The New Jersey Hall of Fame announced the names of 50 nominees to receive induction as part of the 2021 class. New Jersey's strong history of sports is set to welcome a new crop of inductees.
For the second consecutive year, the induction ceremony which is scheduled for October, will be conducted virtually due to COVID-19.
The Hall of Fame released the names of 11 individuals on the ballot in the sports category.
· Lawrence Taylor (“L.T.”), two-time Super Bowl champion and former linebacker for the New York Giants. He played his entire career with the Giants. Taylor is widely regarded as the best defensive player of his generation, and the greatest defensive player of all time.
· Phil Simms, two-time Super Bowl champion and quarterback for the New York Giants. Simms spent his entire 15-year professional career playing for the Giants. He finished his career with 33,462 passing yards.
· Bill Parcells, two-time Super Bowl head coach for the New York Giants. "The Big Tuna" was a head coach in the NFL for 19 seasons.
· Heather Ann O’Reilly, three-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA Women’s World Cup winner for the U.S. women’s national soccer team. Upon her retirement from international play in September 2016, she is one of the world’s most capped soccer players with over 230 international appearances to her name. O'Reilly is currently an analyst for Fox Sports.
· John J. McMullen, naval architect, businessman, marine engineer and former owner of the New Jersey Devils and Houston Astros.
· Ron Jaworski, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and NFL analyst. He is the CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
· Monte Irvin, left and right fielder in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball who played with the Newark Eagles, New York Giants and Chicago Cubs. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. After his playing career, Irvin was a baseball scout and held an administrative role with the MLB commissioner’s office.
· Craig Biggio, seven-time National League (NL) All-Star second baseman, outfielder and catcher for the Houston Astros. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 as the first player to be depicted in a Astros uniform on his plaque.
· Al Attles, longtime basketball player and coach for the Golden State Warriors. The "Destroyer" spent 11 seasons in the NBA.
· Valerie B. Ackerman, first president of the Women’s National Basketball Association. Ackerman is currently the commissioner of the Big East Conference. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
New Jersey Hall of Fame Voting is Open
Fans can vote on their favorite nominees by visit the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
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