NFL inducts Class of 2024 into the Pro Hall of Fame

The NFL held its induction ceremony for the 2024 class of players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Let’s take a closer look at the accomplishments of the newest wearers of the gold jackets immortalized with a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio.

Andre Johnson (2003-2016)

Andre Johnson is the first player in the history of the Houston Texans, the youngest franchise in the NFL, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The wide receiver spent 12 years of his career in Texas and racked up 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns with the Texans. His career ended with lackluster one-season stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.

Dwight Freeney (2002-2017)

Freeney spent more than a decade with the Indianapolis Colts before finishing his career with stints with the San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks. The DE was one of the NFL's most dominant pass rushers. Despite his small stature, his speed and agility earned him three-time first-team All-Pro honors. The Syracuse product finished his career with 125.5 sacks and 128 tackles for loss.

Julius Peppers (2002-2018)

Another quarterback nightmare during the first decade of the 2000s. In 10 of his 17 seasons as a professional, he recorded more than a dozen sacks. In addition, he was invited to nine Pro Bowls and was part of the All-Decade team of the 2000s. The North Carolina graduate said goodbye to the NFL with 159.5 quarterback sacks divided between the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers.

Devin Hester (2006-2016)

If one player was responsible for making special teams coordinators worry about kickoffs and punts, it was Devin Hester. The former Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, and Baltimore Ravens player scored 14 times on kickoffs and five more on punts. His prime lasted so long that he ended up as a member of the All-Decade of the 2000s and 2010s.

Patrick Willis (2007-2014)

The San Francisco 49ers have always found a way to have league-leading inside linebackers, and Patrick Willis did it for eight seasons. The 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year made an immediate impact, racking up a league-leading 174 tackles in his first year. His career ended with 950 tackles and five NFL First Team All-Pro nods.

Randy Gradishar (1974-1983)

Gradishar spent all nine seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1978. The linebacker finished his career with two first-team All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl invitations. Unfortunately, the team was not successful during the Ohio State graduate’s tenure.

Steve McMichael (1980-1994)

Although McMichael was drafted by the New England Patriots, the best part of his career came with the Chicago Bears, with whom he won Super Bowl XX over his former team. During his time at Soldier Field, the defensive tackle received two first-team All-Pro nods and racked up 92.5 sacks.

Sadly, McMichael was unable to make it to the ceremony as he is poorly. The 66-year-old is bedridden battling advanced stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He accepted the honor at home, surrounded by family members and a number of his former Bears teammates.

McMichael was photographed wearing his gold jacket as his bronze bust was unveiled by his bedside. The tribute was videoed and relayed on a giant screen at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio to rapturous applause.