*Defensive players were the majority in the Class of 2024; special recognition to Mexican commentator Fernando Von Rossum.
NFL Media
The NFL Hall of Fame welcomed seven new members on Saturday, during the induction ceremony for the so-called Class of 2024. The Chicago Bears had two representatives, but the remaining five maintained the line of having been exceptional players to ensure their entry into the hall of immortals; of them, five were defensive players.
Devin Hester, who had 21 career kickoff returns for touchdowns, was one of the Bears’ representatives. He was named an All-Pro four times and was part of the team of the decade in the 2000s.
His teammate and defensive tackle, Steve McMichael, a member of the defense known as the Midway Monsters, which led Chicago to a Super Bowl, was named an All-Pro five times and accumulated 95 quarterback sacks in his career.
Wide receiver Andre Johnson became the first Houston Texans Hall of Famer. He was a four-time All-Pro and had 1,062 career receptions for 14,185 yards.
Julius Peppers, a defensive end who began his career shining with the Carolina Panthers, is another of the new members of the immortals’ hall. He was named All Pro six times, and was a member of the team of the decade in the 2000s. In his career he accumulated 159.5 quarterback sacks.
Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Dwight Freeney is also part of the group of inductees. He was a four-time All-Pro and a member of the All-Decade team in the 2000s, and he also had 125.5 career sacks.
Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar was another member of the group. He was named five-time All Pro and Defensive Player of the Year in 1978.
San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis, who was named All Pro 6 times, was a member of the 2000s All-Decade team and who also accumulated 950 tackles in his career, finally made it to the hall of fame.
Mexico had a special place, as Fernando Von Rossum Garza, a renowned television commentator who marked an era in NFL broadcasts in Mexico, also entered the Hall of Fame.
He received the Ralph Hay Pioneer Award in recognition of his role as a pioneer of Spanish-language American football.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, he is proudly considered one of the most important voices in sports in Mexico.
