Did you know that the NFL Hall Of Fame, has a section called the Visa Hall of Fans? In 2004, Howard Churchill of the Hogettes – or Howiette as he is better known – was inducted into this prestigious Hall.
At the time, I was building a new website for the Hogettes, and Howie invited me to come to his induction. I was absolutely flattered, and as luck would have it, would just have to stop in Canton, on my way back to Canada from Redskins Training Camp.
What an incredible day. Howie was inducted along with some other fantastic fanatic fans. We partied at a house about two blocks from the stadium. And we went to a tailgate party before the game, that was full of NFL nuts. My thanks to all of the Hogettes for making me feel welcome, and for a day that I will never forget. Here are some of the highlights:
The Actual Hall of Fame Game
The game was pretty sloppy, as first preseason games often are. Washington edged the Denver Broncos 20-17 in a Canton, Ohio filled with Denver fans as John Elway was inducted that year.
There were however, several notable aspects to the game despite not being great:
- It was Joe Gibbs’ first game on the sidelines, in his return to the helm.
- It was Sean Taylor’s first game as a
Redskin. All he did was grab two interceptions and return one of them for a touchdown. - Jon Jansen tore his achilles in the first quarter, and would miss the entire 2004 season.
Note:
Photos taken in 2004; archived in 2021.
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