There are currently only 24 men who have been honored as inductees into the Patriots Hall of Fame; twenty-two players and two contributors (Billy Sullivan and Gil Santos).  Starting on April 14, the public will be presented with three finalists to vote for as the next Patriots Hall of Famer.

 

The three finalists each year are chosen by the Patriots Hall of Fame Nomination Committee. I have been privileged to be on that committee since it's inception ten years ago. This Wednesday, our 22-member committee held our annual meeting in Foxboro to vote on the next three finalists for induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

 

"It's great that we have this committee and that it continues to go strong," said Ron Hobson, a committee member who used to cover the Patriots for the Patriot Ledger. "There is a ton of history with the Patriots and it's our job to not forget and to recognize all the great players who played for this organization long before they were winning Super Bowls."

 

If you are a passionate football fan, like me, being in this room with men who have covered the Patriots for years, like Hobson and others and men who are current Patriots Hall of Famers (Andre Tippett, Steve Grogan, Gino Cappellletti and others) is humbling to say the least, especially when they talk about what it means to be a Patriots Hall of Famer

 

"It means the world to me," said Grogan, inducted in 1995. "To have played with such great players like I did and to be a Patriots Hall of Famer, I represent all of them."

 

"It's pretty special to be in this group and to know that the fans felt enough of you to vote you in for this honor," said 2012 inductee Troy Brown. "I'm proud to be a Patriot and represent our teams in the Hall of Fame."

 

Stanley Morgan was the first player voted in by the fans in 2007.  "It's a great honor for me to say that I'm in the Patriots Hall of Fame. Living back in Memphis, Tennessee, I carry that honor with pride," said Morgan.

 

Commitee members are asked to not report on any of the conversations and/or specific debates that transpire in this room, but we are encouraged to report on the process and give our own opinions.  

My opinion? This is football heaven. Our job each year is clear- to vote for three finalists who are not currently in the Patriots Hall of Fame, but are the most deserving. This is much easier said than done. We are all expected to present a case for at least one candidate.   

 

The eligibility guidelines are as follows:  

Every former Patriots player or head coach who has been retired for at least four years is eligible for Hall of Fame consideration. NFL players are not eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame until five years after their retirement. The four-year guideline was set by the Patriots, mainly because they want former Patriots players to be honored by the team, and by you the fans, before a possible honor by pro football. This was the case with Andre Tippett, who was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 1999 and then later elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

 

"Being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is the ultimate honor," said Tippett. "But I'm just as proud to be a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame."

 

On this day, we voted as a group for the next three finalists for the Patriots Hall of Fame. On April 14, you will know who those three men are and you will be able to vote for them.  

I hope you have as much fun voting as we do as a committee in this room each year.