Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1988 celebrates 35-year anniversary
Hall of Famers
Published on : 7/17/2023
Four talented individuals were enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 30, 1988. Tied for the second smallest class in the Hall’s history, the Class of 1988 combined finesse and ferocity.
The 1988 class included wide receiver FRED BILETNIKOFF, tight end MIKE DITKA, linebacker JACK HAM and defensive tackle ALAN PAGE.
Biletnikoff confounded opposing defensive back for 14 seasons – all in Oakland – with an array of slick moves and arguably the best hands in the game. He compiled 8,974 yards and 76 receiving touchdowns. An All-AFL selection in 1969 and an All-Pro in 1972, he earned Super Bowl XI MVP honors for his four-catch, 79-yard performance that set up a pair of short Raiders touchdowns in a 32-14 win over the Vikings.
Ditka, a former first-round pick of the Chicago Bears (fifth overall in 1961), redefined the tight end position. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and scored 12 touchdowns on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. He continued to produce big number in 1962 and 1963, helping the Bears to the NFL title in the latter season. After two subpar years in Philadelphia, he re-emerged in Dallas and helped the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl VI. He earned five Pro Bowl nods and was member of the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
From his first snap in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform in 1971 until his last in 1982, Ham brought an uncanny ability to see plays before they happened. For his career, he earned six All-Pro selections and played in eight Pro Bowls. Particularly adept in pass coverage, he intercepted at least one pass in each of his 12 NFL seasons – 32 overall – and also recovered 21 fumbles. Ham was the 1975 Defensive Player of the Year and was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s, the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team and the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
Page, noted for his disruptive speed off the line, was drafted 15th overall in the first AFL-NFL combined draft in 1967 by the Minnesota Vikings. He is credited with 148.5 sacks in his career that lasted 12 seasons in Minnesota and his final four in Chicago. In 1971, he became the NFL’s first defensive player to win the Most Valuable Player award. He played in nine Pro Bowls and won four NFL/NFC Championships with the Vikings. He is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s and the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
The 1988 class included wide receiver FRED BILETNIKOFF, tight end MIKE DITKA, linebacker JACK HAM and defensive tackle ALAN PAGE.
Biletnikoff confounded opposing defensive back for 14 seasons – all in Oakland – with an array of slick moves and arguably the best hands in the game. He compiled 8,974 yards and 76 receiving touchdowns. An All-AFL selection in 1969 and an All-Pro in 1972, he earned Super Bowl XI MVP honors for his four-catch, 79-yard performance that set up a pair of short Raiders touchdowns in a 32-14 win over the Vikings.
Ditka, a former first-round pick of the Chicago Bears (fifth overall in 1961), redefined the tight end position. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and scored 12 touchdowns on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. He continued to produce big number in 1962 and 1963, helping the Bears to the NFL title in the latter season. After two subpar years in Philadelphia, he re-emerged in Dallas and helped the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl VI. He earned five Pro Bowl nods and was member of the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
From his first snap in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform in 1971 until his last in 1982, Ham brought an uncanny ability to see plays before they happened. For his career, he earned six All-Pro selections and played in eight Pro Bowls. Particularly adept in pass coverage, he intercepted at least one pass in each of his 12 NFL seasons – 32 overall – and also recovered 21 fumbles. Ham was the 1975 Defensive Player of the Year and was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s, the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team and the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
Page, noted for his disruptive speed off the line, was drafted 15th overall in the first AFL-NFL combined draft in 1967 by the Minnesota Vikings. He is credited with 148.5 sacks in his career that lasted 12 seasons in Minnesota and his final four in Chicago. In 1971, he became the NFL’s first defensive player to win the Most Valuable Player award. He played in nine Pro Bowls and won four NFL/NFC Championships with the Vikings. He is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s and the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame anniversary classes
- Pro Football Hall of Fame celebrates decades of football excellence
- Pro Football Hall of Fame’s inaugural Class of 1963 celebrates 60-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1968 celebrates 55-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1973 celebrates 50-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1978 celebrates 45-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1983 celebrates 40-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1988 celebrates 35-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1993 celebrates 30-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1998 celebrates 25-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2003 celebrates 20-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013 celebrates 10-year anniversary
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