in the span of under an hour at a Big 10 track meet while representing Ohio State.

7. Jackie Robinson (Baseball):  Robinson was the man who broke Baseball’s color barrier, and he was a six-time All-Star and a World Series Champion with the Brooklyn Dodgers.  He also was an MVP, and his number 42 was retired by all of MLB.

8. Babe Ruth (Baseball):  Ruth was the first megastar in sports, forever altering the game with his power.  A seven-time World Series Champion with the New York Yankees, Ruth was a twelve-time Home Run king.

9. Larry Bird (Basketball):  Bird won three NBA Championships with Boston, where he was a 12-time All-Star and three-time MVP.  He was also on the Dream Team that won Gold in 1992.

10. Bill Russell (Basketball):  Russell guided the Boston Celtics to an astounding 11 Championships, was a five-time MVP and 12-time All-Star.  He also won two NCAA Titles with San Francisco, and led the U.S. to Gold at the 1956 Olympics.

11. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Basketball):  Abdul-Jabbar was the all-time scoring leader up until last year, won six NBA Titles (five with Los Angeles and one with Milwaukee), and was a six-time league MVP.  He also won three NCAA Titles as UCLA.

12. Ted Williams (Baseball):  Williams was a 19-time All-Star, six-time Batting Champion and was twice an MVP.  He is a member of the MLB All-Time Team and holds the lifetime record in On Base Percentage. 

13. Joe Louis (Boxing):  Louis held the World Heavyweight Championship from 1937 to 1949, and is recognized as the first black national sports hero.

14. Magic Johnson (Basketball):  A five-time NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and NCAA Champion at Michigan State, Johnson won three MVPs and was a 12xTime All-Star.

15. Carl Lewis (Track & Field):  Lewis is the most successful track star in American history, having won nine Gold Medals over four Olympic Games. 

16. Wilt Chamberlain (Basketball):  Chamberlain won four MVPs, two NBA Titles and was a 13-time All-Star.  The seven-time scoring champion set an unbreakable record with a 100-Point Game in 1962.

17. Willie Mays (Baseball):. Mats was a 24-time All-Star, World Series winner with the Giants, and a two-time MVP>. He is also a 12-time Gold Glove winner

18. Martina Navratilova (Tennis):  Born in Czechoslovakia, Navratilova defected to the United States and won 167 Singles Tournaments, 177 Doubles Tournaments, 18 Singles Grand Slams, 31 Doubles Grand Slams and 10 Mixed Doubles Grand Slams.

19. Joe DiMaggio (Baseball):  An All-Star in all of his 13 Seasons in the Majors, the career New York Yankee won nine World Series Rings, three MVPs and hold the record for hitting safely in 56 consecutive games.

20. Lou Gehrig (Baseball):  Gehrig is a member of the MLB All-Time Team, won six World Series Championships with the New York Yankees, and was the first Iron Man of Baseball.

21. Roberto Clemente (Baseball):  Clemente took the Pittsburgh Pirates to two World Series Titles, was an MVP and won four Batting Titles.  He died on route to Nicaragua in a plane crash while delivering humanitarian aid to earthquake victims.

22. Jack Nicklaus (Golf)):  Nicklaus won 117 Tournaments and a record 18 Majors

23. Arnold Palmer (Golf):  Palmer was the first transcendent star of the sport, and he captures seven Majors and 95 overall tournament wins.

24. Babe Didrikson Zaharias (Track & Field & Golf):  Didrikson-Zaharias won Gold in the 1932 Olympics in the 80 m Hurdles and Javelin.  She would later win 10 Majors on the LPGA.

25. Joe Montana (Football):  Montana Quarterbacked the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowls, winning three Super Bowl MVPs and two MVPs.  He is also a member of the NFL 75^th and 100^th Anniversary Teams.

Here are the members of the first United States Athletics Hall of Fame Class (Coaches) in order of their vote total.

1. Vince Lombardi (Football):  Lombardi coached the Green Bay Packers to five NFL Championships and wins in the first two Super Bowls.  It is fitting that the man who is considered the greatest coach of all time has the Super Bowl trophy named after him.

