Former President Teddy Roosevelt May Enter NFL Hall of Fame

Interior Secretary says Roosevelt's safety reforms in early 1900s deserve enshrinement.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 5:29pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting an early 20th century football match, with players and the field broken down into overlapping angular planes in earthy tones, conceptually representing the transformative rule changes pushed by President Roosevelt.A cubist reimagining of the early 20th century football reforms championed by President Teddy Roosevelt, whose safety-focused rule changes helped save and shape the modern game.Canton Today

The Trump administration is pushing for former President Teddy Roosevelt to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, citing his critical role in forcing rule changes in the early 1900s that helped make the game safer and laid the foundation for the modern NFL.

Why it matters

Roosevelt's intervention to improve player safety at a time when the sport was highly dangerous is credited with saving football from potential extinction. His actions paved the way for the game's growth and popularity in the 20th century.

The details

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told attendees at an event at the National Portrait Gallery that he expects Roosevelt to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame within a year. Burgum says Roosevelt "saved football" when he intervened to force rule changes, including the legalization of the forward pass, that made the sport less deadly in its early years.

  • In the early 1900s, Roosevelt intervened to change football safety rules.

The players

Teddy Roosevelt

The 26th President of the United States, who is credited with saving football by forcing rule changes to improve player safety in the early 1900s.

Doug Burgum

The current U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who is pushing for Roosevelt's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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What they’re saying

“saved football”

— Doug Burgum, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

What’s next

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will consider Roosevelt's induction within the next year.

The takeaway

Roosevelt's legacy as a champion of player safety helped transform football into the modern game, and his potential enshrinement in the Hall of Fame would cement his lasting impact on the sport.