Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE @ProFootballHOF 05/09/17 Contact: Pete Fierle, Chief of Staff & Vice President of Communications [email protected]; 330-588-3622 TOP PHOTOS OF 2016 NFL SEASON REVEALED IN PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME’S PHOTO CONTEST PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW PHOTOGRAPHER WINS PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR; TO BE HONORED AT HALL OF FAME WEEK POWERED BY JOHNSON CONTROLS CANTON, OHIO – Longtime Pittsburgh Tribune-Review photographer Chaz Palla is the winner of the Dave Boss Award of Excellence for his entry in the 49th Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Photo Contest. His photo titled “Ear Full," was selected by a panel of judges as the Photograph of the Year for the 2016 National Football League Season. The image depicts Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin passionately voicing his displeasure of an officiating call during the Steelers’ 30-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 16, 2016. Palla, who is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, began his professional career as the Athletic Department Photographer at his alma mater in 1986 before joining the Associated Press in 1990. He joined Tribune-Review in 1993. The prestigious contest aligns with the Hall’s important mission to “Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE!” The contest is open to professional photographers on assignment to cover NFL games. Photos taken during the 2016 NFL season, that included Super Bowl LI and the 2017 Pro Bowl, were eligible. Pala’s entry was the first-place winner in the feature category while Baltimore Ravens’ COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE photographer Shawn Hubbard was first in the Action category. His photo “Julio Hauls It In” shows Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones pulling in a seemingly impossible catch at the sideline late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI. Judging was conducted at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in April by a panel of prominent photo editors and photographers. The judges included John Reid, III (Team Photographer for the Cleveland Browns), Ben Liebenberg (Lead Photographer/Senior Photo Editor at the NFL), Amy Sancetta (AP Photographer), Terrell Lloyd (Team Photographer for the San Francisco 49ers) and Tony Tomsic, (veteran photographer who has covered pro football for more than 50 years). Pala will be officially honored at the Enshrinees Roundtable as part of the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls. The Enshrinees Roundtable is held on Sunday, Aug. 6. Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls kicks off with the Hall of Fame Game (Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals) on Thursday, Aug. 3; the Enshrinees Gold Jacket Dinner on Friday; Aug. 4; and the Enshrinement Ceremony for the Class of 2017 – Morten Andersen, Terrell Davis, Kenny Easley, Jerry Jones, Jason Taylor, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Kurt Warner – on Saturday, Aug. 5. The celebration is capped on Sunday night, Aug. 6 with the Concert for Legends featuring Toby Keith and Kid Rock. NOTE: To view all of this year’s winners please go to http://www.profootballhof.com/photo-contest-2016/. 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 49TH ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST (2016 SEASON) List of Winners Dave Boss Award of Excellence, 2016 (Photo of the Year) Feature Winner – Chaz Palla – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Feature First Place – Chaz Palla – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Ear Full," Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins, Oct. 16, 2016. Second Place – Matt Kryger – Indianapolis Star, “Getting Flagged,” Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders, Dec. 24, 2016. Third Place – Andrew Kenutis, Minnesota Vikings, “Rosa,” Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals, Aug. 12, 2016. Hon. Mention – Tom Fox, The Dallas Morning News, “The X at Memorial Coliseum,” Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams, Aug. 13, 2016. Hon. Mention – Bob Leverone, AP Photo, “High Fives All Around,” San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers, Sept. 18, 2016. Hon. Mention – Craig Melvin, Buffalo Bills, “Hot Miller,” San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills, Oct. 16, 2016. Hon. Mention – Sean Ryan, NFL UK, no title, New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons, Feb. 5, 2017, Super Bowl LI. Hon. Mention – Daniel Szpakowski, New York Jets, “The Rookie,” New Orleans Saints at New York Giants, Sept. 18, 2016. Hon. Mention – Mark Zaleski, AP Photo, “Salute to Service,” Green Bay Packers at Tennessee Titans, Nov. 13, 2016. Action First Place – Shawn Hubbard, Baltimore Ravens, “Julio Hauls It In,” New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons, Feb. 5, 2017, Super Bowl LI. Second Place – Rick Tapia, National Football League, “Boykin's Leap,” Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks, Aug. 18, 2016. Third Place – David Eulitt, The Kansas City Star, “Turnover Twist,” Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers, Nov. 13, 2016. Hon. Mention – Matthew Becker, Green Bay Packers, “Finger Bending Catch,” Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers, Dec. 24, 2016. COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • COURAGE • RESPECT • EXCELLENCE Hon. Mention – Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images, “Carlos Hyde Leap,” San Francisco 49ers at Miami Dolphins, Nov. 27, 2016. Hon. Mention – Loren Elliott, Tampa Bay Times, “Hail-Mary Intercepted,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys, Dec. 18, 2016. Hon. Mention – Gregory Shamus, Getty Images, “Super Bowl Turning Point,” New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons, Feb. 5, 2017, Super Bowl LI. Hon. Mention – Paul Spinelli, AP Images, “Focus,” New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons, Feb. 5, 2017, Super Bowl LI. # # # 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 $700 million development project that includes nine 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 .