2. Red Auerbach (Basketball):  Auerbach coached the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships, and another seven as an Executive.  He had a coaching winning percentage of .662.

3. George Halas (Football): “Papa Bear”, who was a very good player in his day, was the Head Coach of the Chicago Bears for decades and helmed them to eight NFL Championships.

4. John Wooden (Basketball):  Wooden is the most successful coach in College Basketball history, winning ten NCAA Championships at UCLA and 15 PAC-12 Championships.

5 (TIE). Bill Belichick (Football):  Still active, Belichick took the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl wins, and is a two-time All-Decade Team Coach.

5 (TIE), Herb Brooks (Hockey):  Brooks coached the United States National Hockey Team to the biggest upset in Olympic history when they defeated the Soviet Union to advance to the 1980 Gold Medal Game, which they won.

Here are the members of the first United States Athletics Hall of Fame Class (Coaches) in order of their vote total.

1. James Naismith (Basketball):  The inventor of Basketball, Naismith took it from the peach basket to the modern day.

2. Al Davis (Football):  Davis was the owner of the Oakland Raiders, who helped change the culture of football.  His teams won three Super Bowls, and he was twice the NFL Executive of the Year.

3, Lamar Hunt (Football):  Hunt was the co-founder of the AFL, and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, that won Super Bowl IV under his tenure.

4. Branch Rickey (Baseball):  Rickey was the man who signed Jackie Robinson to integrate baseball, and was the General Manager of four World Series Teams. 

5 (TIE) Pete Rozelle (Football):  Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from 1960 to 1989, and under him the league exploded in popularity, developed the Super Bowl, and saw unprecedented expansion.

5 (TIE) David Stern (Basketball):  Stern was the NBA’s commissioner from 1984 to 2014, and is credited for the world-wide growth in popularity and the shifting focus on making stars of the individual players.

In order to keep transparency, here is the order the order nominees and where they finished in the vote:

Athletes:

26. Mike Tyson (Boxing)

27. Jack Johnson (Boxing)

28. Walter Payton (Football)

29. Eric Heiden (Speed Skating)

30. Bonnie Blair (Speed Skating)

31. Florence Griffith-Joyner (Track & Field)

32. Julius Erving (Basketball)

33. Josh Gibson (Baseball)

34. Joe Greene (Football)

35. Lawrence Taylor (Football)

36. Jerry Rice (Football)

37. Ty Cobb (Baseball)

38. Mickey Mantle (Baseball)

39. Althea Gibson (Tennis)

40. Cy Young (Baseball)

41. Michael Johnson (Track & Field)

42. Rocky Marciano (Boxing)

43. Bob Gibson (Baseball)

44. Wilma Rudolph (Track & field)

45. John McEnroe (Tennis)

46. Jack Dempsey (Boxing)

47. Dick Butkus (Football)

48. Chris Evert (Tennis)

49. Mark Spitz (Swimming)

50. Sandy Koufax (Baseball)

51. Pete Rose (Baseball)

52. Jimmy Connors (Tennis)

53. Sugar Ray Leonard (Boxing)

54. Satchel Paige (Baseball)

55. Michelle Akers (Soccer)

56. Arthur Ashe (Tennis)

57. Jerry West (Basketball)

58. Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Basketball)

