Seven new members were elected into the elite fraternity that is the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday, including Michael Strahan, Ray Guy and Derrick Brooks.
It took nine hours, which is supposedly the longest ever-meeting, for the Hall of Fame’s Board of Selectors to choose the finalists.
Walter Jones, Andre Reed, Aeneas Williams and Claude Humphrey rounded out the seven newest members of the Hall of Fame, who will be inducted on Aug. 1, in Canton, Ohio.
Strahan, who according to NBC Sports had his Hall of Fame selection questioned by current Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, was elated to be selected in only his second year of eligibility, according to ESPN:
“I’m excited to have made it and to join the other members of the Hall of Fame,” he said. “And to be inducted with the class I’m inducted in, guys that I admired when I played against them, guys I admired when I watched them, even though they’re from a different era. They’re guys of high character. That’s all you can ask for, to be with a group like that, and I’m honored to be with this group.”
Ray Guy, who is the first ever punter to be selected to the Hall of Fame, waited a long time to be selected but knew he just had to be patient, according to ESPN:
“Good things are worth waiting for,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time when it will show up. And I knew it would, sooner or later. It had to, whether it was me or somebody down the road. But sooner or later, it had to show up, because that is a part of a football game.”
Ten other finalists just missed the cut including former players Jerome Bettis, Marvin Harrison, Tim Brown, and former coach Tony Dungy.
Bleacher Report made a list of their biggest Hall of Fame surprises and snubs, which you can view here.