For millions of Americans (mostly men, but some women also enjoy chronic football fever), February’s arrival portends acute withdrawal for us zealots. However, now that summer’s course has reached the back nine, despair transmutes into enthusiasm as we prepare our paraphernalia for the new season’s eminent arrival.
Diehard gridiron enthusiasts of all ages may exalt in the Collegiate and Professional Football Halls of Fame exhibits. Located in South Bend, IN and Canton OH, respectively, the shrines’ graphics and exhibits remind loyal fans that pigskin devotion knows no off season.
The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the College Football Hall of Fame in 1947 and inducted the first class in 1951. In 1993, the NFF relocated the Hall from Mason, OH (a Cincinnati suburb) to South Bend, IN, appropriate because of its proximity to the University of Notre Dame, which boasts college football’s most storied legacy. The NFF moved the hall into its current facility, which spans approximately 77,000 sq. ft. (19,000 sq. ft. of which includes the open-air Gridiron Plaza), in 1995.
In late July, the NFF’s Honors Court enshrined 14 players and coaches – including one current coach, Penn State’s Joe Paterno – into the Hall. Other notables include 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie from Boston College and former Oregon Duck/Minnesota Viking/broadcaster Ahmad Rashad (born Bobby Moore).
Founded in 1963, Canton, OH’s Professional Football Hall of Fame (league founders crafted its foun¬dation in Canton, and the Canton Bulldogs were the league’s first champions), grew to more then 80,000 sq. ft. in its most recent (1995) expansion. This year’s inductees, who will be enshrined early this month, include former Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin and Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas.
Though the Hall has maintained its original, core buildings, which feature a half-football-shaped spire pointing skyward, it now features updated amenities, such as a 360º theatre that displays classic game footage and interactive exhibits that let patrons test their athletic skills.