Skip to content

Favre, Dungy, Harrison headline 2016 Hall of Fame class

Pierre DuCharme / REUTERS

Brett Favre was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in his first year on the ballot.

Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace, Tony Dungy, Kevin Greene, Ken Stabler, Eddie DeBartolo Jr., and Dick Stanfel will join Favre in the Hall.

The star-studded class will not include wide receiver Terrell Owens, who was on the ballot, despite the 15-year pro finishing his career ahead of Harrison in receiving yards and touchdowns.

The selection committee only saw fit to induct one player on their first ballot, giving Favre the nod after a reported discussion that lasted mere seconds.

Favre won three straight MVPs between 1995 and 1997, leading the Green Bay Packers to back-to-back Super Bowls (winning one). When he retired, Favre was the NFL's leader in passing yards, completions, and touchdowns.

But Favre's most memorable record is his 297-game iron man streak that lasted from 1992-2010. The next closest player in consecutive games played is Peyton Manning at 208.

The duo of Dungy and Harrison go into the Hall on the strength of their run with the Indianapolis Colts from 2002-08. Dungy collected an 85-27 record as head coach of the Colts, ending his career two seasons after a Super Bowl victory in 2006.

Harrison grabbed 1,102 receptions during a 13-year career, catching the majority of those passes from Manning. He twice led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards, and once topped the league in touchdowns. All told, Harrison went to eight Pro Bowls and was a three-time first-team All Pro.

Greene was one of the league's fiercest pass-rushers throughout a 15-year career that left him behind only Bruce Smith and Reggie White in career sacks. Greene's production peaked in 1988-89 when he had back-to-back seasons of 16.5 sacks for the L.A. Rams, but his longevity is what got him elected for football's highest honor. Greene notched double-digit sacks in 10 of his 15 seasons.

Pace, another former Ram entering the Hall, spent almost his entire career with the franchise that drafted him first overall in 1997, before ending his career with the Chicago Bears.

Over 13 seasons, Pace was consistently among the league's best pass-protectors, with seven Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl over that span.

The class is honoring DeBartolo Jr., the longtime San Francisco 49ers owner, in the contributor category, and Stanfel, an ex-Detroit Lions offensive lineman, and Stabler, a Super Bowl-winning QB with the Oakland Raiders, as senior selections.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox