Five nominees advance in contributer catagory for Class of 2027

Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Photo: Provided/PFHOF)

CANTON, Ohio —  Five individuals who contributed to the sport of professional football in distinct ways have advanced in the process for possible election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027.

Members of the Contributor Subcommittee made their selections through multiple reduction votes from an original field of 42 nominees. The subcommittee will discuss the remaining Nominees at length when they meet virtually Nov. 17 to select one Candidate for the full Selection Committee to consider when it determines a new class of enshrinees in early 2027.

The five who remain under consideration for election in the Contributor category are Ralph Hay, Robert Kraft, Virginia McCaskey, Doug Williams and John Wooten.

Hay and Kraft reached this point in the selection process last year, with Kraft ultimately receiving the subcommittee’s vote for advancement to the annual selection meeting. McCaskey, Williams, and Wooten also have advanced deep in the process in previous years.

Below are quick bios of the five candidates who have advanced:

Ralph Hay: Owned the Canton Bulldogs from 1918-1922; hosted the NFL’s formative meeting in his automobile dealership in downtown Canton.

Robert Kraft: Owner of the New England Patriots since 1994 and chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group. His teams have won six Super Bowls and played in five others – 11 appearances overall in the past 31 seasons. Also a key member of several influential NFL owners’ committees.

Virginia McCaskey: Principal owner of the Chicago Bears from 1983 until her passing in 2025 at age 102. Daughter of team founder George Halas. During her tenure, the Bears won Super Bowl XX during a stretch of five consecutive division titles.

Doug Williams: His nine-year NFL career was punctuated with a Super Bowl title and game MVP honors following a 340-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Broncos to cap the 1987 season. Has spent the past 13 seasons in the front office of the Commanders’ franchise. Other stints as a scout or front office executive in the NFL came with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

John Wooten: An offensive lineman in the NFL for 10 seasons, he transitioned to scouting and player personnel roles with the Cowboys, Eagles, and Ravens for nearly three decades. In 2003, became chair of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, a group working to advance opportunities for minorities in coaching and front office positions across pro football. 

Reduction votes are also occurring in the Players and Coach categories. Eventually, 15 Candidates will be presented at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting in advance of Super Bowl LXI: 13 Players, one coach, and one Contributor. 

While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the Hall of Fame’s selection process bylaws stipulate that between three and seven new members shall be selected. 

This year’s voting will be completed with oversight from the firm EY LLP, a Hall partner since 2019. EY’s Agreed-Upon Procedures include validating the completeness of the ballots and tabulating the ballots in accordance with the bylaws established by the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027 will be announced at “NFL Honors” in Los Angeles in February and enshrined next August in Canton.

ENSHRINEMENT WEEK PACKAGES:

Fans seeking unparalleled access to events surrounding Enshrinement Week presented by Novartis can sign up to learn more about ticket packages from On Location, the Official Hospitality Provider of the NFL. On Location’s ticket packages include opportunities to take part in exclusive experiences before the Hall of Fame Game and Enshrinement, attend the Enshrinees' Gold Jacket Dinner, and go behind the scenes of a historic week. Visit OnLocationExp.com/PFHOF to sign up to be notified when packages become available.