Pat Bowlen & Gil Brandt Selected as Finalists for Hall of Fame's Class of 2019

Denver Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen and former Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel Gil Brandt were selected as the Contributors Finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019. Bowlen and Brandt were picked by the Hall of Fame’s Contributors Committee who met today at the Hall.

Bowlen is the longtime owner of the Broncos. His outstanding contributions to the Broncos as well as the National Football League has established him as one of the greatest and most influential contributors in league history.

He is the only owner in NFL history to achieve 300 overall victories during his first 30 seasons. Under his leadership, the Broncos had an unprecedented run of success. The franchise has won three Super Bowls – XXXII, XXXIII and 50. The Broncos also claimed seven AFC championships under Bowlen (1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2013 and 2015).

“This is a great, great day for Denver and the Rocky Mountain region,” shared Joe Ellis, the Broncos President & CEO upon learning of Bowlen’s nomination.

As vice president of player personnel for the Cowboys from 1960-89, Brandt helped Dallas grow into one of the most powerful and popular sports franchises in America. His innovative management and personnel systems are standard operating procedure today for many teams at the professional and collegiate levels nationwide. Brandt has spent the last 10 years as NFL.com's main personnel guru and offers insight and commentary on all aspects of players and teams.

“This is, without question, one of the greatest things that have happened in my life,” Brandt shared after he learned the news from Hall of Fame President David Baker.

The Contributors Committee is comprised of nine members of the overall selection committee. Through mail vote, the 2019 Contributor nominees were reduced to a list of 10 semifinalists. Then, on a rotating basis, five of the nine members of the committee met at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton to discuss each of the Contributors nominees and today selected Bowlen and Brandt. The Contributor category is for individuals who made outstanding contributions to professional football in capacities other than playing or coaching.

To be elected to the Hall of Fame, Bowlen and Brandt must receive the same 80 percent voting support by the entire 48-member Selection Committee on “Selection Saturday.” The Hall’s Selection Committee, at its annual meeting to be held on Saturday, February 2, 2019 in Atlanta, Ga., will consider 18 finalists, including a Senior (Johnny Robinson), two Contributors (Bowlen and Brandt), and 15 Modern-Era Finalists (to be determined from a preliminary list announced on September 13; trimmed to 25 semifinalists in November and to 15 finalists in January). Current bylaws call for a class no smaller than four or larger than eight. The Senior and Contributor Finalists will be voted on for election independent of the other finalists.

The Class of 2019 will be formally enshrined during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls in Canton next August 1-4.

CONTRIBUTOR FINALISTS

A bylaws change to the selection process was instituted in August 2014 by which a Contributor – defined as an individual who has “made outstanding contributions to professional football in capacities other than playing or coaching” – will automatically be included among the annual list of finalists for election.

Those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame are indicated in caps.

2015 – BILL POLIAN, RON WOLF
2016 – EDWARD DeBARTOLO, JR.
2017 – JERRY JONES, Paul Tagliabue
2018 – BOBBY BEATHARD

2019 ENSHRINEMENT WEEK POWERED BY JOHNSON CONTROLS OFFICIAL TICKET PACKAGES

Official Ticket Packages for the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls are on sale now at www.HOFexperiences.com or by calling 844-751-0532. A variety of ticket packages, starting at $299, provide fans with VIP experiences, premium seating and parties with Hall of Famers. Packages range from event day offerings to four-day experiences that include a multitude of exclusive extras.

Individual tickets to the 2019 Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls will go on sale at a later date.

Fans can also sign up to receive information and updates about tickets by going to www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement-ticket-info-request/ or by following the Hall on social media @ProFootballHOF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.