Inductees to the 2025 Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame Announced
Five new members will be enshrined on June 27 in Lexington
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW)- Five new members of the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame team await their enshrinement this summer after they were unveiled on Thursday.
Michael Bush, Danny Trevathan, Jim Daopolous, Sam Gruneisen and Walt Yowarsky are the latest inductees.
The Blanton Collier Award for Integrity On and Off the Field will be given to Romeo Crennel.
Michael Bush
Bush stayed home in his native Louisville for college as a Cardinal despite being pursued by several high profile teams like Ohio State.
As a junior, the homegrown running back rushed for over 1,100 yards and was a preseason Heisman Trophy contender before a terrible injury cut his senior season short.
Bush went on to play for the Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals. He amassed over 3,200 yards and scored 29 touchdowns with the Raiders and Bears.
Danny Trevathan
After being an All-American linebacker at the University of Kentucky, Trevathan played for the Denver Broncos and led the team in tackles as a starting linebacker in 2013.
He won Super Bowl 50 with Denver and had a crucial fumble recovery in the game.
After spending six years as a Chicago Bear, Trevathan retired with over 700 tackles in a decade of playing.
Jim Daopoulos
A graduate of UK, Daopoulos joined the NFL as a field judge in 1989 and became an umpire in 1996.
He officiated Super Bowl XXXIII, worked four NFL Wild Card games, two Divisional Playoffs and a Conference Championship in his 11 season career.
In 1999, he became the NFL’s Supervisor of Officials, a position he held for 12 years until his retirement in 2011.
Sam Gruneisen
A Louisville native, Gruneisen played college football at Villanova then was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 1962 AFL Draft.
He won the 1963 AFL Championship and multiple AFC Western Conference titles as a center for the Bolts.
Gruneisen played until 1973 before transitioning to coaching. He passed away in 2012 at the age of 71.
Walt Yowarsky
After being drafted to play baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, Yowarsky opted for a college football career at Kentucky. He played under legendary head coach Bear Bryant.
As a professional player, he suited up for the Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in six years.
In 1956, he won the Championship with the Giants before becoming a coach and scout in the NFL.
He he passed away in 2014 at the age of 86.
Romeo Crennel
The native Kentuckian was a longtime NFL coach and graduated from Western Kentucky University.
He built a storied career as a defensive coach earning five Super Bowl rings. He was also the first African American head coach of the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans.
