Hall of Fame to Present 'Awards of Excellence' to Members of 4 Groups Vital to Game's Success
Expanding on its mission to honor individuals who affect professional football in a positive manner, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will recognize outstanding contributions from members of four groups vital to the game’s growth, safety, popularity and its overall success both on the field and behind the scenes.
Individuals who have spent their football careers as Assistant Coaches, Athletic Trainers, Equipment Managers and Public Relations personnel will receive Awards of Excellence from their respective groups. Those names then will be placed on display inside a designated area of the Hall of Fame Museum starting in 2022.
Each of the four groups has chosen its own Selection Committee and has set its own criteria and timeline for recognizing its members. Through their self-determined selection process, handled without input from the Hall of Fame, the Coaches, Trainers, Managers and PR committees will choose five (5) members each for their inaugural Class of 2022 honorees.
“We are very excited to put a spotlight on these important professions within the Game,” said Saleem Choudhry, Vice President of Museum/Exhibit Services. “There are hundreds of individuals who have made professional football the most popular sport in the United States. This is an opportunity to honor how they have helped build the Game.”
Recipients of the Awards of Excellence will be invited to the 2022 Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls and honored as part of the ceremonies next August in Canton.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will announce the Class of 2022 honorees in their respective categories in the weeks following Super Bowl LVI.
Here are the Selection Committee members who will determine the recipients of the Awards of Excellence in each category:
ASSISTANT COACHES SELECTION COMMITTEE
Jimmy Raye, NFL consultant, retired offensive coordinator; Tony Dungy, NBC “Sunday Night Football” studio analyst, retired head coach; Bill Cowher, CBS studio analyst, retired head coach; Mike Holmgren, retired NFL head coach and general manager; Terry Robiskie, retired offensive coordinator.
ATHLETIC TRAINERS SELECTION COMMITTEE
Justin Maher (Committee Chair), Physical Therapist/Assistant Athletic Trainer, New York Giants; Nate Weir, Coordinator of Rehabilitation/Assistant Athletic Trainer, Green Bay Packers; James Collins, Director of Football/Medical Services, Los Angeles Chargers; Jim Maurer, Head Athletic Trainer, Dallas Cowboys; Sonia Rauf, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Pittsburgh Steelers; David Glover, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Kansas City Chiefs; Katy Rogers, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Carolina Panthers; Steve Antonopulos, retired Director of Sports Medicine, Denver Broncos; Ronnie Barnes, SVP of Medical Services/Head Athletic Trainer, New York Giants; Pepper Burruss, retired Head Athletic Trainer, Green Bay Packers; H. Rod Martin, retired Head Athletic Trainer, Oakland Raiders; Reggie Scott, Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance, Los Angeles Rams.
EQUIPMENT MANAGERS SELECTION COMMITTEE
Dan Simmons, retired Equipment Manager, New Orleans Saints, and current Alumni and Legends Development Coordinator for Saints; Tony Medlin, Equipment Manager, Chicago Bears; Mike McCord, Equipment Manager, Dallas Cowboys; Gordan Batty, Equipment Manager, Green Bay Packers; Mike Davidson, retired Equipment Manager, Kansas City Chiefs, and current Associate Historian and Curator of Chiefs Hall of Honor.
PUBLIC RELATIONS SELECTION COMMITTEE
Pete Abitante, National Football League executive; Kevin Byrne, retired Baltimore Ravens Executive Vice President; Rich Dalrymple, Senior Vice President Public Relations & Communications, Dallas Cowboys; Charlie Dayton, retired Vice President Public Relations, Carolina Panthers; Bill Keenist, retired Vice President Public Relations, Detroit Lions; Artis Twyman, Vice President Communications, Los Angeles Rams; Gary Wright, retired Vice President Public Relations, Seattle Seahawks.