Pro Football Hall Of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s induction ceremonies are Saturday night in Canton, Ohio. For many, that’s the unofficial start of the NFL season.

Past greats are honored, their feats remembered. And the next night comes the opening preseason game.

This year’s class is superb. There are a couple of guys who were terrific at throwing the ball and moving their team down the field (Brett Favre, Ken Stabler). There’s one (Marvin Harrison) who helped his quarterback by catching everything thrown near him.

There’s a fellow who was one of the best left tackles (Orlando Pace), whose job was to protect the passer. And there’s Kevin Greene, a sack-minded linebacker who went after quarterbacks with a fury.

Tony Dungy, a gentle yet forceful personality, goes in as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts. And Eddie DeBartolo Jr., whose ownership of the San Francisco 49ers yielded five Super Bowl titles.

Probably the least remembered is Dick Stanfel, a tremendous offensive lineman in the 1950s, before the game exploded in popularity. Stanfel and Stabler, sadly, are posthumous entrants.

As a longtime football beat reporter for USA Today, I covered, interviewed and wrote about all but Stanfel. Favre gave me unlimited time to talk and made Lambeau Field rock and turned a withered Green Bay into Titletown again. I am going to especially enjoy his induction.

But I will cheer them all, for the memories they made, for the players and contributors they were, for their excellence in a brutal game that we all enjoy so much.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman