About the Hall of Fame
In 1991, John Hannah became the first Patriots player in franchise history to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That year, the Patriots created a new distinction for honoring past greats by creating a team Hall of Fame. Since Hannah’s induction to the Patriots Hall of Fame, over 30 other players and three contributors have been added.
In 2007, a new formal induction process was implemented. It involves a Hall of Fame committee meeting each spring to nominate and select three finalists. Once selected, the finalists names are placed on www.patriots.com where fans have the opportunity to vote for whichever finalists they deem most deserving. The fan vote determines the Hall of Famer. Wide receiver Stanley Morgan was the first player inducted under the current voting process. A Senior Selection committee also meets periodically and can select a candidate that has been retired for 25 or more years and has been a committee finalist selection, but has not been elected by the fans.
In 2008, the Kraft family opened The Patriots Hall of Fame presented by RTX to honor the team’s greatest players in a setting worthy of their distinction while also preserving team history in an interactive setting. The team’s Hall of Famers are permanently honored on 30-foot high pylon displays controlled by touch screen kiosks while also being honored with a frosted glass plaque on the wall.