Countdown to 2019 Enshrinement Ceremony
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COUNTDOWN TO 2019 ENSHRINEMENT CEREMONY CLASS OF 2019 AND THE NFL DRAFT April 25, 2019 - CANTON, OHIO - The 2019 Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls kicks off in 98 days. The festivities are centered around the Enshrinement of the Class of 2019 - Champ Bailey, Pat Bowlen, Gil Brandt, Tony Gonzalez, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Ed Reed and Johnny Robinson - on Saturday, Aug. 3. Below are interesting facts about each Enshrinee as they relate to the NFL Draft in addition to other notes about Pro Football Hall of Famers and the draft over the years. CHAMP BAILEY PAT BOWLEN Bailey was highly touted as the best de- Bowlen purchased the Denver Broncos in 1984 and his tenure fensive player in the 1999 NFL Draft class. of ownership is undoubtledly one of the most succssful After a prolific collegiate career, he was the periods for any team in league history. first defensive player off the board when Under his leadership, the Broncos have drafted two the Washington Redskins drafted future Pro Football Hall of Famers, including Shannon him with the seventh overall pick. Sharpe in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft and Bailey is the first member of the Terrell Davis in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Sharpe 1999 NFL Draft class to be and Davis took advantage of the winning culture created by inducted into the Pro Football Bowlen. Hall of Fame. Sharpe was not the first tight end drafted by Denver in the 1990 draft. Interestingly, the Broncos selected Ronnie “He’s the guy we wanted. Haliburton in the sixth round. Champ’s an outstanding athlete, corner and returner, and he could Davis was the 18th running back drafted in the 1995 even be an outstanding receiver. The thing that put draft - only one of which is a Pro Football Hall of Famer - us over the top with Champ is his character. He’s got Curtis Martin (third round - 74th player overall). great work habits. You don’t play 90 snaps a game if you don’t love the game.” – Redskins Head Coach Norv Turner DAYS UNTIL NFL’S 100TH SEASON KICKS OFF AT 9 8 ENSHRINEMENT WEEK POWERED BY JOHNSON CONTROLS Great seats are still available for the kickoff of the NFL’s 100th season in Canton, Ohio. Tickets and Packages for the main events of the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls are on sale now. HALL OF FAME GAME - AUG. 1 ENSHRINEMENT CEREMONY - AUG. 3 IMAGINE DRAGONS - AUG. 4 ProFootballHOF.com/Tickets GIL BRANDT TONY GONZALEZ Brandt oversaw the drafting of nine Gonzalez, after three successful years at Cal, chose to forego Cowboys’ players who are now his senior season and enter the 1997 NFL Draft. Gonzalez enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 13th overall Fame. It began with Dallas’s first-ever pick. The Chiefs traded up five spots to make sure they got pick, defensive tackle Bob Lilly, and their man. culminating with his final first-round pick in 1989, quarterback Troy Aikman. Gonzalez is the That list also includes: Rayfield Wright, fourth member of the Bob Hayes, Roger Staubach, Mel 1997 NFL Draft class Renfro, Tony Dorsett, Randy White and to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Michael Irvin. of Fame. Billy Shaw, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, was also • Orlando Pace (first drafted by the Cowboys in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL overall) was inducted Draft. However, Shaw opted to play for the Buffalo Bills after in 2016 being selected in the second round of the AFL draft that year. • Walter Jones (sixth overall) received his Brandt was the first to use computers for scouting and talent Gold Jacket in 2014 evaluations as well as the first to use psychological tests to • Jason Taylor (73rd evaluate ones’ mental makeup under pressure. It was the pick) was enshrined way he and the Cowboys graded college prospects that led in 2017. to building the NFL Scouting Combine to streamline the <<Gonzalez’s draft evaluation process. The event has now grown into a three- card in the Hall’s day production ahead of the annual NFL Draft. Archives TY LAW Law was selected in the first round by the New England KEVIN MAWAE Patriots with pick No. 23 in the 1995 NFL Draft. He went on to have an illustrious NFL career, winning three Super Mawae’s four years starting in Baton Rouge had many Bowls (2001, 2003 and 2004) with the Patriots. thinking he would be drafted in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft. The LSU lineman slipped just out of the Law is the fifth member of the 1995 draft class to be first round, but he was thefirst center off the board inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He joins when selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second Warren Sapp (12th overall), Derrick Brooks (28th overall), round with the 36th pick overall. Curtis Martin (74th overall) and Terrell Davis (196th overall). Mawae’s older brother and best friend, John Mawae, “He’s [Law] aggressive, studies, he works hard. I walked on to the LSU football team in 1992. As defen- think he’s going to be a pretty good player. I like sive tackle, John competed against Kevin at practice Michigan players generally. I think they’ve got daily. good backgrounds. They want to win. They’re very team-oriented.” Other Hall of Famers drafted in the 1994 NFL Draft, in- clude Marshall Faulk (second overall) and Larry Allen - Patriots Coach Bill Parcells (46th overall). OVERALL NUMBER ONE PICKS Fourteen members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame have been chosen as the first overall pick of a draft: 1942 - Bill Dudley 1970 - Terry Bradshaw 1945 - Charley Trippi 1976 - Lee Roy Selmon 1949 - Chuck Bednarik 1978 - Earl Campbell 1957 - Paul Hornung 1983 - John Elway 1963 (AFL) - Buck Buchanan 1985 - Bruce Smith 1 4 1968 - Ron Yary 1989 - Troy Aikman 1968 - O.J. Simpson 1997 - Orlando Pace ED REED JOHNNY ROBINSON Reed entered the 2002 NFL Draft Robinson was a as one of the top defensive backs member of the on the board, with most analysts inaugural AFL Draft predicting he’d be selected in the in 1960, which 2002 lasted 33 rounds first round. to fill the rosters He wound up being the of the eight new third DB taken off the draft franchises. He was board, when the Baltimore selected in the first Ravens chose him 24th round by the Dallas overall. No. 24 Texans, who would become the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963. Reed is the first member of the 2002 NFL Draft class to be Robinson was also eligible for the 1960 NFL Draft, where he inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. was selected third overall by the Detroit Lions. He opted to play for the Texans in the AFL. He was actually drafted as a running back following his career at LSU where he totaled 1,316 yards from scrimmage, along with 12 touchdowns while splitting carries with Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon. Interestingly, LSU produced two of the first three overall draft picks in the 1960 NFL Draft: the Los Angeles Rams picked Cannon first overall, while the Lions selected Robinson third overall. HALL OF FAMERS BY ROUND With the addition of the Class of 2019, there are 326 individuals enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Of those, 242 were selected in the draft. Here are the numbers by round: 37 - 2nd Round RD 1 24 - 3rd Round 11 - 4th Round 121 Future 7 - 5th Round Pro Football 2 - 6th Round Hall of Famers were selected 10 - 7th Round in the first 3 - 8th Round ^Reed’s draft card in the Hall’s Archives. round of the 6 - 9th Round draft 21 - 10th Round or later NFL SEASON KICKS OFF IN CANTON The National Football League season kicks off each year in Canton with a spectacular celebration, unlike any other, centered around the Enshrinement of the newest class of enshrinees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival including Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls features 18 diverse events that attracts 700,000 fans from across the country and the world. For full details, schedules, and tickets to all of the events, visit: ProFootballHOFEF.com or ProFootballHOF.com. MEDIA CONTACTS: Pete Fierle, Chief of Staff & Senior VP of Communications | [email protected]; 330-588-3622 Rachel Gutting, Dir. of Communications & Strategic Initiatives | [email protected]; 330-588-3671.