who made nfl hall of fame
The phrase “NFL Hall of Fame” almost always refers to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, which opened in 1963 and honors great players, coaches, executives, and contributors from NFL history.
What “who made NFL Hall of Fame” can mean
It could mean a few different things:
- Who founded/created the Hall of Fame?
- The Hall is the Pro Football Hall of Fame , established in Canton, Ohio, after a local campaign and an NFL-backed steering committee in the late 1950s.
* Canton was chosen partly because the NFL (then the American Professional Football Association) was founded there in 1920 and because of strong local fundraising, including a major donation from the Timken Company.
* Dick McCann was appointed the Hall’s first director in 1962, helping organize and open it in 1963.
- Who were the first people to make (be inducted into) the Hall of Fame?
The inaugural “charter” class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted in
- included 17 legends:
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| Sammy Baugh | Quarterback, passing pioneer for Washington |
| Bert Bell | NFL commissioner, key in league growth |
| Joseph F. Carr | Early NFL president, organizational builder |
| Dutch Clark | Star tailback of the 1930s |
| Red Grange | Iconic running back who boosted NFL popularity |
| George Halas | Chicago Bears coach/owner, foundational NFL figure |
| Mel Hein | Center/linebacker, New York Giants great |
| Pete Henry | Tackle/kicker for the Canton Bulldogs |
| Cal Hubbard | Tackle, also a Hall of Fame baseball umpire |
| Don Hutson | Green Bay receiver who revolutionized passing |
| Curly Lambeau | Packers founder and coach |
| Tim Mara | Founder/owner of the New York Giants |
| George Preston Marshall | Owner of the Washington franchise |
| John “Johnny Blood” McNally | Colorful star back |
| Bronko Nagurski | Dominant fullback and lineman |
| Ernie Nevers | Two‑way star back |
| Jim Thorpe | Multi‑sport legend and early NFL star |
- Who made the Hall this year / recently?
I don’t currently have live access to the very latest class list, so I can’t reliably name the most recent inductees. For the newest “who made NFL Hall of Fame” (by year), the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s official site has an updated list of inductees by class.
Forum-style quick take
In football threads, when someone asks “who made NFL Hall of Fame,” people usually either drop the current year’s class list or remind everyone that it’s technically the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. The Hall’s story runs from local Canton boosters and early NFL executives, through that 1963 charter class of 17 legends, to the yearly debates we see now about modern QBs, wideouts, and coaches getting in.
TL;DR
- The “NFL Hall of Fame” is the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, opened in 1963.
- It was created through an NFL steering committee and Canton civic push, with Dick McCann as the first director.
- The first people to “make” it were a 17‑member 1963 charter class including Jim Thorpe, George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Sammy Baugh, and others.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.