59. Billie Jean King (Tennis)

60. Bob Beamon (Track & Field)

61. Edwin Moses (Track & Field)

62. Barry Bonds (Baseball)

63. Sugar Ray Leonard (Boxing)

64. Emmitt Smith (Football)

65. Reggie White (Football)

66. Bo Jackson (Football & Baseball)

67. Nolan Ryan (Baseball)

68. Henry Armstrong (Boxing)

69. Stan Musial (Baseball)

70. Gail Devers (Track & Field)

71. Rafer Johnson (Track & Field)

72. Honus Wagner (Baseball)

73. Johnny Unitas (Football)

74. Sammy Baugh (Football)

75. Red Grange (Football)

76. Barry Sanders (Football)

77. Richard Petty (Auto Racing)

78. Cynthia Cooper (Basketball)

79. Oscar Robertson (Basketball)

80. Evelyn Ashford (Track & Field)

81. Dale Earnhardt (Auto Racing)

82. Al Oerter (Track & Field)

83. Mario Andretti (Auto Racing)

84. Dan Marino (Football)

85. Deion Sanders (Football & Baseball)

86. Otto Graham (Football)

87. Chris Chelios (Hockey)

88. Rogers Hornsby (Baseball)

89. Don Hutson (Football)

90. Peggy Fleming (Figure Skating)

91. Greg Louganis (Diving)

92. Brett Hull (Hockey)

93. Sam Snead (Golf)

94. Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner (Track & Field)

95. Rickey Henderson (Baseball)

96. Ben Hogan (Golf)

97. Dorothy Hamill (Figure Skating)

98. Walter Johnson (Baseball)

99. Chuck Lidell (Mixed Martial Arts)

100. Bob Mathias (Track & Field)

101. Mike Modano (Hockey)

102. A.J. Foyt (Auto Racing)

103. Dick Button (Figure Skating)

104. Ray Ewry (Track & Field)

105. Dan Gable (Wrestling)

106. Scott Hamilton (Figure Skating)

107. Randy Couture (Mixed Martial Arts)

108. Eddie Arcaro (Horse Racing)

109. George Blanda (Football)

110. Bobby Jones (Golf)

111. Mary Lou Retton (Gymnastics)

112. Greg LeMond (Cycling)

113. Earl Anthony (Bowling)

114. Joan Benoit (Track & Field)

115. Tracy Caulkins (Swimming)

116. Matt Biondi (Swimming)

117. Dara Torres (Swimming)

118. Dennis Connor (Sailing)

119. Nancy Lopez (Golf)

120. Mark Allen (Triathlon)

121. Phil Mahre (Skiing)

122. Kathy Whitworth (Golf)

123. Dave Scott (Triathlon)

124. Debbie Meyer (Swimming)

125. Bill Shoemaker (Horse Racing)

126. Mickey Wright (Golf)

127. Don Budge (Tennis)

128. Bill Tilden (Tennis)

129. Tracie Ruiz (Synchronized Swimming)

130. Willie Mosconi (Billiards)

Coaches:

