The illustrious history of the Pittsburgh Steelers includes 23 Pro Football Hall of Famers, but the team will soon have another way to honor its greatest players and personnel.
Speaking Tuesday on NFL Network, Steelers.com writer Bob Labriola said the newly launched Steelers Hall of Honor will induct its first class on Aug. 29.
"This Hall of Honor is going to be actually be housed inside of Heinz Field, inside the FedEx Great Hall," Labriola said. "It's a great opportunity for the Steelers to once again recognize those 23 Hall of Famers but also pay tribute to a lot of the other players, coaches and contributors who have might so much to this franchise in its long and storied history of success."
The formal enshrinement ceremony will take place during the Steelers' Alumni Weekend (Nov. 25-26), and the inaugural class will be introduced during halftime of Steelers vs. the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 26 at Heinz Field.
"The Hall of Honor will serve as a tribute to the many individuals who have contributed greatly throughout the history of our franchise," Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement. "This is probably long overdue, and we are excited to begin the process of recognizing these individuals and their accomplishments, both on and off the field, during an annual series of ceremonies."
Each inductee will receive a replica of a solid steel football, which will replicate the original that was given to Steelers' founder Art Rooney Sr. by the United States Steel Corporation and United Steel Workers in 1982 on the occasion of the team's 50th Season.
Labriola explained on NFL Network the criteria for eligibility and offered a glimpse into who might be inducted.
"For players, they will have to have been retired for at least three years. They also will have also have played for the Steelers for at least three years," Labriola said. "And then you get into their accomplishments, the statistics, the others things that they have contributed. The coaches and contributors, people who would fall into this category. The Steelers' scouting department, say that was responsible for that 1974 NFL draft in which four of those picks were to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You know, the people behind some things and events like that also would receive serious consideration."
