A Championship Sendoff
Football teaches so much beyond the X’s and O’s of the game. It instills the values that guide a person to succeed both on and off the field.
Unfortunately, of the more than 27,000 Legends who have played, coached or administered the Game, very few have the ability to leave on their own terms. Most careers end with a knock on the door, a phone call or a note in their locker explaining that while the organization appreciates all that the individual has done for the team, they feel it’s best to go in a new direction.
Very few Legends leave by choice and even fewer retire from the game while hoisting a championship trophy over their head.
In honor of Peyton Manning's retirement today after one of the greatest careers in the history of the Game, here is a list of Hall of Famers who walked off field as a champion.
Hall of Famer |
Year of Induction |
Final Game |
| Jerome Bettis | Class of 2015 | Super Bowl XL, Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10 |
| John Elway | Class of 2004 | Super Bowls XXXIII, Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19 |
| Otto Graham | Class of 1965 | 1955 NFL Championship Game, Cleveland Browns 38, Los Angeles Rams 14 |
| Forrest Gregg | Class of 1977 | Super Bowl VI, Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3 |
| Russ Grimm | Class of 2010 | Super Bowl XXVI, Washington Redskins 37, Buffalo Bills 24 |
| Ted Hendricks | Class of 1990 | Super Bowl XVIII, Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington Redskins 17 |
| Mel Renfro | Class of 1996 | Super Bowl XII, Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10 |
| Michael Strahan | Class of 2014 | Super Bowl XLII, New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 |
| Norm Van Brocklin | Class of 1971 | 1960 NFL Championship Game, Philadelphia Eagles 17, Green Bay Packers 13 |
| Gary Zimmerman | Class of 2008 | Super Bowl XXXII, Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24 |
Hall of Famers in a Different Color
Many Hall of Famers added to their legacy on the football field after switching teams via free agency.
Pace and Schwarzenegger Inspire in Game for Life Chalk Talk
Orlando Pace, in his first appearance as a Hall of Famer, was joined by Arnold Schwarzenegger for a “Chalk Talk” on the values of sport and football in front of a packed and enthusiastic audience.