7. Paul “Bear” Bryant (Football)

8. Phil Jackson (Basketball)

9. Curly Lambeau (Football)

10. Paul Brown (Football)

11. Knute Rockne (Football)

12. Pat Summitt (Basketball)

13. John Heisman (Football)

14. Connie Mack (Baseball)

15. Nick Saban (Football)

16. Amos Alonzo Stagg (Football)

17. Mike Krzyzewski (Basketball)

18. Don Shula (Football)

19. Leo Durocher (Baseball)

20. Casey Stengel (Baseball)

21. Pop Warne (Football)

22. Chuck Noll (Football)

23. Bobby Cox (Baseball)

24. Eddie Robinson (Football)

25. Lou Holtz (Football)

26. Gregg Popovich (Basketball)

27. John Chaney (Basketball)

28. Chuck Daly (Basketball)

29. Tom Flores (Basketball)

30. Joe Gibbs (Football)

31. Bobby Knight (Basketball)

32. John McGraw (Baseball)

33. Lenny Wilkens (Basketball)

34. Sparky Anderson (Baseball)

35. Tom Landry (Football)

36. Dean Smith (Basketball)

37. Geno Auriemma (Basketball)

38. Tony Dungy (Football)

39. Tommy Lasorda (Baseball)

40. Joe Paterno (Football)

41. Phog Allen (Basketball)

42. Pat Riley (Basketball)

43. Joe Torre (Baseball)

44. Walter Camp (Football)

45. Joe McCarthy (Baseball)

46. Adolph Rupp (Basketball)

47. Bo Schembechler (Football)

48. Bill Walsh (Football)

49. Barry Switzer (Football)

50. John Thompson (Basketball)

51. Jim Boeheim (Basketball)

52. Bobby Bowden (Football)

53. Jim Calhoun (Basketball)

54. Bill Cowher (Football)

55. Lefty Driesel (Basketball)

56. Weeb Ewbank (Football)

57. Bud Grant (Football)

58. Tom Heinsohn (Basketball)

59. Henry Iba (Basketball)

60. Jimmy Johnson (Football)

61. Marv Levy (Football)

62. John Maddem (Football)

63. Jack Ramsay (Basketball)

64. Candy Jim Taylor (Baseball)

65. Woody Hayes (Football)

66. Tom Osborne (Football)

67. Larry Brown (Basketball)

68. Mack Brown (Football)

69. Lou Duva (Boxing)

70. Bill Fitch (Basketball)

71. Ara Parseghian (Football)

72. Rick Pitino (Basketball)

73. Steve Spurrier (Football)

74. Eddie Sutton (Football)

75. Rudy Tomjanovich (Basketball)

76. Cus D’Amato (Boxing)

77. Hayden Fry (Football)

78. Whitey Herzog (Baseball)

79. George Karl (Basketball)

80. Lute Olson (Basketball)

81. Bill Self (Basketball)

82. Jerry Tarkanian (Basketball)

83. Dick Williams (Baseball)

84. Roy Williams (Basketball)

85. George Allen (Football)

86. Walter Alston (Baseball)

87. Sid Gllman (Football)

88. Ned Hanlon (Baseball)

89. Bob Huggins (Basketball)

90. Tony LaRussa (Baseball)

91. Urban Meyer (Football)

92. Don Nelson (Basketball)

93. Bill Snyder (Football)

94. Emmanuel Steward (Boxing)

95. Hank Stram (Football)

96. Ed Temple (Track & Field)

97. John Tortorella (Hockey)

98. Jim Tressel (Football)

99. Bob Johnson (Hockey)

100. Al Lopez (Baseball)

101. Pete Newell (Basketball)

102. C. Vivian Stringer (Basketball)

103. Earl Weaver (Baseball)

104. Fielding Yost (Football)

105. Red Holzman (Basketball)

106. Howard Jones (Football)

107. John Kundla (Basketball)

108. Frank Leahy (Football)

109. John McKay (Football)

110. Bo Ryan (Football)

111. Bill Sharman (Basketball)

112. Jerry Sloan (Basketball)

113. Jim Valvano (Basketball)

114. Frank Beamer (Football)

115. Bernie Bierman (Football)

116. Jody Conradt (Basketball)

117. Carlo Fassi (Figure Skating)

118. Eddie Futch (Boxer)

119. Bucky Harris (Baseball)

120. Miller Huggins (Baseball)

121. Bill McKenchie (Baseball)

122. Ron O’Brien (Diving)

123. Wilbert Robinson (Baseball)

124. Darrel Royal (Football)

125. Frank Selee (Baseball)

126. Billy Southworth (Baseball)

127. Tara VanDerveer (Basketball)

128. Abie Grossfeld (Gymnastics)

129. Freddie Roach (Boxing)

130. Bud Wilkinson (Football)

Contributors:

7. Dr. James Andrews (Sports Medicine)

8. Robert Kraft (Football Owner)

9. Roone Arledge (Television Executive)

10. Paul Tagliabue (Football Commissioner)

11. Dick Ebersol (Television Executive)

12. Marvin Miller (Baseball Union Leader)

13. Wellington Mara (Football Owner)

14. Art Rooney (Football Owner)

15. Ralph Hay (Football Owner and League Co-Founder)

16. Walter O’Malley (Baseball Owner & Executive)

17. Bert Bell (Football Commissioner)

18. Ed Sabol (Football Media)

19. George Steinbrenner (Baseball Owner)

20. Jack Kent Cooke (Football & Hockey Owner)

21. Mark Cuban (Basketball Owner)

22. Bill France Sr. (NASCAR CEO)

23. Bill James (Baseball Sabremetrician)

24. Ted Turner (Television Executive & Baseball Owner)

25. Frank Zamboni (Hockey Equipment Owner)

26. Bobby Beathard (Football Executive)

27. Pat Bowlen (Football Owner)

28. Jerry Buss (Basketball Executive)

29. Bud Greenspan (Sports Documentarian)

30. Jerry Jones (Football Owner)

31. Peter Ueberroth (Olympic Organizer & Baseball Executive)

32. Walter A. Brown (Basketball & Hockey Owner)

33. James E. Sullivan (Amateur Sports Official)

34. Don King (Boxing Promoter)

35. Dana White (UFC Executive)

36. Billy Beane (Baseball Executive)

37. Joe Carr (NFL Commissioner)

38. Dan Rooney (NFL Owner & Executive

39. Paul Allen (Football, Basketball & Soccer Owner)

40. Ned Irish (Basketball Owner)

41. James E. Norris (Hockey Owner)

42. Tim Nugent (Wheelchair Basketball Pioneer)

43. Bill Veeck (Baseball Owner & Executive)

44. Ron Wolf (Football Executive)

45. Bud Adams (Football Owner & Executive)

46. Pat Gillick (Baseball Executive)

47. Bucko Kilroy (Football Executive & Scout)

48. Tim Mara (Football Owner)

49. Art McNally (Football Official)

50. Bill Polian (Football Executive)

51. Ralph Wilson (Football Owner)

52. Bob Arum (Boxing Promoter)

53. Jerry Colangelo (Basketball Executive)

54. Rube Foster (Negro League Executive)

55. Effa Manley (Negro League Executive)

56. Steve Sabol (Football Filmmaker)

57. Seymour Siwoff (Statistician)

58. Al Spalding (Baseball Equipment Developer)

59. George Young (Football Executive)

60. Gil Brandt (Football Scout)

61. Avery Brundage (Olympic Executive)

62. Wayne Embry (Basketball Executive)

63. Jim Finks (Football Executive)

64. Jerry Krause (Basketball Executive)

65. Lou Lamoriello (Hockey Executive)

66. Bill Nunn (Football Scout)

67. Tex Schramm (Football Owner)

68. Arthur Wirtz (Hockey Owner)

69. Charles Bidwell (Football Owner)

70. Eddie DeBartolo Jr. (Football Owner)

71. Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta (UFC Owners)

72. Ford Frick (MLB Commissioner)

73. Ban Johnson (Baseball Executive)

74. J. Walter Kennedy (NBA Commissioner)

75. Mitch Kupchak (Basketball Executive)

76. Larry MacPhail (Baseball Executive)

77. Jerry Reinsdorf (Basketball Executive)

78. Max Winter (Football Owner)

79. Mike Ilitch (Hockey Owner)

80, Craig Patrick (Hockey Executive)

81. Amy Trask (Football Executive)

82. Leroy T. Walker (Olympic Executive)

83. Clark Griffith (Baseball Owner)

84. Peter Holt (Basketball Owner)

85. Larry O’Brien (NBA Commissioner)

86. Dan Reeves (Football Owner & Executive)

87. George Weiss (Baseball Executive)

88. Weston Adams (Hockey Executive)

89. Ed Barrow (Baseball Executive)

90. Will Harridge (Baseball Executive)

91. Frederic McLaughlin (Hockey Owner)

92. Clint Murchison (Football Owner)

93. Maurice Podoloff (Basketball Executive & Commissioner)

94. Warren Giles (Baseball Executive)

95. Jeremy Jacobs (Hockey Executive)

96. Jack McClosky Basketball Executive)

97. Lee MacPhail (Baseball Executive)

98. Tim Finchen (Golf Executive)

99. Tex Rickard (Hockey Owner & Boxing Promoter)

100. Joe Dey Golf Executive)

We are endeavoring to put forth the 2024 Ballot by December 15.

Thank you to all who have voted and thank you in advance to those who plan to vote next year!

Here we are!

If you have been following our Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, you know that we have asked the rhetorical question…what if the PFHOF began in January of 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists, and 5 in the Senior Pool. Following that, we asked the group to vote for their 15 Finalists in the Modern Era, and 3 in the Senior Category. The final stage was to vote for their 5 Modern Era inductees and 1 Senior inductee.

