Arena Football Hall of Fame

Arena Football Hall of Fame
Established 1998
Website www.arenafootball.com/hallfame

The Arena Football Hall of Fame is the official Hall of Fame of the Arena Football League (AFL). The inaugural class was in 1998 and was not formally organized until 2011. Prior to 2011, there were four classes: 1998-2000 and then another in 2002. The Arena Football Hall of Fame is the highest honor for players, coaches, and contributors involved in the AFL. The voting process consists of fans and current Hall of Fame members voting on the finalists. The finalists are selected by the League Office in which they collect ballots from the Arena Football Hall of Fame Advisory Board, a group which consisted of former players, executives, journalists and media personnel with a long-time involvement in the league.[1][2]

Qualifications

In order to be nominated for the Arena Football Hall of Fame, a candidate must meet four criteria (as of 2015). A player who has played after the 1989 season must have played a minimum of three seasons. A player must be retired for a minimum of three full seasons. A coach must be active for a minimum of five seasons but does not need to be retired. There is no minimum number of seasons required for contributors, but significant advancement of the AFL is a prerequisite.[3]

Location

Unfortunately, there is no actual location for the Arena Football Hall of Fame. Unlike the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there is not a museum that exists. Due to the lesser professional status of the AFL, it is not highly regarded nor recognized like the NFL. However, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame there is an exhibit that features the history of the Arena Football League.[4]

Ceremony and Hall of Fame Game

Much like the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Arena Football League has a weekend dedicated to the inductees and during a selected Hall of Fame Game the inductees will partake in a Hall of Fame ceremony. This ceremony takes place prior to the game and will feature highlights as well as speeches from each of the inductees; each of the Hall of Fame Games are aired on CBS Sports Network annually.[5]

Inductees

The list is complete up to date 2014 Hall of Fame class.

Biographies and statistics can be referenced at the Hall of Fame web site.[6]
Inductee Class Position Team(s) Years
Dwayne Dixon 1998 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Washington Commandos 1987
Detroit Drive 1988–1991
Jim Foster 1998 League Founder/Executive, Commissioner, Team Owner/President N/A N/A
Commissioner 1987–1992
Iowa Barnstormers 1995–2001
Jerry Kurz 1998 League Co-Founder/Executive, Commissioner, President N/A N/A
CEO (af2) 2004–2009
Commissioner 2010–2014
President 2015–present
Tim Marcum 1998 Head Coach Denver Dynamite 1987
Detroit Drive 1988–1989, 1991–1993
Tampa Bay Storm 1995–2010
Kansas City Command 2011
New Orleans VooDoo (AHC) 2012
Orlando Predators (AHC/DC) 2013
Gary Mullen 1998 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Denver Dynamite 1987
Los Angeles Cobras 1988
Detroit Drive 1989–1992
Cincinnati Rockers 1993
Milwaukee Mustangs 1995
Tate Randle 1998 Defensive Specialist Detroit Drive 1988, 1990–1992
Alvin Rettig 1998 Fullback/Linebacker Detroit Drive 1988–1993
Craig Walls 1998 Offensive Lineman/Defensive Lineman Pittsburgh Gladiators 1987–1988
Jay Gruden 1999 Quarterback Tampa Bay Storm 1991–1996
Orlando Predators 2002–2003
Durwood "Rock" Roquemore 1999 Defensive Specialist Chicago Bruisers 1987–1988
Albany Firebirds 1990
Orlando Predators 1991–1996
Jon Roehlk[7] 1999 Offensive Lineman/Defensive Lineman Washington Commandos 1987
Detroit Drive 1988–1993
Miami Hooters 1994
Iowa Barnstormers 1995–1996
Gary Vitto 1999 General Manager Detroit Drive 1988–1993
Ben Bennett 2000 Quarterback Chicago Bruisers 1988–1989
Dallas Texans 1990
Orlando Predators 1991–1995
San Jose SaberCats 1996
Portland Forest Dragons 1997
Carl Aikens 2000 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Chicago Bruisers 1988–1989
Dallas Texans 1990–1991
Orlando Predators 1992–1993
Milwaukee Mustangs 1994
Hercules "Herkie" Walls 2000 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Orlando Predators 1991–1996
Joe March 2000 Offensive Lineman/Defensive Lineman Denver Dynamite 1991
Sacramento Attack 1992
Milwaukee Mustangs 1993
Tampa Bay Storm 1993–1996
Nashville Kats 1997
Perry Moss 2000 Head Coach Chicago Bruisers 1988
Detroit Drive 1990
Orlando Predators 1991–1997
Glenn Mazula 2000 Team Owner Albany/Indiana Firebirds 1990–2002
Danny White 2002 Head Coach Arizona Rattlers 1992–2004
Utah Blaze 2006–2008
Mike Ilitch 2002 Team Owner Detroit Drive 1988–1993
John Corker 2002 Offensive Lineman/Defensive Lineman Detroit Drive 1988–1993
Miami Hooters 1994–1995
Fred Gayles 2002 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Denver Dynamite 1989
Albany Firebirds 1990–1997
New York CityHawks 1997
Grand Rapids Rampage 1998
Reggie Smith 2002 Offensive Specialist Chicago Bruisers 1987–1989
Albany Firebirds 1990
Orlando Predators 1991
Barry Wagner 2011 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Orlando Predators 1992–1999, 2007
San Jose SaberCats 2000–2006
George LaFrance 2011 Offensive Specialist Detroit Drive 1988–1993
Tampa Bay Storm 1994–1999
New Jersey Red Dogs 2000
Hunkie Cooper 2011 Wide Receiver/Linebacker Arizona Rattlers 1993–2005
Eddie Brown 2011 Offensive Specialist Albany/Indiana Firebirds 1994–2003
Sylvester Bembery 2011 Offensive Lineman/Defensive Lineman New England Steamrollers 1988
Albany Firebirds 1990–1993
Tampa Bay Storm 1994–1999, 2001
Buffalo Destroyers 2000
Kurt Warner 2011 Quarterback Iowa Barnstormers 1995–1997
Stevie Thomas 2011 Wide Receiver/Linebacker Tampa Bay Storm 1991–1999
Orlando Predators 2000
New Jersey Gladiators 2001
Sam Hernandez 2011 Offensive Lineman/Defensive Lineman Charlotte Rage 1992
Las Vegas Sting/Anaheim Piranhas 1994–1997
San Jose SaberCats 1998–2005
Darren Arbet 2011 Head Coach San Jose SaberCats 1999–2008, 2010–present
Gene Nudo 2011 Executive N/A N/A
Sherdrick Bonner 2012 Quarterback Arizona Rattlers 1993–2007
Chicago Rush 2008
Mike Dailey 2012 Head Coach Albany/Indiana Firebirds 1997–2003
Colorado Crush 2004–2008
Clint Dolezel[8] 2012 Quarterback Milwaukee Mustangs 1995–1996
Texas Terror/Houston ThunderBears 1997–1999
Grand Rapids Rampage 2001–2003
Las Vegas Gladiators 2004–2005
Dallas Desperados 2006–2008
Randy Gatewood 2012 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Arizona Rattlers 1996–2007
Mike Hohensee 2012 Head Coach Washington Commandos 1990
Albany Firebirds 1994–1996
Anaheim Piranhas 1997
New England Sea Wolves 1999–2000
Chicago Rush 2001–2008, 2010
Peoria Pirates (af2) 2009
Philadelphia Soul 2011
Iowa Barnstormers 2012–2014
Portland Thunder 2015
William Niro 2012 League Co-Founder/Executive N/A N/A
Cory Fleming[9] 2013 Wide Receiver/Linebacker Nashville Kats 1994–1995, 2006
Carolina Cobras 2002
Orlando Predators 2003–2005
Darryl Hammond 2013 Wide Receiver/Linebacker Albany Firebirds 1991–1994
St. Louis Stampede 1995–1996
Nashville Kats 1997–2001, 2005–2006
Georgia Force 2003–2004
Austin Wranglers 2004
Greg Hopkins 2013 Wide Receiver/Linebacker Albany/Indiana Firebirds 1996–2001
Los Angeles Avengers 2002–2006
Bob McMillen 2013 Fullback/Linebacker Arizona Rattlers 1995–2001
San Jose SaberCats 2001–2002
Chicago Rush 2003–2007
Carl Paganelli 2013 Official/Adviser/Contributor N/A N/A
Lawrence Samuels 2013 Wide Receiver/Linebacker Tampa Bay Storm 1994–2000, 2002–2010
New Jersey Gladiators 2001
Andre Bowden 2014 Fullback/Linebacker Tampa Bay Storm 1991–1993, 1997–2001, 2003–2004
Carolina Cobras 2002
Damian Harrell 2014 Wide Receiver New England Sea Wolves/Toronto Phantoms 1999–2002
Colorado Crush 2003–2007
Chicago Rush 2008
Milwaukee Mustangs 2010–2011
Kyle Moore-Brown 2014 Offensive Lineman/Defensive Lineman Albany/Indiana Firebirds 1995–2003
Colorado Crush 2004–2008
Omarr Smith 2014 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back San Jose SaberCats 2000–2002, 2004–2008
Tampa Bay Storm 2003

Class of 2015 Finalists:[10]

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Joe DeLamielleure is currently the only Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee to ever play with an Arena Football Team. He played the 1992 season with the Charlotte Rage.[11]

See also

References

  1. "Hall of Fame Voting Officially Opens". Arena Football. July 14, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  2. "Arena Football Hall of Fame Advisory Board Announced". arenafootball.com. June 5, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  3. "Hall of Fame Voting Officially Opens". Arena Football League. July 14, 2015. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  4. "Hall of Fame features exhibit on Arena Football League". ESPN. March 2, 2007. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  5. "HYDRIVE Arena Football Hall of Fame Weekend Set to Kick Off Friday". Tampa Bay Storm. April 17, 2014. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  6. "Hall of Fame". Arenafootball.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  7. "Ex-Hawkeye, arena football pioneer Roehlk dies". The Quad City Times. March 16, 2016. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  8. "After HOF career, Clint Dolezel finds success as coach". csnphilly.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  9. Organ, Mike (April 26, 2014). "Kats' Cory Fleming goes to Arena Football Hall of Fame". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  10. "AFL Announces 2015 Arena Football Hall of Fame Finalists". Arena Football. July 11, 2015. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  11. "1992-1996 Charlotte Rage". Funwhileitlasted.com. Retrieved April 22, 2016.

External links

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