The Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in 1963 in Canton, and now includes over 350 members. From that group, 28 are from Ohio, with the most recent inductee just this past August, Fremont native Charles Woodson.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is holding the 2021 state football championships in the very same stadium where Woodson received his gold jacket. It’s the fourth time in the last five years the finals have been played in Canton.
No player has ever won an OHSAA state title since the tournament format began in 1972 and later become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In fact, only Woodson, Orlando Pace and Cris Carter played high school football after 1972.
The 28 members are (listed alphabetically; information provided by the Pro Football Hall of Fame web site):
Cliff Battles
Year Inducted: 1968
High School: Akron Kenmore
Distance from HOF: 21.6 miles
Battles was a two-time NFL rushing champion (1932 & 1937), and was named all-NFL five times for the Washington Redskins. He was the first player in NFL history to gain over 200 yards in a game, in 1933.
Bob “Boomer” Brown
Year Inducted: 2004
High School: Cleveland East Tech
Distance from HOF: 59.2 miles
Boomer Brown played 10 years for the Eagles, Rams and Raiders. Three times he was named NFL/NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year, and was elected to six Pro Bowls.
Paul Brown
Year Inducted: 1967
High School: Massillon
Distance from HOF: 7.6 miles
Paul Brown is one of the most influential people ever in football, despite never playing professionally. Brown founded both the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals (American Football League), winning four All-America Football Conference titles, and three more after the Browns joined the NFL.
Joe Carr
Year Inducted: 1963
High School: Columbus (did not graduate)
Columbus native Joe Carr was the first President of the NFL, from 1921-39, helping to provide structure to the fledgling league and standardized player contracts.
Cris Carter
Year Inducted: 2013
High School: Middletown
Distance from HOF: 220 miles
Carter caught 130 touchdowns, and 1,101 receptions, both the second highest figures in league history when he retired in 2002. He played for the Eagles, Vikings and Dolphins during his 16-year NFL career.
Larry Czonka
Year Inducted: 1987
High School: Stow
Distance from HOF: 31 miles
Bruising runner Larry Czonka had over 8,000 career yards and 64 touchdowns in his career with the Dolphins and Giants, and was a member of the undefeated Miami team in 1972.
Len Dawson
Year Inducted: 1987
High School: Alliance
Distance from HOF: 18.4 miles
Dawson was one of the first quarterbacks to excel at downfield passing. After serving as a backup on the Steelers and Browns his first five years, he eventually landed in the AFL with the Dallas Texans and Kansas City Chiefs.
Dan Dierdorf
Year Inducted: 1996
High School: Canton Glenwood (GlenOak)
Distance from HOF: 2.7 miles
Dierdorf grew up just down the street from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and after attending Michigan, played 13 years for the St. Louis Cardinals, earning five All-Pro honors.
Benny Friedman
Year Inducted: 2005
High School: Cleveland East Tech/Glenville
Distance from HOF: 66 miles
Friedman is another Michigan man, and was considered the NFL’s first great passer. He threw 11 touchdowns as a rookie in 1927, then a league record. His 66 career scoring tosses were a NFL mark that stood for years.
Lou Groza
Year Inducted: 1974
High School: Martins Ferry
Distance from HOF: 82.3 miles
The “Toe” was more than a great kicker, he was also an offensive tackle for 13 seasons before focusing on special teams his last seven seasons. He spent all 21 years with the Browns, playing in a total of 13 championship games between the AAFC and the NFL.
Wilbur (Pete) Henry
Year Inducted: 1963
High School: Mansfield Senior
Distance from HOF: 67.9 miles
Henry goes back to the first year of the NFL (renamed as such in 1922), and at 5’11”, 245 pounds was considered the largest player of his day. In addition to playing both offensive and defensive lines, he also kicked and punted.
Clarke Hinkle
Year Inducted: 1964
High School: Toronto
Distance from HOF: 64 miles
Hinkle was a two-way star that played all ten of his seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He was named all-NFL four times during his career.
Jack Lambert
Year Inducted: 1990
High School: Mantua Crestwood
Distance from HOF: 47.6 miles
One of the hardest-nosed players of any area, Jack Lambert was the middle linebacker for the “Steel Curtain” defense of the 1970’s Pittsburgh Steelers, which won four Super Bowls. He was two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year in his 11-year career.
Dante Lavelli
Year Inducted: 1975
High School: Hudson
Distance from HOF: 35 miles
An end that was ahead of his time, pre-dating pass-happy offenses, Lavelli was nicknamed “Gluefingers” for his sure-handed ability. Playing for the dynastic Browns in the late 40’s and early 50’s, Lavelli ended up with 6,488 yards receiving and 62 touchdowns.
Dick LeBeau
Year Inducted: 2010
High School: London
Distance from HOF: 155 miles
A fifth-round pick of the Browns in 1959, LeBeau was cut, but went on to a stellar, 14-year career with the Detroit Lions. The defensive back recorded 62 career interceptions, which were third all-time when he retired after the 1972 season.
Tom Mack
Year Inducted: 1999
High School: Cleveland Heights
Distance from HOF: 54.7 miles
Guard Tom Mack was extremely durable, never missing a game in his 13-year NFL career with the Rams (184 games). He was named to 11 Pro Bowls, and was all-NFL five times.
George McAfee
Year Inducted: 1966
High School: Ironton
Distance from HOF: 233 miles
McAfee was a two-way stalwart for the Chicago Bears from 1940-50, although he missed three years at his peak serving in the Navy during World War II.
Mike Michalske
Year Inducted: 1964
High School: Cleveland West Tech
Distance from HOF: 61.1 miles
Michalske played 11 years for the New York (football) Yankees and Green Bay Packers, appearing in 122 games. He was the first player at his position (guard) elected to the Hall of Fame.
Marion Motley
Year Inducted: 1968
High School: Canton McKinley
Distance from HOF: 0.4 miles
Motley was born in Georgia, but graduated high school from Canton McKinley, which sits on the other side of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium from the actual Hall of Fame. With the size of a lineman (6’1”, 232 pounds) at fullback, Motley averaged 5.7 yards per carry for the Browns from 1946-53 (also played for Pittsburgh in 1955).
Chuck Noll
Year Inducted: 1993
High School: Cleveland Benedictine
Distance from HOF: 53.4 miles
Speaking of Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Chuck Noll was a Browns player, but it was his legacy as the coach of the 1970’s Steelers that earned him his bust in Canton. He finished with a 209-156-1 record in 23 years with Pittsburgh.
Orlando Pace
Year Inducted: 2016
High School: Sandusky
Distance from HOF: 102 miles
Pace was the first overall draft pick in 1997 by the Rams, out of Ohio State. He was a mainstay at left tackle for St. Louis, blocking for three straight NFL MVP’s (Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and Warner again), and earned seven Pro Bowl appearances.
Alan Page
Year Inducted: 1988
High School: Canton Central Catholic
Distance from HOF: 4.1 miles
One of the Vikings’ famed “Purple People Eaters”, Page played in 238 straight games, including four Super Bowls. The NFL MVP in 1971, Page has 23 fumble recoveries, 28 blocked kicks and 173 sacks in his 15-year career.
Jim Parker
Year Inducted: 1973
High School: Toledo Scott
Distance from HOF: 150 miles
Parker was the first full-time offensive lineman to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He split his 11-year career at tackle and guard, which speaks to his versatility. He was all-NFL each year from 1958 through 1965.
Don Shula
Year Inducted: 1997
High School: Painesville Harvey
Distance from HOF: 74.1 miles
Shula is another player, who is in the Hall for what he accomplished after his playing days. The winningest coach in NFL history with 328 wins, Shula led six teams to Super Bowl appearances, winning twice (back-to-back in Super Bowls VII & VII) with the Dolphins.
Roger Staubach
Year Inducted: 1985
High School: Cincinnati Purcell Marian
Distance from HOF: 232 miles
Shula’s Dolphins lost to the Cowboys, and Roger Staubach, named MVP of Super Bowl VI. After serving four years in the Navy, Staubach had an 11-year career in Dallas, leading the NFL in passing four times.
Paul Warfield
Year Inducted: 1983
High School: Warren Harding
Distance from HOF: 52.4 miles
One of the NFL’s all-time great deep threats was Paul Warfield, who averaged 20.1 yards per catch in his 13-year career with the Browns & Dolphins. He wound up with 8,565 yards receiving, and 85 touchdowns.
Bill Willis
Year Inducted: 1977
High School: Columbus East
Distance from HOF: 129 miles
Bill Willis was another former Brown that spanned the organization’s transition from the AAFC to the NFL. Willis played on both lines, excelling as a middle guard on defense.
Charles Woodson
Year Inducted: 2021
High School: Fremont Ross
Distance from HOF: 113 miles
Woodson had at least one interception in all 18 seasons of his career, one short of Darrell Green’s NFL mark. Woodson’s 65 lifetime thefts are tied for fifth-most in league history. He played for the Raiders and Packers, appearing in Super Bowls for both, and was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year in 2009.
For the players competing for a state championship this weekend, to the NFL legends that will be the Class of 2022 inducted next summer, it’s all part of the wonderful history and tradition of football in Stark County and Ohio.
Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App are your home for all seven OHSAA Championship games, beginning Thursday at 7 p.m.:
Thursday 7 p.m.
Division II – Hoban vs. Winton Woods
Friday 10:30 a.m.
Division IV – Ursuline vs. Clinton-Massie
Friday 3 p.m.
Division III – Chardon vs. Badin
Friday 7:30 p.m.
Division I – St. Edward vs. Springfield
Saturday 10:30 a.m.
Division VII – Marion Local vs. Newark Catholic
Saturday 3 p.m.
Division VI – Carey vs. Coldwater
Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Division V – Kirtland vs. Versailles