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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE @ProFootballHOF 04/26/2016

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

TOP PHOTOS OF NFL SEASON REVEALED IN HALL’S 48TH ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST SPORTS ILLUSTRATED PHOTOGRAPHER WINS PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR; TO BE HONORED AT HALL OF FAME WEEKEND

CANTON, OHIO – Sports Illustrated photographer Carlos M. Saavedra is the winner of the Dave Boss Award of Excellence for his entry in the 48th Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Photo Contest. His photo titled “Great Catch," was selected by a panel of judges as the Photograph of the Year for the 2015 Season.

The image depicts as he dives into the end zone for a touchdown while airborne safety Aaron Williams attempts a tackle in the third quarter at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015.

Saavedra, an Associate Photo Editor with Sports Illustrated since 2000, delved further into the world of photography just five years ago when he began shooting golf and football. His love for sports started as a kid playing soccer on the streets in his native Ecuador before he moved to New York City, where he combined his love of sport with photography.

The Hall of Fame’s prestigious contest is open to professional photographers on assignment to cover NFL games. Photos taken during the 2015 NFL season, that included 50 and the 2016 , were eligible.

Saavedra’s entry was the first place winner in the action category while Getty Images photographer Patrick Smith was first in the Feature category. His photo “Flying

COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE

Through Smoke” shows Washington Redskins safety and teammates running through a mosaic of smoke, light, and shadow as they are introduced before playing the at FedEx Field on Nov. 15, 2015.

Judging was conducted at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in early April by a panel of prominent photo editors and photographers. The judges included John Reid, III (Team Photographer for the Browns), Ben Liebenberg (Lead Photographer and Senior Photo Editor at the NFL), Karl Roser (Team Photographer for the ), Brad Smith (Director, Brad Smith Creative) and Tony Tomsic, (veteran photographer who has covered pro football for more than 50 years).

Saavedra will be officially honored at the Enshrinees GameDay Roundtable, part of the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week that centers on the enshrinement of the Class of 2016 – Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr., Tony Dungy, , Kevin Greene, , Orlando Pace, , and . The Class of 2016 will be formally inducted on Saturday, Aug. 6. The GameDay Roundtable is held on Sunday, Aug. 7 before the Colts and kick off the 2016 preseason in the NFL/Hall of Fame Game later that evening.

NOTE: To view all of this year’s winners please go to ProFootballHOF.com/photo-contest-2015/

To obtain images of this year’s winners for editorial use in relation to the contest, please contact Saleem Choudhry at the Pro Football Hall of Fame ([email protected]).

COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME 48TH ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST (2015 SEASON) List of Winners

Dave Boss Award of Excellence, 2015 (Photo of the Year) Action Winner – Carlos M. Saavedra – Sports Illustrated Action

First Place – Carlos M. Saavedra – Sports Illustrated, “Great Catch," New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, Sept. 20, 2015

Second Place – Ezra Shaw, Getty Images, “Flying Gronk,” New England Patriots at Broncos, Jan. 24, 2016, AFC Championship.

Third Place – Jeff Hayes, Image for Panini America/AP Photo, “Eagles Fly...Lions Score,” at , Nov. 26, 2015.

Hon. Mention – Chuck Burton, AP Photo, “Texans Panthers Football,” at , Sept. 20, 2015.

Hon. Mention – Mike Carlson, , “Dodging Panthers,” Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oct. 4, 2015.

Hon. Mention – David Eulitt, The Kansas City Star, “Floating for the Score,” at , Dec. 27, 2015.

Hon. Mention – Tom Fox, Dallas Morning News, “Packer Sack,” at Green Bay Packers, Dec. 13, 2015.

Hon. Mention – Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports, no title, Carolina Panthers vs. , Feb. 7, 2016, .

Feature

First Place – Patrick Smith, Getty Images, “Flying Through Smoke,” New Orleans Saints at Washington Redskins, Nov. 15, 2015.

Second Place – Rich Gabrielson, Gabrielson Sports Photography, LLC, “Christmas Wish,” Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos, Dec. 13, 2015.

Third Place – Shawn Hubbard, , “Raven at Rest,” at Baltimore Ravens, Dec. 13, 2015.

Hon. Mention – Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports, “Fired up to Play Football,” Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers, Nov. 22, 2015.

Hon. Mention – William Glasheen, USA Today Network-Wisconsin/The Post-Crescent, “Meeting of the Gods,” Bears at Green Bay Packers, Nov. 26, 2015.

COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE

Hon. Mention – Bob Leverone, AP Photo, “Please, Please, Please,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers, Jan. 3, 2016

Hon. Mention – Mykal McEldowney, The Indianapolis Star, “Hair Flow,” Titans at , Jan. 3, 2016.

Hon. Mention – Patrick Smith, Getty Images, “Legend and Lombardi,” Carolina Panthers vs. Denver Broncos, Feb. 7, 2016, Super Bowl 50.

Hon. Mention – Jared Wickerham, DK Pittsburgh Sports, “Harrison’s Entrance,” Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sept. 3, 2015.

ABOUT THE 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.

Hundreds of thousands of fans from across the globe travel to Canton annually to experience the exciting museum that chronicles America’s most popular sport. Millions more are reached through the Hall of Fame’s 100-plus special events held annually outside Canton and through the multiple nationally broadcast programs focused on the selection of the newest Class of Enshrinees – Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr., Tony Dungy, Brett Favre, Kevin Greene, Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace, Ken Stabler and Dick Stanfel – and the Enshrinement Weekend (Aug. 4-7, 2016). Now in its fourth year of traveling, Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a large- scale traveling exhibition that presents a panoramic view of pro football’s story and includes hundreds of artifacts from the Hall’s expansive collection. Gridiron Glory will be showcased at Virginia Historical Society from May 28-Sept. 4, 2016. From there it will travel to the Minnesota History Center Museum in /St. Paul and for three- month stays at various museums and cultural institutions through 2019. Enshrinees from the Class of 2016 along with numerous other Hall of Fame members will receive the spectacular Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence by Kay® Jewelers during ceremonies held in NFL stadiums during the 2016 NFL regular season. The Hometown Hall of Famer™ program presented by Ford honors Hall of Fame heroes with a program and permanent plaque to honor the Hall of Famer’s hometown support. Now in its 4th year, the US Army-Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence honors 20 high school students nationally for excellence in community service, academics and athletics. Construction on HOF Village, a $476 million development project, is under way in Canton to transform the Hall of Fame’s campus.

For more information about the Pro Football Hall of Fame, please visit ProFootballHOF.com; @ProFootballHOF on , Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE