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Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers scout Invoice Nunn, Jr. has been chosen as a member of the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame’s Class of 2021, in response to a number of media reviews.

Nunn, who died in 2014, was a key determine within the Steelers’ success within the Seventies and helped revolutionize the scouting course of for gamers at traditionally black faculties and universities, that had been beforehand underrepresented within the NFL.

He labored for the Steelers for 46 years, beginning as a part-time scout in 1967 and was part of all six of group’s Tremendous Bowl titles.

A Homewood native, Nunn attended Westinghouse Excessive College and performed basketball West Virginia State School earlier than shifting on to a profession in journalism with the Pittsburgh Courier, the place he was a sportswriter, sports activities editor and finally managing editor of what was on the time one of the crucial influential black publications within the nation.

It was whereas he was with the Courier that Nunn first tried to achieve recognition for athletes at historically black colleges, making a black faculty All-America record. The Steelers seen and employed him in 1968 to their scouting division.

In 1969, because of Nunn’s scouting, the Steelers struck gold by touchdown defensive finish L.C. Greenwood out of Arkansas Pine-Bluff within the tenth spherical of the NFL Draft. In 1970, they appear Mel Blount out of Southern within the third spherical. In 1972, they obtained Ernie Holmes from Texas Southern within the eighth spherical and in 1974, in among the best draft lessons in NFL historical past, the Steelers took John Stallworth from Alabama A&M within the fourth spherical and signed Donnie Shell from South Carolina State as an undrafted free agent.

Blount and Stallworth have already been inducted into the Corridor of Fame. Shell is scheduled to as a part of the Class of 2020.

Each Steelers president Artwork Rooney II and head coach Mike Tomlin made public instances for Nunn’s enshrinement.

“His legacy and profession need to be acknowledged with the best particular person honor in soccer,” Rooney said.

“There isn’t any means the Class of 2021 might be full with out the legend, Invoice Nunn, being part of it,” Tomlin said.

A message from #Steelers President Artwork Rooney II following the announcement of Invoice Nunn’s election to the @ProFootballHOF Class of 2021: pic.twitter.com/aeHopPrBSs

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) February 7, 2021

Nunn was the lone finalist recommended by the nine-member contributor committee. The Steelers haven’t had any nominated by way of the contributor committee, which dates again to 2015, although executives Artwork Rooney (1964) and Dan Rooney (2000) have been beforehand enshrined.

Hall of Famer and former Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts general manger Bill Polian presented the case for Nunn’s enshrinement to the 48-person choice committee.

“He was the authority, whereas working for the (Pittsburgh) Courier, on HBCU soccer. He would possibly properly have been termed the Scout-in-Chief of HBCU soccer,” Polian stated. “Invoice Nunn helped create one of many best groups of all time.”

The voting committee is made up of 1 media consultant from every professional soccer metropolis and 16 at-large members. Finalists will need to have obtained at the very least 80 p.c of the vote to be chosen.

Nunn is the twenty fourth particular person primarily related to the Pittsburgh Steelers to be chosen to the corridor. Former Steelers guard Alan Faneca is a modern-era finalist within the Class of 2021.

The Class of 2021 shall be enshrined on the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 8, 2021.

Former Steelers coach Invoice Cowher and safeties Troy Polamalu and Shell will even be enshrined this August as members of the Class of 2020, whose enshrinement was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.