CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The Pro Football Hall of Fame has held the first of consecutive induction ceremonies, honoring the Class of 2020 before the Class of 2021 takes the stage in Canton on Sunday.
Saturday’s honorees included wide receiver Harold Carmichael, safeties Troy Polamalu (poh-lah-mah-loo), Cliff Harris, Donnie Shell, and Steve Atwater, running back Edgerrin James, offensive tackle Jim Covert, head coaches Jimmy Johnson and Bill Cowher, and commissioner Paul Tagliabue (TAG’-lee-ah-boo).
Those honored posthumously are Bobby Dillon, Winston Hill, Alex Karras, Steve Sabol, Duke Slater, Mac Speedie, Ed Sprinkle, and George Young.
Also in the NFL:
— Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill can usually be found working out in the gym or running routes on a high school football field during a typical NFL offseason. This year, he needed a mental break away from football. Hill opted to spend more time with his family this offseason after the Chiefs lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl, taking a vacation to Hawaii and getting engaged to his fiancee on the Fourth of July. Several Kansas City players say they’ve learned to take mental breaks from football after two straight Super Bowl runs.
— Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is back at practice after battling the coronavirus. Head coach John Harbaugh expects the star quarterback to catch up pretty easily to where the rest of the team is in its preparation. Jackson was on the field Saturday, a day after the Ravens activated him from the COVID-19 list. He hadn’t practiced yet during training camp.
— Former Steelers star safety Troy Polamalu (pohl-uh-MAH’-loo) has recovered from a bout with COVID-19 and will attend the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions. He missed the Gold Jacket Dinner Friday night when other members of the classes of 2020 and 2021 received their hall jackets.
— Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler has acknowledged that linebacker T.J. Watt isn’t practicing because he has yet to sign a long-term contract. Watt has been on the field doing individual work, but he hasn’t practiced with his teammates during training camp workouts.
— Dolphins tight end Adam Shaheen says contact tracing landed him on the COVID-19 reserve list, and that he has no intention of getting vaccinated. Shaheen says he has never tested positive for COVID-19.
— Running back Ito Smith has signed with the Cardinals after three seasons with the Falcons. The 25-year-old has run for 689 yards and six touchdowns in his career while catching 55 passes for 314 yards.
