Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1994 celebrates 30-year anniversary
Hall of Famers
Published on : 7/18/2024
Five talented players and a coach who succeeded in two professional football leagues were enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 30, 1994.
The six members of the Class of 1994 celebrating their 30-year anniversary are running back TONY DORSETT, friends and family of head coach BUD GRANT and cornerback JIMMY JOHNSON, running back LEROY KELLY, tight end JACKIE SMITH and defensive tackle RANDY WHITE.
Once told he was “too small to play,” Dorsett’s creative vision allowed him to take the league by storm in 1977. Selected second overall by the Dallas Cowboys, Dorsett rushed for over 1,000 yards his rookie season, becoming a unanimous choice for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He surpassed 1,000 yards rushing in eight of his first nine NFL seasons. In his 11 years with the Cowboys, he played in five NFC championship games and two Super Bowls, claiming victory in Super Bowl XII. After spending his final season with the Denver Broncos, Dorsett ended his 12-year career with a first-team All-Pro nod in 1981, four Pro Bowl selections and an unbreakable record: a 99-yard touchdown run in the 1982 season.
Grant, the architect of the Minnesota Vikings’ success in the 1960s and 1970s, coached 18 seasons in the NFL, boasting a .621 regular-season winning record. After an impressive 10-year stint with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League, Grant took over the Vikings in 1967, quickly sparking change. His focus on detail and discipline led Minnesota down a chain of successes starting in his second season as head coach. In all, his teams won 10 NFL/NFC Central Division titles in 11 seasons, three NFC titles and the NFL Championship Game in 1969, resulting in four Super Bowl appearances. His 168-108-5 all-time coaching record (including postseason) places Grant at the top of the Vikings’ record books and among the winningest professional football coaches of all time. He is one of only two people in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the first so honored.
Regarded as one of the best man-to-man defenders to play pro football, Johnson spent 16 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers at cornerback. Selected in the first round of the 1961 NFL Draft, San Francisco utilized the versatile Johnson on both sides of the ball, tapping his abilities forged as a track and football standout at UCLA. Featured at wide receiver in his second season, Johnson caught 34 passes for 627 yards and four touchdowns, but ultimately he settled in at cornerback. When opposing quarterbacks were brave enough to throw his way, Johnson intercepted 47 passes in his career with 615 return yards. He was named first-team All-Pro three consecutive seasons (1970-72) by the Associated Press and was selected as a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s.
Kelly is one of 11 alums of the 1964 NFL Draft to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the highest of any draft class. Selected in the eighth round by the Cleveland Browns, Kelly spent his 10-year career with the team. Following JIM BROWN, Kelly quickly made a name for himself as the team’s new featured running back. In each of his first three seasons as a starter, he rushed for 1,000 yards – twice leading the league in rushing – and was named first-team All-NFL and selected as a starter in the Pro Bowl. Paired with his strong skillset as a receiver, he finished his career with 12,330 combined yards and stands sixth on the Browns’ all-time scoring list. He earned a spot on the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s.
A 10th-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963, Smith made his presence known immediately. In the fifth game of his rookie season, facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, he accumulated 212 receiving yards on nine receptions, prompting his promotion to starter. Between 1967-1970, Smith recorded at least one reception during a stretch of 45 consecutive games. His best single-season performance came during that period with 56 receptions, 1,205 yards and nine touchdowns in 1967. In his 16-year career, including 15 with the Cardinals and a final season with the Dallas Cowboys, Smith was selected to five Pro Bowls, named All-NFL twice and his 16.5-yard average per reception tops all tight ends enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
White was a staple of the Dallas Cowboys “Doomsday Defense” throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Moving to right defensive tackle his third year, White quickly found his groove. He kicked off a nine-year span featuring seven first-team All-Pro selections from the Associated Press, nine consecutive Pro Bowl selections and a co-Most Valuable Player Award in Super Bowl XII. In his 14-year career with the Cowboys, White played in 209 regular-season games – missing only one – demonstrating incredible consistency and reliability. White appeared in six NFC championship games and three Super Bowls. His career accomplishments include 1,104 tackles (701 solo), 111 sacks and six times finishing in the top four for Defensive Player of the Year. He is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1980s.
