sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bill Willis, Marion Motley, Woody Strode

For Immediate Release For More Information, Contact: September 15, 2014 Joe Horrigan at (330) 588-3627 Pete Fierle at (330) 588-3622

PREMIERE OF EPIX “FORGOTTEN FOUR” DOCUMENTARY AT HALL OF FAME LIVE WEBCAST OF PANEL DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW SHOWING

CANTON, OHIO – The Pro Football Hall of Fame will be the site for a special premiere showing of a new original sports documentary from Epix titled, “Forgotten Four: The Integration of Pro Football” on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m. ET. The premiere will be followed by a roundtable panel discussion featuring Hall of Famer ; , Jr. and Clem Willis, the sons of Hall of Famer Bill Willis; and writer Jarrett Bell of USA Today. The roundtable will be moderated by Hall of Fame Executive Vice President Joe Horrigan and webcast live worldwide starting at 2:20 p.m.

The one-hour documentary created by the premium entertainment network EPIX is narrated by Tony Award® winner Jeffrey Wright and produced by 52-time Emmy® award winner Ross Greenburg. “Forgotten Four” tells the inspirational story of four – , Bill Willis, and Kenny Washington – who in 1946 permanently reintegrated pro football, one year before integrated . Strode and Washington signed contracts with the ’s Rams while Motley and Willis joined the Browns of the rival All-America Football Conference.

"EPIX is pleased to work with the National Football League to bring the story of these trailblazers in civil rights and professional sports to a new national audience," said Mark Greenberg, President and CEO, EPIX. "We believe Forgotten Four presents an insightful and informative account of the profound impact these courageous men had on the sport."

The hardships and triumphs of the “Forgotten Four” are told through the recollections of their families, teammates and those who have researched these remarkable pioneers. An all-star lineup of football legends who share insights, include: (Hall of Fame coach who also played for the Browns), Bob Gain (Browns), Sherman Howard (Browns), Jim Hardy (Rams) and George Taliaferro (Indiana University). Donovan McNabb, a former star NFL quarterback

OUR MISSION: Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.

with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins, served as creative consultant for the film.

The panel discussion being held at the Hall of Fame will be moderated by Horrigan, the Hall’s Executive Vice President of Museums, Selection Process & Chief Communications Officer. He and Bell have extensive knowledge about the history of African Americans in pro football and also appear in “Forgotten Four.” The two sons of Bill Willis will offer personal insight into their father’s life. Sanders, who currently serves as the Assistant Direct of Pro Personnel for the , starred for 10 seasons from 1968 to 1977 as a tight end for Lions. A three-time All-Pro pick and a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the , he amassed a then team record 336 career catches. Sanders was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

The prestigious panel will field questions from the live audience in addition to fans posing questions via Twitter by using the Hall’s handle @ProFootballHOF and the hashtag #ForgottenFour.

Video Highlights of the panel discussion will also be featured on NFL Network during a one-hour special “The Contenders,” that airs at 9:00 p.m. ET that evening. The list of modern-era nominees for the Hall’s Class of 2015 will also be announced during the primetime special.

“Forgotten Four” on ProFootballHOF.com A special page has been created on the Hall of Fame’s website that will host the live webcast. It also includes other information regarding the documentary including a movie trailer. Visit: ProFootballHOF.com/forgotten-four.aspx.

The premiere and panel discussion at the Hall of Fame is one of many that EPIX is celebrating around the pro football world in recent weeks. Numerous NFL teams have hosted showings and panel discussions exploring this moment in NFL history as well as the current state of race relations and diversity in professional sports.

“Forgotten Four,” makes its world premiere on EPIX on Tuesday, September 23 at 8:00 p.m.

# # #

About Pro Football Hall of Fame Located in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of the National Football League, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s mission is to Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values, & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE. For more information, please visit ProFootballHOF.com; @ProFootballHOF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

About EPIX EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium OUR MISSION: Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.

network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and was the first premium network to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android tablets and phones, Windows 8.1 and Roku® players. EPIX is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Apple® iPads® and iPhones® and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM).Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX) and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX).

OUR MISSION: Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.