AFL Announces 2014 Arena Football Hall of Fame Finalists

Saturday June 21, 2014

 CHICAGO – After tallying the nominations put forth by the Arena Football Hall of Fame Advisory Board and AFL fans, the Arena Football League has named ten finalists for the Arena Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

“The Hall of Fame Advisory Board and our great AFL fans have nominated ten tremendous and very deserving finalists for this year’s Hall of Fame Class,” AFL Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz said.

The finalists for the 2014 Arena Football Hall of Fame include: FB/LB Andre Bowden, a three-time ArenaBowl champion and All-Arena selection; HC John Gregory, a two-time AFL Coach of the Year; HC Jay Gruden, a two-time ArenaBowl champion coach; WR Damian Harrell, a five-time All-Arena selection, two-time Offensive Player of the Year and the League’s all-time receiving leader; WR Chris Jackson, a three-time All-Arena selection, two-time Offensive Player of the Year and the League’s all-time leader in postseason touchdown receptions; QB Andy Kelly, the 10th Greatest Quarterback in AFL History as voted on by the Silver Anniversary Committee in 2012; FB/LB Bo Kelly, a one-time ArenaBowl champion and the second-leading rusher in AFL history; OL/DL Kyle Moore-Brown, a three-time All-Ironman selection, two-time ArenaBowl champion and the League record holder for most consecutive starts; OS Steve Papin, a two-time All-Arena selection who holds the League record for highest all-purpose yard-per-game average; and DS Omarr Smith, a four-time ArenaBowl champion who holds the record for most career ArenaBowl tackles.

The League Office collected ballots from the Arena Football Hall of Fame Advisory Board, a group which consisted of former players, executives, journalists and media personnel with a long-time involvement in the game, on Wednesday, June 18. Each member selected ten candidates in the categories of players, coaches and contributors. Fans also had the opportunity to nominate candidates over the last two weeks on ArenaFootball.com.

In order to be nominated for the 2014 Hall of Fame Class, candidates must meet four criteria. If a player was active before 1989, he must have played for at least two seasons. For players after 1989, a minimum of three seasons of service are required. All players must be retired for three complete seasons by the time of induction. Coaches must have been active for a minimum of five seasons and need not be retired. There is no minimum number of seasons required for contributors, but significant advancement of the AFL is a prerequisite.

Fans and current Hall of Fame members will vote on the finalists beginning on Monday, June 23, 2014. Votes will then be turned into the Hall of Fame Operating Board of Directors. The 2014 Hall of Fame Class will be announced during the 2014 Conference Championship weekend and inductions will be held during the 2015 Arena Football League regular season.

About the AFL
Since its inception in 1987, the Arena Football League has showcased a fast-paced and exciting game to millions of fans in a myriad of markets across the country. The ESPN family of networks and CBS Sports Network will nationally broadcast AFL games each week for the entire 2014 season. The AFL schedule culminates with ArenaBowl XXVII Saturday, August 23, 2014 on ESPN.