Bobby Beathard Selected as Finalist for Hall of Fame's Class of 2018

Former longtime general manager and personnel administrator Bobby Beathard was selected today by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Contributors Committee as a finalist for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018.

Beathard was a highly-regarded personnel administrator during his career with the Kansas City Chiefs (1966-67), Atlanta Falcons (1968-1971), Miami Dolphins (1972-77), Washington Redskins (1978-1988) and San Diego Chargers (1990-99).

Beathard played an integral role in the success of each of the franchises. Collectively, his teams won 10 division titles, seven league/conference championships and four Super Bowls (Miami in Super Bowls VII and VIII; and Washington in Super Bowls XVII and XXII).

“There’s nothing I love more than football,” Beathard commented by phone shortly after the completion of today’s selection meeting. “I feel like I’ve gone through life without a job and got paid for it.”

The Contributors Committee is comprised of nine members of the overall selection committee. Through mail vote, the 2018 Contributor nominees were reduced to a list of 10 semifinalists. Then, on a rotating basis, five of the nine members of the committee met at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton to discuss each of the Contributors nominees and today selected Beathard. The Contributor category is for individuals who made outstanding contributions to professional football in capacities other than playing or coaching.

To be elected, Beathard must receive the same 80 percent voting support by the entire 48-member Selection Committee on “Selection Saturday.” The Hall’s Selection Committee, at its annual meeting to be held on Saturday, February 3, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minn., will consider 18 finalists, including one Contributor Finalist (Beathard), two Seniors (Robert Brazile and Jerry Kramer), and 15 Modern-Era Finalists (to be determined from a preliminary list announced in early-September; trimmed to 25 semifinalists in November and to 15 finalists in January). Current bylaws call for a class no fewer than four or more than eight. The Contributor Finalist will be voted on for election independent of the other finalists.

The Class of 2018 will be formally enshrined during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls in Canton next August.

CONTRIBUTOR FINALISTS

A bylaws change to the selection process was instituted in August 2014 by which a Contributor – defined as an individual who has “made outstanding contributions to professional football in capacities other than playing or coaching” – will automatically be included among the annual list of finalists for election.

Those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame are indicated in caps.

2015 – BILL POLIAN, RON WOLF

2016 – EDWARD DeBARTOLO, JR.

2017 – JERRY JONES, Paul Tagliabue