Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE @ProFootballHOF 08/24/17 #PFHOF18 Contact: Pete Fierle, Chief of Staff & Vice President of Communications [email protected]; 330-588-3622 ROBERT BRAZILE AND JERRY KRAMER SELECTED AS FINALISTS FOR HALL OF FAME’S CLASS OF 2018 SENIORS COMMITTEE SELECTS FORMER HOUSTON OILERS LINEBACKER AND GREEN BAY PACKERS GUARD AS FINALISTS FOR ELECTION IN FEBRUARY CANTON, OHIO – Linebacker Robert Brazile and guard Jerry Kramer were selected as the Seniors Finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. Brazile and Kramer were picked by the Hall of Fame’s Seniors Committee who met at the Hall of Fame in Canton today. Brazile was a preeminent linebacker in the NFL during his career that spanned from 1975 to 1984 with the Houston Oilers. Noted for his speed, size and strength, he was drafted by the Oilers in the first round, sixth player overall, of the 1975 NFL Draft. Brazile was named first-team All-Pro four times (1976, 1978, 1979, and 1980) and was elected to seven Pro Bowls. He was also picked to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s. Kramer, drafted in the fourth round, 39th player overall, of the 1958 NFL Draft, starred for the Green Bay Packers for 11 seasons from 1958 to 1968. His leadership and talents helped the franchise capture five NFL championships and victories in Super Bowls I and II. He earned All-Pro acclaim five times and was voted to three Pro Bowls. Kramer was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s, and to the NFL’s 50th Anniversary Team in 1969. “I don’t know what to say,” commented Brazile who was overcome with emotion after receiving a call from Hall of Fame President David BaKer moments after the conclusion of today’s meeting. “I’m speechless.” COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE The Seniors Committee is comprised of nine members of the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee who consider players whose careers ended at least 25 years ago. Through mail vote, the 2018 senior nominees were reduced to a final list of candidates. Then, on a rotating basis, five of the nine members meet at the Pro Football Hall of Fame to discuss each of the Seniors candidates and select the finalists. To be elected, Brazile and Kramer must receive the same 80 percent voting support by the entire 48-member Selection Committee on “Selection Saturday.” The Hall’s Selection Committee, at its annual meeting to be held on Saturday, February 3, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minn., will consider 18 finalists, including two Seniors (Brazile and Kramer), one Contributor (to be named Friday, Aug. 25), and 15 Modern-Era Finalists (to be determined from a preliminary list announced in early-September; trimmed to 25 semifinalists in November and to 15 finalists in January). Current bylaws call for a class no smaller than four or larger than eight. The Senior Finalists will be voted on for election independent of the other finalists. The Class of 2018 will be formally enshrined during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls in Canton next August. SENIOR FINALISTS (ALL-TIME) Those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame are indicated in caps. 1972 – ACE PARKER 1995 – HENRY JORDAN 1973 – Ole Haugsrud 1996 – LOU CREEKMUR 1974 – TONY CANADEO 1997 – Jerry Kramer 1975 – No senior candidate selected. 1998 – TOMMY McDONALD 1976 – RAY FLAHERTY 1999 – BILLY SHAW 1977 – BILL WILLIS 2000 – DAVE WILCOX 1978 – TUFFY LEEMANS 2001 – NICK BUONICONTI 1979 – Marshall Goldberg 2002 – GEORGE ALLEN 1980 – Lou Creekmur 2003 – HANK STRAM 1981 – RED BADGRO 2004 – BOB BROWN, Bob Hayes 1982 – GEORGE MUSSO 2005 – BENNY FRIEDMAN, FRITZ POLLARD 1983 – Mac Speedie 2006 – JOHN MADDEN, RAYFIELD WRIGHT 1984 – ARNIE WEINMEISTER 2007 – GENE HICKERSON, CHARLIE SANDERS 1985 – FRANK GATSKI 2008 – Marshall Goldberg, EMMITT THOMAS 1986 – DOAK WALKER 2009 – BOB HAYES, Claude Humphrey 1987 – JOHN HENRY JOHNSON 2010 – DICK LeBEAU, FLOYD LITTLE 1988 – Lou Rymkus 2011 – CHRIS HANBURGER, LES RICHTER 1989 – Henry Jordan 2012 – JACK BUTLER, Dick Stanfel 1990 – BOB ST. CLAIR 2013 – CURLEY CULP, DAVE ROBINSON 1991 – STAN JONES 2014 – RAY GUY, CLAUDE HUMPHREY 1992 – Willie Galimore 2015 – MICK TINGELHOFF 1993 – Dick Stanfel 2016 – KEN STABLER, DICK STANFEL 1994 – LEROY KELLY 2017 – KENNY EASLEY 2018 ENSHRINEMENT WEEK POWERED BY JOHNSON CONTROLS OFFICIAL TICKET PACKAGES Official Ticket Packages for the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls are on sale now at www.HOFexperiences.com or by calling 844-751-0532. A variety of ticket packages, starting at $275, provide fans with COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE VIP experiences, premium seating and parties with Hall of Famers. Packages range from event day offerings to four-day experiences that include a multitude of exclusive extras. Individual tickets to the 2018 Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls will go on sale at a later date. Fans can also sign up to receive information and updates about tickets by going to www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement-ticket-info-request/ or by following the Hall on social media @ProFootballHOF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. #PFHOF18 ### ABOUT THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME Located in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of the National Football League, 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. Construction on Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village, a nearly $800 million development project that includes 10 main components, 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 Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE .