Gathering Of Gridiron Greats

The 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend is three weeks away. It's a wonderful time and the people of Canton and Stark County do a spectacular job of hosting it. The Pro Football Hall of Fame website announced that 130 Hall of Famers will be present throughout the Enshrinement Week. 96, in addition to seven of the eight newbies, have so far committed to do so.

The full list of returning returning Hall of Famers (so far)

Marcus Allen

Morten Andersen

Lem Barney

Bobby Bell

Elvin Bethea

Jerome Bettis

Fred Biletnikoff

Mel Blount

Derrick Brooks

Tim Brown

Dick Butkus

Earl Campbell

Harry Carson

Cris Carter

Dave Casper

Curley Culp

Terrell Davis

Dermontti Dawson

Fred Dean

Joe DeLamielleure

Eric Dickerson

Chris Doleman

Tony Dorsett

Tony Dungy

Carl Eller

Marshall Faulk

Dan Fouts

Darrell Green

Joe Greene

Bob Griese

Ray Guy

Charles Haley

Chris Hanburger

John Hannah

Franco Harris

Mike Haynes

Ted Hendricks

Ken Houston

Claude Humphrey

Michael Irvin

Rickey Jackson

Charlie Joiner

Sonny Jurgensen

Leroy Kelly

Paul Krause

Willie Lanier

Steve Largent

Marv Levy

Bob Lilly

Floyd Little

Larry Little

James Lofton

Ronnie Lott

Curtis Martin

Bruce Matthews

Don Maynard

Randall McDaniel

Bobby Mitchell

Ron Mix

Art Monk

Warren Moon

Lenny Moore

Mike Muchak

Anthony Muñoz

Joe Namath

Ozzie Newsome

Jonathan Ogden

Orlando Pace

Bill Polian

John Randle

Andre Reed

Mel Renfro

Willie Roaf

Warren Sapp

Shannon Sharpe

Billy Shaw

Art Shell

Will Shields

Mike Singletary

Jackie Slater

Bruce Smith

Emmitt Smith

Jan Stenerud

Dwight Stephenson

Jason Taylor

Jim Taylor

LaDainian Tomlinson

Paul Warfield

Kurt Warner

Roger Wehrli

Dave Wilcox

Kellen Winslow, Sr.

Ron Wolf

Rod Woodson

Ron Yary

Jack Youngblood

To hit the more than 130 that the Hall expects several (35, 28 if their counting the newbies) more Hall of Famers will be added to the list.

Sonny Jurgensen, Lenny Moore, Don Maynard, and Jim Taylor are the only returning Hall of Famers (so far) that played part of their career in the 1950s. It's sad to see this list get smaller. I vividly recall the days when half the Hall of Famers on the stage were players from the 1940s and 50s. Jim Brown usually returns to Canton. Hopefully he's able to do so this year.

Seven of the 12 living Vikings Hall of Famers are expected in Canton. I'd be surprised if Gary Zimmerman doesn't make it eight. I'd be even more surprised if Bud Grant, Alan Page, Fran Tarkenton, and Mick Tingelhoff do make the trip. It might take Jim Marshall being inducted to get all of the Vikings greats in Canton at one time.

I'll be in Canton for the Induction ceremonies. I was there for Cris Carter's induction in 2013. It was an incredible experience. The Museum is fantastic. I could spend weeks in there. Months if I can get into the archives. The people of Stark County are wonderful. I'd love to go back for every Enshrinement week. Gridiron Greats are everywhere. On a single stroll in 2013 I saw Roger Staubach leaving the museum, Jerry Rice and Steve Young zipping by in a golf cart, Marv Levy milling about, and Willie Lanier chatting with someone who remembered him and another who didn't. That's not even mentioning the dozens of Hall of Famers signing autographs in tents along the grounds. He's no Gridiron Great but I saw DeMaurice Smith walking through the museum. If I encounter him this time I might have a few questions for him. Enshrinement week is a football festival. There are people involved in the game everywhere. There are fans from all teams. And they seem to get along. I might be the only event of year at which some of them do.

I look forward to being in Canton for this fantastic event and I hope to see the Gathering of Gridiron Greats grow.