Art Rooney Jr. has been selected as a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 in the Contributor category.
Rooney, who is a member of the Steelers Hall of Honor, was the team's Personnel Director from 1965-86.
He worked with Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll, Rooney Jr. and the Steelers scouting department drafted, or signed as rookie free agents, 10 future Hall of Famers from 1969-74, and the team would go on to win four Super Bowl championships during the 1970s. He is currently a vice-president with the team.
Reduction votes also are occurring in the Modern-Era Players, Seniors and Coach categories. Eventually, 20 Finalists will be presented at the Selection Committee's annual meeting in advance of Super Bowl LX: 15 Modern-Era Players, three Seniors, one Coach and one Contributor.
On Wednesday, the Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee named its nine Semifinalists for the Class of 2026 which included former Steelers coach Buddy Parker.
While there is no set number for any class of Enshrinees, the Hall of Fame's selection process bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new members will be selected.
This year's voting will be completed with oversight from the firm Ernst & Young LLP, a Hall partner since 2019. EY's Agreed-Upon Procedures include validating the completeness of the ballots and tabulating the ballots in accordance with the bylaws established by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 will be announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco in February and enshrined in August in Canton.