The six members of the Class of 1994 celebrating their 30-year anniversary are running back TONY DORSETT, friends and family of head coach BUD GRANT and cornerback JIMMY JOHNSON, running back LEROY KELLY, tight end JACKIE SMITH and defensive tackle RANDY WHITE.
Once told he was “too small to play,” Dorsett’s creative vision allowed him to take the league by storm in 1977. Selected second overall by the Dallas Cowboys, Dorsett rushed for over 1,000 yards his rookie season, becoming a unanimous choice for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He surpassed 1,000 yards rushing in eight of his first nine NFL seasons. In his 11 years with the Cowboys, he played in five NFC championship games and two Super Bowls, claiming victory in Super Bowl XII. After spending his final season with the Denver Broncos, Dorsett ended his 12-year career with a first-team All-Pro nod in 1981, four Pro Bowl selections and an unbreakable record: a 99-yard touchdown run in the 1982 season.
Grant, the architect of the Minnesota Vikings’ success in the 1960s and 1970s, coached 18 seasons in the NFL, boasting a .621 regular-season winning record. After an impressive 10-year stint with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League, Grant took over the Vikings in 1967, quickly sparking change. His focus on detail and discipline led Minnesota down a chain of successes starting in his second season as head coach. In all, his teams won 10 NFL/NFC Central Division titles in 11 seasons, three NFC titles and the NFL Championship Game in 1969, resulting in four Super Bowl appearances. His 168-108-5 all-time coaching record (including postseason) places Grant at the top of the Vikings’ record books and among the winningest professional football coaches of all time. He is one of only two people in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the first so honored.
Regarded as one of the best man-to-man defenders to play pro football, Johnson spent 16 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers at cornerback. Selected in the first round of the 1961 NFL Draft, San Francisco utilized the versatile Johnson on both sides of the ball, tapping his abilities forged as a track and football standout at UCLA. Featured at wide receiver in his second season, Johnson caught 34 passes for 627 yards and four touchdowns, but ultimately he settled in at cornerback. When opposing quarterbacks were brave enough to throw his way, Johnson intercepted 47 passes in his career with 615 return yards. He was named first-team All-Pro three consecutive seasons (1970-72) by the Associated Press and was selected as a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s.
Kelly is one of 11 alums of the 1964 NFL Draft to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the highest of any draft class. Selected in the eighth round by the Cleveland Browns, Kelly spent his 10-year career with the team. Following JIM BROWN, Kelly quickly made a name for himself as the team’s new featured running back. In each of his first three seasons as a starter, he rushed for 1,000 yards – twice leading the league in rushing – and was named first-team All-NFL and selected as a starter in the Pro Bowl. Paired with his strong skillset as a receiver, he finished his career with 12,330 combined yards and stands sixth on the Browns’ all-time scoring list. He earned a spot on the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s.
A 10th-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963, Smith made his presence known immediately. In the fifth game of his rookie season, facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, he accumulated 212 receiving yards on nine receptions, prompting his promotion to starter. Between 1967-1970, Smith recorded at least one reception during a stretch of 45 consecutive games. His best single-season performance came during that period with 56 receptions, 1,205 yards and nine touchdowns in 1967. In his 16-year career, including 15 with the Cardinals and a final season with the Dallas Cowboys, Smith was selected to five Pro Bowls, named All-NFL twice and his 16.5-yard average per reception tops all tight ends enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
White was a staple of the Dallas Cowboys “Doomsday Defense” throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Moving to right defensive tackle his third year, White quickly found his groove. He kicked off a nine-year span featuring seven first-team All-Pro selections from the Associated Press, nine consecutive Pro Bowl selections and a co-Most Valuable Player Award in Super Bowl XII. In his 14-year career with the Cowboys, White played in 209 regular-season games – missing only one – demonstrating incredible consistency and reliability. White appeared in six NFC championship games and three Super Bowls. His career accomplishments include 1,104 tackles (701 solo), 111 sacks and six times finishing in the top four for Defensive Player of the Year. He is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1980s.
2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame anniversary classes
- Pro Football Hall of Fame celebrates decades of football excellence
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1964 celebrates 60-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1969 celebrates 55-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1974 celebrates 50-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1979 celebrates 45-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1984 celebrates 40-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1989 celebrates 35-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1994 celebrates 30-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1999 celebrates 25-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2004 celebrates 20-year anniversary
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014 celebrates 10-year anniversary
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