Below, are the final results of this project based on 28 votes:

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1946:

Player	Year of Eligibility	Vote Total
Jim Thorpe TE-E-FB	15	25
Red Grange HB-BB-TB-BB	12	23
George Halas E-WB	13	20
Curly Lambeau TB-FB-BB-E	12	16
Fritz Pollard TB-BB-WB	17	15
Ernie Nevers FB	10	14
Cal Hubbard T-E-DE-G	5	6
Guy Chamberlin E-WB	14	4
Ed Healey T-G-E	15	3
Duke Slater T	10	3
Dutch Clark TB	3	3
Paddy Driscoll HB-QB-TB-BB	12	2
Benny Friedman TB-DB	7	2
Johnny Blood TB-HB-WB-BB-DB	3	2
George Trafton C	10	1
Pete Henry T	13	0

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1946:

Pudge Heffelfinger	N/A	14
Charles Follis	N/A	8
Pudge Heffelfinger	N/A	5

About the 1946 Inductees:

Jim Thorpe TB-E-FB, CAN 1920 & 1926, CLE 1921, OOR 1922-23, RI 1924-25, NYG 1925, CRD 1926: Inducted in 1946 on the 1^st Ballot (technically his 15^th year of eligibility). Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Before the National Football League was even conceived, Thorpe was already one America’s most celebrated athletes. A two-time Gold Medalist (although his awards were stripped, and then posthumously returned) at the 1912 Olympic winning the Pentathlon and Decathlon, Thorpe would later play professional baseball, appearing in games for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Braves. A superstar at Carlisle in every sport he tried, Thorpe first played professionally for the Pine Village Pros, and would sign with the Canton Bulldogs in 1915, where he would lead them to three league titles. The Bulldogs would become a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (renamed the National Football League in 1922), and Thorpe, while still playing, was named the institution’s inaugural President. He played for six different teams in the NFL, and was named to the 1920’s All-Decade Team.

Red Grange HB-BB-DB-TB, CHI 1925 & 1928-34, NYY 1927: Inducted in 1946 on the 1^st Ballot (technically his 12^th year of eligibility). Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

As hard as it is for most of us to imagine, in the early days of the National Football League, many college players (even the elite) did not go on to play pro football. Knowing that he needed a big-ticket player, Chicago Bears Player/Owner, George Halas, coerced the star at the University of Illinois, to join the Bears ten days after his last college game. Grange helped place the Bears on the map, and while he was there briefly in his first run (signing with the New York Yankees in 1927, for a year) he came back in 1929, playing for Chicago until 1934, where he was a defensive stud in his latter years. Grange was a mega-star in Chicago, and arguably he was the first mainstream football star.

George Halas E, CHI 1920-28: Inducted in 1946 on the 1^st Ballot (technically his 13^th year of eligibility). Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 as a Coach/Owner.

In 1963, Halas was inducted into the PFHOF, but as a contributor. We will have a similar section, but that won’t begin until 1950, so this induction for his work as a player. The 1919 Rose Bowl MVP as a member of the Illinois Fighting Illinois, would play first professionally for the Hammond All-Stars, before he began work for A.E. Staley Company, and was the Player Coach for the Decatur Staleys. Halas represented the Staleys in the meeting that formed the NFL in 1920, and they became a charter team in the league. Augustus Staley, the owner of the team, turned control over to the team to Halas in 1921, who relocated the team to Chicago, and the Bears as we know it came to fruition. On the gridiron, Halas was named an All-Decade player who excelled on both ends of the ball. The man who would become “Papa Bear” led Chicago to their first NFL Championship in 1921, and would overall guide the Bears to eight titles.

Curly Lambeau TB-FB-BB-E, GNB 1921-29: Inducted in 1946 on the 1^st Ballot (technically his 12^th year of eligibility). Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 as an Owner/Coach.

