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The Hispanic Football Hall of Fame has been created, and they have announced seven icons who will comprise its first class. They will be honored on Cinco de Mayo, May 5, 2026, in Henderson, Nevada, at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
The members of the first class are:
Tom Fears, End, LAR 1948-56. Playing his entire career with the Los Angeles Rams, Fears was a dominant weapon, leading the NFL in Receptions in his first three seasons (1948-50), and was the league-leader in Receiving Touchdowns in 1949 and Receiving Yards in 1950. Fears led the Rams to the 1951 NFL Championship, where he caught a 73-yard touchdown. A member of the 1950s All-Decade Team, Fears entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970, where he became the first Mexican-born player to enter Canton.
Steve Van Buren, Halfback, PHI 1944-51. From Honduras, Van Buren was a five-time First Team All-Pro who led the NFL in Rushing Yards and Rushing Touchdowns four times. Playing his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Halfback anchored the Eagles to back-to-back NFL Championships in 1948 and 1949. Van Buren was named to the 1940s All-Decade Team, the 75th and 100th Anniversary Team, and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.
Tom Flores, Quarterback, OAK 1960-61 & 63-66, BUF 1967-69 & KC 1969. Head Coach OAK/LAR 1979-87 & SEA 1992-94. A decent Quarterback in the AFL in his own right (he threw for 92 TDs and 11,959 Yards), Flores made history with the Raiders as the first Hispanic Head Coach to win a Super Bowl, an achievement he did twice. He had an overall 97-87 record as a Head Coach and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Jim Plunkett, Quarterback, NWE 1971-75, SFO 1976-77 & OAK/LAR 1978-86. Born to Mexican-American parents, Plunkett was the first overall pick of the 1971 Draft by the New England Patriots, but it was with the Raiders that he won two Super Bowls (XV & XVIII) and was the Super Bowl MVP in the first. Over his career, he threw for 25,882 Yards and 164 TDs.
Ron Rivera, Linebacker, CHI 1984-92. Head Coach CAR 2011-19 & WAS 2020-23. A Super Bowl Champion with the Chicago Bears (XX), where he played 136 Games. As Head Coach, Rivera led Carolina to a Super Bowl appearance (Super Bowl L) and was a two-time AP Coach of the Year. He has a 102-103-2 record as a Head Coach. Rivera is of Mexican and Puerto Rican ancestry.
Anthony Munoz, Offensive Tackle, CIN 1980-92. Munoz is regarded as one of the greatest Offensive Tackles of all time, and without question, he is the best player ever to wear the Cincinnati Bengals uniform. He was a nine-time First Team All-Pro, an 11-time Pro Bowl Selection, a member of the 1980’s All-Decade and NFL 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams. The Mexican-American was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
Ted Hendricks, Linebacker, BAL 1969-73, GNB 1974 & OAK/LAR 1975-83. Born in Guatemala, Hendricks was a four-time First Team All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowl Selection, and two-time Defensive Player of the Year runner-up who won a staggering four Super Bowls (VI, XI, XV & XVIII). Recording 26 Interceptions over his career, Hendricks was named to the 1970s and 1980s All-Decade Teams along with the 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams. The Pro Football Hall of Fame called his name in 1990.
This group of inductees was selected by a nine-person committee, which included Sandy Nunez (Founding Member), Judy Battista (NFL Senior National Columnist), Rolando Cantu (NFL Analyst at TNF En Español), Paul Gutierrez (writer for raiders.com), Brandon Huffman (National Recruiting Editor for 247Sports), Moises Linares (Sports Journalist), Alex Marvez (Pro Football Hall of Fame voter), Armando Salguero (Outkick NFL Writer) and John Sutcliffe (ESPN Deportes).
We here at Notinhalloffame would like to congratulate the members of the first class of the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame.
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