Arena Football Hall of Fame
| Established | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Website | www.arenafootball.com/hallfame |
The Arena Football Hall of Fame was the official Hall of Fame of the Arena Football League (AFL). The inaugural class was announced in 1998 and the Hall was not formally organized until 2011. Prior to 2011, there were four classes: 1998–2000 and then another in 2002. The voting process consisted of fans and current Hall of Fame members voting on the finalists. The finalists were selected by the League Office in which they collected ballots from the Arena Football Hall of Fame Advisory Board, a group which consisted of former players, executives, journalists and media personnel with a long-time involvement in the league.[1][2] After its decline in 2015, the hall stopped inducting new classes. The league folded for a second time in 2019. However, after the league's closure, ArenaFan, a long-running fan site, announced it had taken over operations of the Arena Football Hall of Fame.[3]
Qualifications
In order to be nominated for the Arena Football Hall of Fame, a candidate must have met at least one of four criteria (as of 2015, depending upon whether he is being considered as a player, a coach, or a contributor). A player who had played after the 1989 season must have played a minimum of three seasons. A player had to be retired for a minimum of three full seasons. A coach must have been active for a minimum of five seasons but does not need to be retired. There was no minimum number of seasons required for contributors but rather contribution to the significant advancement of the AFL in general.[4]
Location
Even before ArenaFan's takeover, there was no physical location for the Arena Football Hall of Fame. However, within the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a small exhibit features the history of the Arena Football League.[5]
Ceremony and Hall of Fame Game
Much like the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Arena Football League had a weekend dedicated to the inductees and during a selected Hall of Fame Game the inductees would partake in a Hall of Fame ceremony. The ceremony took place prior to the game and would feature highlights as well as speeches from each of the inductees. In later years, Hall of Fame Games were aired on CBS Sports Network prior to the termination of the league's agreement with CBSN following the 2018 season.[6]
Inductees
The list is complete up to date with the 2014 Hall of Fame class.
Class of 2015 Finalists:[11]
- James Baron: Offensive lineman/Defensive lineman for the Nashville Kats from 1997 to 2001 and 2005 to 2007, and the Chicago Rush from 2002 to 2004 and 2008
- Craig Bornemeier: Executive
- Siaha Burley: Offensive Specialist for the Orlando Predators from 2001 to 2002, the Los Angeles Avengers from 2003, the Arizona Rattlers from 2004 to 2005, 2008, and 2010, and the Utah Blaze from 2006 to 2007
- B. J. Cohen: Offensive lineman/Defensive lineman for the Orlando Predators from 1999 to 2002 and 2008, the Tampa Bay Storm from 2003, the New Orleans VooDoo from 2004 to 2005, and the Kansas City Brigade from 2006 to 2007
- Mark Grieb: Quarterback for the Anaheim Piranhas from 1997, the Milwaukee Mustangs from 1997, and the San Jose SaberCats from 1999 to 2008 and 2011 to 2012
- Jay Gruden: Head coach for the Orlando Predators from 1998 to 2001 and 2004 to 2008. Gruden is already inducted for his playing career and thus would be the first to be inducted twice as the hall is currently configured.
- Kevin Guy: Head coach for the Tennessee Valley Vipers (AF2) from 2002 to 2004, the Rio Grande Valley Dorados (AF2) from 2005, and the Arizona Rattlers from 2008–present
- Kenny McEntyre: Defensive Specialist for the Orlando Predators from 1998 to 2006 and 2008 to 2012, and the Kansas City Brigade from 2007
- Steve Papin: Offensive Specialist for the San Jose SaberCats from 1997 to 2001, the New York Dragons from 2002 to 2003, and the San Diego Riptide (AF2) from 2003
- Will Pettis: Wide receiver/Defensive back for the Pensacola Barracudas (AF2) from 2002, the Dallas Desperados from 2003 to 2008, and the Dallas Vigilantes from 2010
These were the finalists for the 2015 Hall of Fame class; however, this was the year that began the decline of the league until its second bankruptcy in 2019. No future Hall of Fame announcements have been made since 2015.
AF2 Hall of Fame inductees
With the dissolvement of the AF2 developmental league, there was a single class of ten members inducted into the AF2 Hall of Fame. While this league was owned and run by the AFL, a separate Hall of Fame was created. AFL and AF2 creators Jim Foster and Jerry Kurz are the only previous members of both Halls. This Hall was designed to recognize individuals who significantly impacted the AF2. While some members have been involved with AFL teams, this group was inducted based only on their contributions to the AF2. No members have been inducted beyond the inaugural class.[12]
| Inductee | Class | Position | Team(s) | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitch Allner | 2009 | Wide receiver/Defensive back, Head coach | Quad City Steamwheelers | 2000 |
| Iowa Barnstormers | 2001 | |||
| Tulsa Talons | 2002–? 2007–2011 (HC) | |||
| Jim Foster | 2009 | League Founder/Executive, Team Owner/President | N/A | 2000–2009 |
| Iowa Barnstormers | 1995–2001 | |||
| Quad City Steamwheelers | 2000–2009 | |||
| Skip Foster | 2009 | Head coach | Tulsa Talons | 2000–2003 |
| Austin Wranglers (AFL) | 2004–2006 | |||
| Kevin Guy | 2009 | Head coach | New Jersey Red Dogs (AFL) | 2003 |
| Tennessee Valley Vipers | 2002–2004 | |||
| Rio Grande Valley Dorados | 2005 | |||
| Arizona Rattlers (AFL / IFL) | 2008–present | |||
| Rich Ingold | 2009 | Head coach | Quad City Steamwheelers | 2002–2004 |
| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers | 2006–2009 | |||
| Dallas Vigilantes (AFL) | 2010 | |||
| Jerry Kurz | 2009 | League Co-founder/Executive, Commissioner, President | N/A | 2000–2009 |
| CEO | 2004–2009 | |||
| Dan Newman | 2009 | Owner/Team president, Team chairman, League executive | Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings | 2003–2010 |
| New Orleans VooDoo (AFL) | 2011–2015 | |||
| Jim Foster | 2009 | Offensive specialist | Carolina Cobras (AFL) | 2002 |
| Memphis Xplorers | 2003–2005 | |||
| Las Vegas Gladiators (AFL) | 2006–2007 | |||
| Matthew Sauk | 2009 | Quarterback | Tennessee Valley Vipers | 2001, 2003 |
| Los Angeles Avengers (AFL) | 2001 | |||
| Louisville Fire | 2004–2005 | |||
| Philadelphia Soul (AFL) | 2006 | |||
| Grand Rapids Rampage (AFL) | 2007 | |||
| Arizona Rattlers (AFL) | 2008 | |||
| Craig Strickland | 2009 | Quarterback | Tulsa Talons | 2000–2001, 2003 |
| Dallas Desperados (AFL) | 2004 | |||
| Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz | 2004–2006 |
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Joe DeLamielleure was the first Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee to ever play with an Arena Football Team; as an apparent publicity stunt, he played two games for the Charlotte Rage in the 1992 season, seven years after he had retired from professional football.[13]
Kurt Warner, who played three seasons with the Iowa Barnstormers from 1995 to 1997 and was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame in 2011, is the first player with substantial arena football experience to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as well as the first to be inducted into both halls. Warner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.[14]
The ownership group of the Colorado Crush has also been inducted: John Elway was inducted as a player in 2004, while Pat Bowlen was inducted as an owner in 2019. Both Elway and Bowlen were inducted almost entirely for their contributions to the NFL's Denver Broncos.
See also
References
- ↑ "Hall of Fame Voting Officially Opens". Arena Football. July 14, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Arena Football Hall of Fame Advisory Board Announced". arenafootball.com. June 5, 2014. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Press Releases: Arena Football Hall of Fame Makes Return (press release) | ArenaFan.com". www.arenafan.com. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
- ↑ "Hall of Fame Voting Officially Opens". Arena Football League. July 14, 2015. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Hall of Fame features exhibit on Arena Football League". ESPN. March 2, 2007. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "HYDRIVE Arena Football Hall of Fame Weekend Set to Kick Off Friday". Tampa Bay Storm. April 17, 2014. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Hall of Fame". Arenafootball.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Ex-Hawkeye, arena football pioneer Roehlk dies". The Quad City Times. March 16, 2016. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "After HOF career, Clint Dolezel finds success as coach". csnphilly.com. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Organ, Mike (April 26, 2014). "Kats' Cory Fleming goes to Arena Football Hall of Fame". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "AFL Announces 2015 Arena Football Hall of Fame Finalists". Arena Football. July 11, 2015. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "af2 Hall of Fame". ArenaFan. Archived from the original on June 15, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "1992-1996 Charlotte Rage". Funwhileitlasted.com. 11 December 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Kurt Warner Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame". Arizona Sports. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)