Johnny Unitas to be honored; All Commonwealth Collegiate Team Announced LOUISVILLE, KY (February 3, 2012) – Today, the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the names of this year’s inductees. The organization’s selection committee has chosen inductees each year since 2003. The announcement was made during a press conference in Louisville at The Brown Hotel. Prominent members of the Hall of Fame include former University of Louisville coach Howard Schnellenberger, New York Giants quarterback and Morehead State University graduate Phil Simms, and the late Lenny Lyles, defensive back for the Baltimore Colts and San Francisco 49ers. The official induction ceremony will be open to the public and will take place on June 15 during the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 10th Anniversary Celebration. Tickets for the ceremony will be available to the public for purchase on March 1. The celebration will also include events for inductees, sponsors, and guests, including a golf scramble, ring ceremony and other activities, occurring June 14-16 in Louisville. “As the only state to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame, the opportunity to recognize these individuals for their contribution further distinguishes Kentucky as we honor them,” said Frank Minnifield, Executive Director of the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame. “This should serve as a moment of pride for all Kentuckians.” In addition to the naming of the 2012 inductees, the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its intention to honor the late Johnny Unitas, NFL Hall of Famer who played for the University of Louisville. The 2011 All Commonwealth Collegiate Team was also announced at the press conference, including Defensive Player of the Year Danny Trevathan of the University of Kentucky, and Offensive Player of the Year Bobby Rainey of Western Kentucky University. The Blanton Collier Award for Integrity will be presented at the 10th Anniversary Celebration in June, this year to the Manning family, including Peyton and Eli, who will be attending along with their parents Archie and Olivia, and their older brother, Cooper. The award is named for the former Cleveland Browns and University of Kentucky football coach.
The event will serve as a fundraiser, benefiting the University of Louisville Autism Center at Kosair Charities. The inductees to the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame, as announced on Friday, include the following: Rob Bironas
A former four-sport athlete at Trinity High School in Louisville, James Robert Douglas “Rob” Bironas attended Auburn University and Georgia Southern University as a placekicker. Following tenures on the off-season roster of the Green Bay Packers, and the preseason rosters with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bironas joined the Tennessee Titans in 2005, where he finished his first season converting 23 of 29 field goal attempts (79.3%) and 30 of 32 extra point attempts (93.8%). He continues to kick for the Titans today. Mo Moorman
Louisville native Maurice “Mo” Moorman played collegiately for Texas A&M before being drafted into the first round to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1968. After winning the American Football League Championship game with the Chiefs in 1969, he started for them in their victory over the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings in the fourth and final AFL-NFL World Championship Game. Following his NFL career, Moorman returned to Louisville and started Mo Moorman Distributing Company, which he sold to River City Distributing Company in 2007. Dan Neal
Originally from Corbin, Dan Neal got his start as an offensive lineman at the University of Kentucky, before being drafted to the Baltimore Colts in 1973, where he spent two seasons. From there, his career continued in Chicago with the Bears, where he blocked for Walter Payton from 1975-1983. Following a back injury, Neal began a distinguished coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Arizona Cardinals, the New Orleans Saints, the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills. He now owns and operates Coach’s Fitness Club, with locations in Louisville and Prospect. Bubba Paris
William “Bubba” Paris, a Louisville native, is a former offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers, where he played from 1983-1990 and won three Super Bowls. Bubba played collegiately at the University of Michigan, where he was named All-Big Ten and All-American. He now lives in Piedmont, California, and travels throughout the United States as a motivational speaker. He has six children—four sons and two daughters, both of whom currently play in the WNBA. Chris Redman
Following a successful career as quarterback at Louisville Male High School and the University of Louisville, where he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Chris Redman was drafted in the third round by the Baltimore Ravens, where he went on to quarterback from 2000-2003 and win the Super Bowl in 2001. Following stints with the New England Patriots and the Tennessee Titans, Redman joined his former college coach Bobby Petrino in 2007 as a backup quarterback for the Falcons in 2007 in Atlanta, where he currently resides. About the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame
The purpose of the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame is to appropriately honor persons that have brought significant recognition to the state of Kentucky, or have by their unusual successful service achieved significant accomplishment on behalf of their school, or have by a significant act or contribution distinguished themselves as an unusual former National Football League player, coach, referee, owner, management, etc. or have been a significant or unusual supporter of Pro Football. Kentucky is the only state to have its own Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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