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Home , 1983 NFL Draft, Dan Hampton, Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Richard Dent

Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE @ProFootballHOF 10/28/2016

Contact: Pete Fierle, Chief of Staff & Vice President of Communications [email protected]; 330-588-3622

FOUR BEARS HALL OF FAMERS TO RECEIVE RING OF EXCELLENCE ON MONDAY NIGHT , , , AND TO BE HONORED DURING HALFTIME TRIBUTE AT

CANTON, OHIO – The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Kay® Jewelers, the Official Jewelry Store of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will honor Hall of Famers DICK BUTKUS (Class of 1979), RICHARD DENT (Class of 2011), DAN HAMPTON (Class of 2002), and GALE SAYERS (Class of 1977) during Monday Night Football in Chicago. The special presentation will take place at halftime of the Bears’ Week 8 matchup against the division rival at Soldier Field.

The Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence is one of three iconic symbols that represent the elite status of being a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Each Hall of Famer received his Hall of Fame Gold Jacket and unveiled his Bronzed Bust during each of their respective Enshrinements. All three symbols – the Gold Jacket, the Bronzed Bust, and the Ring of Excellence – will be displayed during the halftime presentation during which the Hall’s President David Baker will present the legendary Bears players with their official Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence. Butkus, Dent, Hampton, and Sayers will each wear their Hall of Fame Gold Jacket and the four Bronzed Busts of these Heroes of the Game will be temporarily removed from the Hall of Fame to make their way to Chicago for the ceremony.

As part of the partnership between the Hall of Fame and Kay® Jewelers, all living members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame will receive the new Ring of Excellence that was redesigned by Kay® Jewelers in 2013. This year marks the second of three seasons in which the Ring of Excellence will be presented to the Hall of Famers in special ceremonies.

COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE

Butkus, a first-round draft pick out of the University of Illinois and Chicago native, was a middle for the Bears from 1965-1973. He was a defensive star known for his quickness, instinct, and strength as well as being a tremendous competitor. Butkus had 22 and 25 opponent recoveries before a devastating knee injury ended his brilliant career. He was named All-NFL six years and played in eight- straight Pro Bowls.

Dent, who spent twelve seasons (1983-1993, 1995) with the Bears, was an intimidating player that could power rush any in the league. Dent was selected in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Bears out of Tennessee State. He also spent time with the (1994); (1996); and (1997). During his 15-season career, Dent amassed 137.5 sacks. He recorded double-digit sacks in eight seasons, led the NFC with a team record 17.5 sacks in 1984, and claimed a NFL sack title with 17 sacks in 1985. Dent was a member of two Championship teams – Super Bowl XX with the Bears and Super Bowl XXIX with the 49ers. The Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XX, he was also named All-Pro four times, All-NFC five times, and selected to four Pro Bowls.

Hampton was the Bears’ number one pick, fourth overall, in the 1979 NFL Draft out of . “Danimal” – his nickname for his ferocious style of play – was a versatile player who starred at both and during his 12-season career with the Bears (1979-1990). He was named All-Pro six times and was elected to four Pro Bowls. Hampton was also a member of the Bears Super Bowl XX championship team along with Dent.

A Kansas All-American, Sayers spent his entire career with the Bears (1965-1972) as a halfback scoring a rookie record 22 touchdowns and 132 points in 1965. He led NFL rushers in 1966 and 1969, was named to the NFL’s 50th Anniversary and 75th Anniversary All-Time Teams. He was also selected All-NFL five straight years (1965-69), and named Offensive Player of the Game in three of the four Pro Bowls in which he competed. Sayers ended his career with 9,435 combined net yards, 4,956 yards rushing, and 336 points. He is also the NFL’s career kickoff return leader.

PHOTOS: Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence (for editorial purposes only): https://profootballhof.box.com/s/sk579qhctfoth4dirmfel8hfgwoawk8t

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ABOUT THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME Located in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of the , the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution with the Mission to Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values, & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.

Hundreds of thousands of fans from across the globe travel to Canton annually to experience “The Most Inspiring Place on Earth!” that chronicles America’s most popular sport. Millions more are reached through the Hall of Fame’s hundreds of special events held annually outside Canton and through the multiple nationally broadcast programs focused on the selection of the newest Class of Enshrinees.

Construction on Hall of Fame Village, a $500 million development project that includes nine main components, is under way in Canton to transform the Hall of Fame’s campus.

COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE

For more information about the Pro Football Hall of Fame, please visit ProFootballHOF.com; @ProFootballHOF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. ABOUT KAY® JEWELERS Kay® Jewelers, the number one jewelry store in America, is conveniently located in malls and off-mall shopping centers across the country. Kay® Jewelers is operated by Signet Jewelers Limited, the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry. Signet Jewelers operates Kay® Jewelers among its approximately 3,600 stores. For additional information on Kay® Jewelers visit www.Kay.com, follow us on Facebook® (www.facebook.com/KayJewelers), Twitter® (www.twitter.com/KayJewelers), YouTube (www.youtube.com/KayJewelers), Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/KayJewelers) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/KayJewelers).

COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE