My friend, have you ever wondered how many players are in the NFL Hall of Fame? It’s an incredible honor for any football player, and I’m here to let you in on just how many of them have made the cut.
First off, there are a whopping 307 players currently in the Hall of Fame. That’s an incredible number and pretty staggering when you stop to think about it! It’s an amazing testament to the sheer excellence and dedication that’s necessary to make it to the top and gain selection.
Of those 307 players, some of them were particularly noteworthy—like Emmitt Smith, the Dallas Cowboys star who became the first running back to reach the 20,000 career rushing yards milestone. Smith was inducted into the Hall in 2010, and it was a deserved honor in which many people took great pride.
There were also the triplets that the Cowboys put on the Hall of Fame pedestal in 2005. Barry Sanders, Troy Aikman, and Michael Irvin all gained Hall of Fame status that same year, and the event was rightly hailed as a great success. Irvin, of course, was particularly deserving of the honor for his immense contributions to the Cowboys’ dynasty.
What’s more, there were 10 other players inducted in 2010 and 11 more in 2011. The 2013 Hall of Fame class saw another 10 inductees, and 2014 saw 7 inductees. The list of who became a Hall of Famer continues to grow with each passing year.
And that’s not all! In 2015 and 2016, 11 more current NFL players will be inducted into the Hall after being selected by the 43-member selection committee. The list of potential Hall of Fame members seems to get longer with each passing year!
However, the induction process is not easy. While it’s an honor for any current NFL player to make it into the Hall, it’s not a given. Getting into the Hall of Fame is an incredibly demanding process; players must have been retired for at least five years and must have been an outstanding contributor to the game for at least five seasons.
Each year, the selection committee evaluates the potential Hall of Fame members. They look through nominees in a variety of categories, such as: Football Achievement, Career Achievements, On-field Impact, and Off-field Contributions. The selection committee then decides which individuals will be inducted and recognized for their career accomplishments.
These are some of the criteria that potential members of the Hall of Fame are measured upon. As a result, each year only a select few players make it into the exclusive Hall of Fame—only the very best of the best make it in. It’s a testament to their talent, perseverance, and dedication to the game that they made the cut.
So there you have it—the total number of current NFL Hall of Fame members is 307. The next 11 players will join in 2015 and 2016, and the illustrious Hall of Fame will continue to grow. It’s an amazing honor and completely justified recognition for the hard work and dedication of those players who are selected.