HOF Artifact of the Week

This solid bronze medallion was used for the coin toss at the 2000 Pro Football Hall of Fame game which was the first game of Tom Brady’s NFL career.

On July 31, 2000 in front of 22,840 fans at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, OH, the New England Patriots defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-0 in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Brady came into the game with 9:36 left in the 4^th quarter completing 3 of 4 passes for 28 yards. Another notable player who also made his NFL debut in the HOF Game is Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood in 1971 for the Los Angeles Rams.

Tom Brady eventually became the “Cy Young” of the NFL, when on December 4, 2016 he led the Patriots to a 26-10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The victory marked his 201^st regular season win of his career which is the most in NFL history. Incidentally, Cy Young (MLB’s all-time Career Wins leader) also has a Canton, OH connection. Before making his MLB debut in 1890, Young made a name for himself as star for a minor league baseball team based in Canton, OH.

Our weekly artifacts and other unique items are featured daily in our docent presentations for visitors of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Plan your visit to the Hall to learn more about the collection in our archives.