Like Halas, Lambeau enters the PFHOF Revisited Hall as a player, despite his Canton resume placing him as a coach. As a player, Lambeau was excellent throwing for 24 Touchdowns and rushed for another eight, and he played until 1929, while also coaching the team. In his last year as a player/coach (1929), Lambeau took Green Bay to their first NFL Championship. Lambeau focused strictly on coaching, and he would take Green Bay to five more Championships (1930, 1931, 1936, 1939 & 1944). He would be named to the 1920s All-Decade Team.

Fritz Pollard TB-BB-WB, AKR 1920-21 & 1925-26, MIL 1922, HAM 1923 & 1925, PRV 1925: Inducted in 1946 on the 1^st Ballot (technically his 17^th year of eligibility). Was inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

It took Pollard until 2005 to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he enters here in 1946, though we know that this is very much with modern eyes. We say that as in 1946, the NFL had no African-American players, and a voting body that might have existed back then might not have voted for Pollard. But this is the PFHOF Revisited! Pollard was a trailblazer in every sense of the word, having starred at Brown where he led them to a Rose Bowl in 1915. Following military service, Pollard joined the Akron Pros, a charter member of what would become the NFL, and was one of two black players in the league. Pollard led the Pros to the first league championship, and the following year, he was a co-coach, making him the first African-American to coach in the league. Throughout the early 1920s, accounts stated that he was among the fastest runners in the league, and he constantly outran his opponents. After the 1926 Season, the five black players in the NFL were no longer used in what could best be described as an unofficial ban. Pollard continued to play and coach in non-NFL leagues.

Pudge Heffelfinger: Inducted in 1946 on the 1^st Senior Ballot. Was never inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A valid criticism of the PFHOF is that it has taken little account to those who laid professional football’s groundwork. This is rectified here with the first Senior inductee, Pudge Heffelfinger, the first man to paid for playing football in 1892 by the Allegheny Athletic Association. A three-time All-American at Yale and inaugural member of the College Football Hall of Fame, is recognized as one of the premier football players of the early 1890s, and though somebody always has to be first, they aren’t always great. Heffelfinger was great!

After years of observing the Pro Football Hall of Fame process, and all Hall of Fames for that matter, one thing has always felt clear to me; Halls should begin 25 years after an institution begins. This alleviates any backlog that could happen, and often when discussions of the PFHOF occur, a common thread is how many great players have fallen through the cracks.

So… What if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

Invites went out to people who have displayed knowledge and passion of football’s history, and we followed the same pattern of the current PFHOF electoral process.

Last week, a Preliminary Vote with 130 players whose playing career ended by 1940. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Following the Preliminary vote, 25 Semi-Finalists were named, and the voters were now asked to submit 15 names as their Finalists

Next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

27 people participated in the 1946 Preliminary Vote, and 28 participated in the Semi-Final ballot. This yielded the following result:

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

Player	Year of Eligibility	Vote Total
Jim Thorpe TE-E-FB	15	28
Ernie Nevers FB	10	27
Red Grange HB-BB-TB-BB	12	26
Paddy Driscoll HB-QB-TB-BB	12	25
George Halas E-WB	13	24
Cal Hubbard T-E-DE-G	5	24
Fritz Pollard TB-BB-WB	17	23
Curly Lambeau TB-FB-BB-E	12	23
Duke Slater T	10	21
Guy Chamberlin E-WB	14	19
Pete Henry T	13	19
Dutch Clark TB	3	18
Ed Healey T-G-E	15	17
George Trafton C	10	17
Benny Friedman TB-DB	7	16
Johnny Blood TB-HB-WB-BB-DB	3	16
Joe Guyon WB-TB-BB-FB	14	13
Jimmy Conzelman HB-TB-BB-E	12	12
Steve Owen T-G	8	12
Cliff Battles TB-FB-WB-DB	4	10
Mike Michalske G-T-LB-BB	4	10
Link Lyman T	7	7
Turk Edwards T	1	6
Ray Flaherty E-DB	6	4
Walt Kiesling G-T	3	3

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

John Brailier	N/A	20
Charles Follis	N/A	20
Pudge Heffelfinger	N/A	19
Ted Nesser	N/A	13
Gull Falcon	N/A	9

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1946 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!