Who are the first seven inductees into the Hispanic American Football Hall of Fame?
Steve Van Buren, Jim Plunkett, Tom Fears... Meet the icons of the inaugural class of 2026, a historic group of legends and pioneers who transformed the sport and the pride of our community.
Ted Hendricks ('83) to be inducted into the Hispanic American Football Hall of Fame
The Hispanic American Football Hall of Fame (HFHOF) officially announced the seven inductees of its inaugural class of 2026, who will be honored May 5, 2026, during the Football Celebration at the Las Vegas Raiders' headquarters in Henderson, Nev., on Cinco de Mayo.
"The Hispanic Football Hall of Fame was created to recognize and celebrate the profound impact Hispanic athletes and leaders have had on the game of football," said Sandy Núñez, chairwoman of the selection committee. In addition to the legends, the event will award the players of the year: Nik Bonitto (professional), Fernando Mendoza (college) and Ryan Estrada (high school).
This historic class recognizes figures who have served as pioneers and role models for the Hispanic community in the country. The seven inductees are, as detailed by the HFHOF:
Steve Van Buren - Honduran ancestry
- Position: Running back
- NFL team: Philadelphia Eagles (1944-51)
- College: Louisiana State University
- Professional Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1965)
- 2x NFL Champion - Philadelphia Eagles (1948, 1949)
- 5x First-Team All-Pro selection
- 4x NFL rushing leader
- Member of the NFL's 75th and 100th anniversary teams, as well as the 1940s All-Decade team
- Retired as the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns at the time
- First player with two 1,000-yard seasons
- Still holds the Eagles franchise record for rushing touchdowns (69)
Jim Plunkett - Mexican ancestry
- Position: Quarterback
- NFL teams: New England Patriots (1971-75), San Francisco 49ers (1976-77), Oakland-Los Angeles Raiders (1978-86)
- College: Stanford University
- 2x Super Bowl Champion - Raiders (XV, XVIII)
- Super Bowl XV MVP
- NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1971)
- Super Bowl XV
- Offensive Rookie of the Year (1971)
- First overall selection in the 1971 NFL Draft
- NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1980
Tom Fears - Mexican ancestry
- Position: Wide receiver
- NFL Team: Los Angeles Rams (1948-56)
- College: Santa Clara University, UCLA
- Professional Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1970)
- First Mexican-born player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- First-team selection on the 1950s NFL All-Decade team
- Caught the 73-yard touchdown pass that clinched the Rams' 1951 NFL championship victory over the Cleveland Browns
- Led the NFL in yards per reception (1949), receptions (1950, 1951)
- Set NFL records for receptions in a season in 1949 (77) and 1950 (84)
Tom Flores - Mexican ancestry
- Position: Head coach / quarterback
- NFL teams (as a player): Oakland Raiders (1960-61, 63-66), Buffalo Bills (1967-69), Kansas City Chiefs (1969)
- NFL teams (as head coach): Oakland-Los Angeles Raiders (1979-87), Seattle Seahawks (1992-1994)
- College: University of the Pacific
- Professional Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2021)
- The first Hispanic starting quarterback in professional football history (Oakland in 1960)
- Threw for nearly 12,000 yards with 93 touchdown passes in 106 career games (68 as a starter)
- 2x Super Bowl champion as head coach - Raiders (XV and XVIII)
- The first Hispanic head coach in the NFL and the first to win a Super Bowl
- Led the Raiders to five total playoff appearances and to win 73% of their postseason games
- The NFL's first Hispanic general manager (Seattle 1989-94)
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Ted Hendricks - Guatemalan ancestry
- Position: Linebacker
- NFL teams: Baltimore Colts (1969-73), Green Bay Packers (1974), Oakland-Los Angeles Raiders (1975-83)
- College: University of Miami
- Professional Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1990)
- 4x Super Bowl Champion - (VI, XI, XV, XVIII)
- 8x Pro Bowl selection
- 4x First Team All-Pro selection
- Recorded 26 career interceptions and blocked an NFL-record 25 kicks
- Member of the NFL's 75th and 100th anniversary teams, as well as the 1970s and 1980s All-Decade teams
Ron Rivera - Mexican and Puerto Rican ancestry
- Position: Head coach / linebacker
- NFL team (as a player): Chicago Bears (1984-92)
- NFL team (as head coach): Carolina Panthers (2011-19) and Washington Football Team-Commanders (2020-23)
- College: University of California-Berkeley
- Super Bowl XX champion with the Chicago Bears (1985)
- Led Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl 50 and three NFC South titles
- Winningest coach in Panthers history (76) and led Washington to NFC East title in 2020
- Played linebacker in the NFL for nine seasons (Bears 1984-92)
Anthony Muñoz - Mexican ancestry
- Position: Offensive tackle
- NFL Team: Cincinnati Bengals (1980-1992)
- College: University of Southern California
- Professional Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1998)
- 11x Pro Bowl selection
- 9x All-Pro
- Named to the NFL's 1980s All-Decade team
- Considered one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history
- Member of the NFL's 75th and 100th anniversary teams
What is the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame?
Its fundamental purpose is to celebrate and honor the achievements of players, coaches and contributors of Hispanic descent at all levels of the sport, from high school through the professional ranks.
The primary objectives of this institution include:
- Preserving and promoting history: Seeks to act as the primary resource for documenting the athletic and cultural contributions of Hispanics in football.
- Investing in the younger generation: The organization awards college scholarships to Hispanic students and to organize youth football clinics.
- Fostering culture: Seeks to promote Hispanic culture both within the United States and internationally.
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