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Two teams that have strong ties to 2016 Pro Hall of Fame inductees will square off in the annual preseason game on Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio. The Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts will kick off the 2016 season in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium the day after the enshrinement ceremony is held for eight inductees.
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Hall of Fame inductee Brett Favre spent the majority of his career playing quarterback for the Packers, with whom he won a Super Bowl. Tony Dungy coached the Colts to a Super Bowl championship and Marvin Harrison was a prolific wide receiver for Indianapolis during a productive 13-year career.
Favre played 16 of his 20 seasons with the Packers, retiring as the NFL leader in passing yards, attempts, completions and touchdowns.
Dungy won 10 or more games in each of his seven seasons leading the Colts and becomes the third coach from the franchise (Weeb Ewbank, Don Shula) to be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl served as a head coach for 10 years in the NFL, including three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Harrison played his entire career with the Colts and finished with 1,202 receptions for 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns. He is second Colts receiver to make it into the Hall of Fame, joining Raymond Berry.
The annual Hall of Fame game and ceremony will likely attract large crowds of Packers and Colts fans. Indianapolis is a five-hour drive from Canton.
For the Colts and Packers, the Hall of Fame game will be the fifth appearance for each.
Green Bay, which has a 1-2-1 record, last appeared in 2003 when it lost 9-0 to the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that ended early because of storms. The Colts are 2-2 and making their first appearance since a 30-16 loss to the Washington Redskins in 2008.
Others from the Class of 2016 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame include longtime San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., originally from nearby Youngstown, Ohio; linebacker Kevin Greene; offensive tackle Orlando Pace, an All-American at Ohio State; quarterback Ken Stabler and guard Dick Stanfel.
