HALL OF FAME 2000

After two seasons, the College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Flag FootballGame remains one of the fan favorites at the annual Fan Fest held duringEnshrinement weekend. Created for the 1998 Enshrinement Festival, a flag football game pitting anEast squad of Enshrinees against a West squad of Enshrinees was played onthe Hall of Fame's Gridiron Plaza located in front of the Hall in SouthBend, Ind. While teams are dissected along geographical lines, adjustmentsometimes are needed because of age or to ensure that each team has an equalnumber of players at each position. Involvement in the game is strictlyvoluntary, although some prodding is involved."Sometimes the Enshrinees are not very enthusiastic about playing in thegame," Hall of Fame Collections Manager Kent Stephens said. "But once thegame gets started, they are out there playing as if they were still incollege. There are guys in their 50s and 60s who will still dive for looseballs and do anything to throw a block."According to Stephens, organizer of the game, the rules of the game aremodified to accommodate the dimensions of the Gridiron Plaza that are under30 yards long and not quite the width of a regulation football field. Eachfive-man team, starting at the 20-yard line, has one possession per quarter.Ten yards are needed for a first down. An offensive possession ends when ateam fails to get a first down. is intercepted or scores.Despite playing on a surface more confined then most neighborhood backyards,the game is not short on excitement and offense. In the inaugural game,North Dakota State's Jeff Bentrim had 78 yards in total offense whileleading his East team to a 28-14 victory. Considering that the maximumnumber of yards that a team can gain in a regulation game is 80 yards,Bentrim is likely to hold that record for a very long time. In Year 2, JimMcMahon led his West squad to a 30-22 overtime victory against an East squadcoached by former Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne.Next year's game is sure to be just as exciting as the previous two.Possibilities include a West passing attack of former Iowa quarterback ChuckLong and an East ground attack of former Georgia running back HerschelWalker. The Third Annual College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee FlagFootball Game is set for Aug. 12 and will be held again on the Hall's Gridiron Plaza.

Other years

Hall of Fame 2003

Hall of Fame 2002

Hall of Fame 2001