CANTON — Five individuals have advanced as finalists in the Contributor category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2027 on Wednesday. The five Contributor finalists are Ralph Hay, Robert Kraft, Virginia McCaskey, Doug Williams, and John Wooten.

Reduction votes are occurring in the Players and Coach categories for the Class of 2027.

The Contributor Subcommittee will meet virtually on November 17 to select one candidate for consideration by the full Selection Committee. Fifteen candidates will be presented at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting: 13 players, one coach, and one contributor. The Selection Committee’s annual meeting takes place in advance of Super Bowl LXI.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2027 will be announced at NFL Honors in Los Angeles in February. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2027 will be enshrined in Canton in August 2027.

Robert Kraft has been the owner of the New England Patriots since 1994 and is the chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group. Teams owned by Kraft have won six Super Bowls and appeared in 11 Super Bowls or conference championships in the past 31 seasons. He served as the longtime chair of the NFL's Broadcast and Media Committees and founded the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer in 1996.

Ralph Hay owned the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 to 1922 and hosted the NFL’s formational meeting at his automobile dealership in downtown Canton. Virginia McCaskey was the principal owner of the Chicago Bears from 1983 until her death in 2025. She died in 2025 at the age of 102.

McCaskey was the daughter of Chicago Bears founder George Halas, and the Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX during her tenure as owner. Doug Williams had a nine-year career as an NFL player and was the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl title and game MVP. He won a Super Bowl title and game MVP honors following a performance against the Denver Broncos to cap the 1987 season, throwing for 340 yards and four touchdowns in the game.

Williams has spent the past 13 seasons in the front office of the Commanders franchise and worked as a scout or front office executive for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. John Wooten worked in scouting and player personnel roles for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Baltimore Ravens for nearly three decades. He became chair of the Fritz Pollard Alliance in 2003. The Fritz Pollard Alliance works to advance opportunities for minorities in coaching and front office positions in professional football.

Why It Matters

The Contributor Subcommittee narrowed 42 nominees to five finalists through multiple rounds of reduction votes, with one candidate to be selected for consideration by the full Selection Committee. The process includes oversight from EY LLP, which has been a Hall of Fame partner since 2019, and adheres to bylaws stipulating that between three and seven new members shall be selected for each class.