FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced today a date and time for the team's 2015 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for Willie McGinest and Houston Antwine. Ceremonies will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. on the NRG Plaza outside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon. The event will coincide with the team's first in-stadium practice of 2015, which is an annual ticketed event for Patriots season ticket members and Foxborough residents at Gillette Stadium.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are free and open to the public. Patriots fans of all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. Following the ceremonies, Patriots season ticket members and Foxborough residents will be encouraged to redeem their complimentary event tickets to attend the night's practice inside Gillette Stadium.
The 2015 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be LIVE on Patriots.com and available in the official Patriots app.
McGinest, a three-time Super Bowl Champion and two-time Patriots all-decade team member, was voted by the fans as the 24th person to enter the Patriots Hall of Fame. McGinest will join defensive lineman Houston Antwine, who was selected on April 2, 2015, by the senior selection committee, as the 2015 Patriots Hall of Fame inductees.
Beginning in 2007, the Patriots started a new hall of fame tradition, inducting one player or head coach to The Hall each year. The process for induction involves a panel of media, alumni and staff who collectively nominate the players or head coaches most deserving of induction. After the nominations are made, the committee votes and the top three tallies become that year's finalists. The Patriots then give their fans the opportunity to vote online to select each year's winner.
Senior Selection Committee
The Patriots formed a senior selection committee in 2011 to ensure that early-era players are not overlooked in the voting process. This year's committee consisted of 10 veteran media and staff members who gathered to discuss candidates who have been retired for at least 25 years to identify the player most deserving of Patriots Hall of Fame recognition.
About the Patriots Hall of Fame
The Patriots Hall of Fame was officially formed in 1991 after John Hannah became the first Patriots player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With the Hall of Fame, the Patriots created a new way of honoring their greatest players. It wasn't until 2008, with the opening of The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon, that Patriots players, past and present, truly had a place to call home that they could share with their fans. Now, enshrinement into The Hall is an honor befitting of the franchise's greatest players and contributors, with 30-foot video pylons displaying each enshrinee. Beginning in 2007, fans became part of the hall of fame tradition and active participants in the selection process.
This year's inductee will join other Patriot greats and two contributors as a member of the New England Patriots' Hall of Fame (listed in alphabetical order below with year of induction):
Houston Antwine (2015)
Bruce Armstrong (2001)
Drew Bledsoe (2011)
Troy Brown (2012)
Tedy Bruschi (2013)
Nick Buoniconti (1992)
Gino Cappelletti (1992)
Ben Coates (2008)
Sam Cunningham (2010)
Bob Dee (1993)
Steve Grogan (1995)
John Hannah (1991)
Mike Haynes (1994)
Jim Lee Hunt (1993)
Ty Law (2014)
Willie McGinest (2015)
Stanley Morgan (2007)
Jon Morris (2011)
Jim Nance (2009)
Steve Nelson (1993)
Vito "Babe" Parilli (1993)
Andre Tippett (1999)
Contributors:
William H. "Billy" Sullivan, Jr. (2009)
Gil Santos (2013)
About The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon
The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon is the crown jewel of Patriot Place and the only sports and education experience of its kind. Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts never before viewable by the public, The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England, and promotes math and science education for the thousands of schoolchildren expected to visit each year. For more information, please visit www.thehallatpatriotplace.com.
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