» JOHNSON, COWHER GOING TO HALL
CANTON TWP — Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson weren’t the only ones who were surprised by Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker this weekend.
The Hall of Fame’s selectors were, too. Baker stunned both Cowher and Johnson on the air, delivering the news of their induction in person during their NFL studio shows on CBS and FOX, respectively.
“I’m watching the game and I see Dave Baker walk out,” said former Pro Football Hall of Fame historian Joe Horrigan, who served on last week’s 25-member panel that selected 15 of the 20 members of the Hall of Fame’s Centennial Class. “I was as surprised as Bill Cowher. I thought, ‘My gosh, he (Baker) quit and has a job already.’
“That surprised us all. Believe me, I didn’t know it was happening.”
The panel met for more than 12 hours last Wednesday, choosing 15 from a list of 38 finalists. More than 300 players, coaches and contributors were nominated for the Class of 2020.
The selectors left the meeting without knowing the results, Horrigan said. That was by design.
“In talking to David after the meeting, he had not yet opened the envelope to see who we had actually elected and I said, ‘Please, do not tell me,’” said Horrigan, who administered the selection meetings until his retirement last June. “I’m not administering the process anymore. I’m a voter. I wanted to be able to say, just like every other voter, that I had no special privy to any of the results.
“So, he held true to that and it (the announcement) surprised me.”
The remainder of the 15-person Centennial Slate will be revealed live on Good Morning Football, starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday on NFL Network. Ten of the inductees will be Senior selections and three will be contributors. The five modern-era candidates will be selected and announced on Feb. 1, the day before the Super Bowl.
“Jimmy Johnson, who is not really known for the kind of emotion he showed, was dumbstruck, as was Bill Cowher,” said Horrigan, who spoke at Monday’s Hall of Fame Luncheon Club meeting at Tozzi’s on 12th. “You can see how much it meant to them. That’s really, really rewarding. This (expanded class) is something we’ve been working on for three years. When you see that kind of emotion and appreciation for the honor they’re receiving, then you realize that you’re changing people’s lives. It’s not just an honor. It’s a life-changing event.”