Hall of Fame Cuts 23 Selectors With 333 Years of Combined Experience

Four selectors with more than 30 years of service are among 22 known departures as the Hall reduces its committee from 50 members to 28.

By PAUL KUHARSKY

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Pro Football Hall of Fame's dramatic reduction of its Selection Committee is eliminating some of its longest-serving members.

Rick Gosselin, who served for 31 years, is out. He was the committee's biggest proponent of forgotten seniors, making cases for players who slipped through the cracks after their modern-era eligibility passed. His deep affection for the history of the game made him a committee standout.

The Hall has now eliminated Seniors as a separate category, doing away with expiring eligibility and grouping all players together.

Also off the committee are Frank Cooney after 33 years, longtime Houston representative John McClain after 33 and Cleveland representative Tony Grossi after 31.

Ron Borges, who represented New England for 24 years, Arizona's Kent Somers (21) as well as Carolina's Darin Gantt and Atlanta's D. Orlando Ledbetter, selectors for 16, are also out.

I announced Friday that I received a call informing me I would not remain on the committee after 11 years.

The committee is being reduced from 50 members to 28 members: 27 at-large plus one PFWA representative. Annually, 25 will vote and three will participate without voting, with voting status determined each year.

Ledbetter said he was asked to serve on a screening committee and agreed to do so.

The Hall has not yet announced the new committee. 

Hall of Fame Cuts 23 Selectors With 333 Years of Experience

Rick Gosselin (31, Dallas)

Frank Cooney (33, at large)

John McClain (33, Houston)

Tony Grossi (31, Cleveland)

Ron Borges (24, New England)

Kent Somers (21, Arizona)

Darin Gantt (16, Carolina)

D. Orlando Ledbetter, (16, Atlanta) 

Clark Judge, (16, at large)

Alex Marvex (15, at large)

Geoff Hobson, (13, Cincinnati)

Jason Cole (12, at large, announced on X)

Armando Salguero (12, Miami)

Mary Kay Cabot (11, at large)

Paul Kuharsky (11, Tennessee)

Matt Maiocco (10, San Francisco)

Tony Dungy, (6, Hall of Famer, at large)

Bill Polian (6, at large, hall, of Famer)

Lisa Salters (6, at large)

Joel Bussert (4, at large)

Gerry Dulac, (3, Pittsburgh) 

Paul Gutierrez, (2, Las Vegas)

Rich Cimini, (1 NY Jets)

*Stay tuned for updates on an evolving story.

Those 23 account for at least 33 combined years on the committee, an average of nearly 15 years per departing selector.

One stated purpose of returning to an in-person selection meeting with a smaller committee is to encourage more robust debate. 

I spent 11 years in those meetings. Several people on the cut list were among the most willing to challenge an argument or push a discussion in another direction. Some selectors who may remain rarely spoke.

Thirty selectors remain standing after this reporting. The Hall has said the new committee will be formed from the old, though Hall of Famer spots may be filled by new Hall of Famers. That means at least two others are off the committee but have not yet been identified.

Who Is Staying on the Hall of Fame Committee

My understanding is that among the 28 who will remain are (with former designation in parenthesis):

Charean Williams (at large)

Calvin Watkins (was Pro Football Writers of America rep)

Jim Trotter (at large)

Jeff Legwold (Denver)

Ira Kaufman (Tampa Bay)

Howard Balzer (LA Rams)

Gary Myers (NY Giants)

Vahe Gregorian (Kansas City)

Mike Sando (Seattle)

Lindsay Jones (at large)

Eric Williams (LA Chargers)

Gregorian made headlines after acknowledging he did not vote for Bill Belichick, who failed to gain election in his first year of eligibility. Gregorian wrote that he would have supported Belichick in a straight up-or-down vote but, forced to choose three of five candidates in the combined Seniors/Coach/Contributor group, prioritized senior candidates whose opportunities were more limited.

Kaufman broke protocol by revealing before the official announcement at NFL Honors that Eli Manning didn’t make the cut in 2025.

Status of 22 Former Hall of Fame Selectors Remains Unknown

Scott Garceau, Baltimore 
Vic Carucci, Buffalo 
Dan Pompei, Chicago 
Dave Birkett, Detroit 
Pete Dougherty, Green Bay 
Mike Chappell, Indianapolis 
Sam Kouvaris, Jacksonville 
Mark Craig, Minnesota 
Jeff Duncan, New Orleans
Paul Domowitch, Philadelphia 
Jarrett Bell, Washington 
Dan Fouts, at large, Hall of Fame
Ross Ketover, at large
James Lofton, at large, Hall of Fame
Sal Paolantonio, at large
Barry Wilner, at large