EIGHT SET TO TAKE PLACES AMONG GRIDIRON GREATS
Canton, Ohio, shrine makes exception to allow late Seau’s daughter to speak
The Bus and seven other NFL legends will make the final stops of their football careers when they are welcomed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio.
The 53rd class to be immortalized comprises Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, Tim Brown, Charles Haley, Bill Polian, Junior Seau, Will Shields, Mick Tingelhoff and Ron Wolf.
Polian and Wolf, both archi- tects of numerous Super Bowl teams during their years as general managers, enter the Hall as contributors.
“You never dream of this,” said Polian, who built the 1990s Buffalo Bills teams that reached four Super Bowls, launched the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995 and led the Indianapolis Colts to a period of unprecedented sustained success in the 2000s, a stretch that included a Super Bowl XLI victory after the 2006 season.
“But the thing I’m most proud of in all three stops is how well we did, who we did it with and how we did it,” Polian said.
The Hall is making an exceptions to its ceremonial rules, which typically do not allow for live speeches on behalf of deceased honorees. Sydney Seau will be allowed to speak about her father, who died in 2012. She and her three brothers will unveil Seau’s bust at the enshrinement ceremony.
“Our goal is to maintain our policy regarding enshrinement speeches but also show compassion and understanding,” Hall of Fame President David Baker said in a statement.
Brett Favre and Terrell Owens are among the players who will become eligible for election in 2016. Next year’s class will be announced in February before Super Bowl 50.