CANTON − They've run thousands of miles over their lifetimes.
On Friday, they were happy to walk a few more blocks for the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket class picture taken at Centennial Plaza.
The first photo was taken in 2022.
Prior to the photo, the men gathered in the lobby of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel where it was like a family reunion as players shook hands, hugged, and posed for photos and exchanged laughs and stories.
Among them were Emmett Smith, Tony Dungy, Marcus Allen and Joe "Mean Joe" Green, who just looks more these days like someone's friendly grandad.
Among those notably missing was Pittsburgh Steelers icon Franco Harris, a member of the enshrinement class of 1990, who died unexpectedly in 2022.
A class reunion: 'A pretty special group.' Gold Jackets take a Fame Walk, group photo on Centennial Plaza
Led by the EN-RICH-MENT Drum Corps and a caravan of golf carts transporting some players, the group walked the six blocks to the plaza at the corner of Fourth Street NW and Market Avenue N.
Adrian Allison, chief relationship officer at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, estimated that 80 to 90 of the 110 enshrinees who are in town this weekend, participated in the walk.
Asked why so many players return every year, Allison said it's because the men understand the rarity of being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"I think they realize the uniqueness of their status," he said. "There's only 378 of them. They have pride in that fact."
Moe Muhammad and Andre Martell were among the fans gathered to watch the photo being taken at the plaza. They traveled from Houston to cheer on their favorite player, newly-minted enshrinee Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans .
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"We went to the tailgate and the [Hall of Fame Game]," Muhammad said. "We drove a ways to get here. They canceled our flight in Houston and we had to drive to Austin just to make it in time."
Stark County Sheriff George Maier said everything was going smoothly.
"This is a great event," he said. "I'm more of college football fan, but when I was growing up, it was Bernie and the Kardiac Kids."
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Carrying an autographed football helmet, Caden Timberlake, 16, said he was hoping to add to his 300-plus collection with signatures from Peyton Manning , Ray Lewis, Calvin Johnson and Andre Johnson.
"The one I really want is Jerry Rice," he said.
Allison said the enshrinees deeply appreciate the community's efforts to welcome them.
"We have guys who have come here 30 or 40 years because they remember how Canton rolled out the red carpet for them," he said. "They truly believe Canton is their second home."
Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com .
On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Pro Football Hall of Famers pose for group photo in downtown Canton
