South Dakota Native Could Soon Be in Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Mount Rushmore's time to shine is on the horizon!

We just met the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class at Thursday Night's NFL Honors, which included 3 Chicago Bears, including electrifying return man Devin Hester.

Hester's induction could be the spark needed to clear the way for South Dakota native and SDSU alum Adam Vinatieri to get inducted as soon as next year.

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Vinatieri will be in his first year of eligibility next season and could very well be the first native born South Dakotan in the Hall of Fame.

SDSU alum Jim Langer is already in the Hall as a member of the class of 1987 and is a native of nearby Minnesota.

Vinatieri, 51, starred at SDSU from 1991-1994, and was undrafted in the 1996 NFL Draft. He reached stardom with the New England Patriots and finished his career with a strong stint with the Indianapolis Colts.

A four-time Super Bowl Champion, Vinatieri aims to make it to Canton, and it could be very soon:

Kicker Adam Vinatieri, the NFL's all-time leading scorer (2,673 points with an NFL record 599 field goals), will be in his first year of eligibility for the Hall. He made 29 game-winning kicks in 24 seasons before retiring at age 48. He had game-winning kicks in Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII.

We'll have to wait and see, but it's a great story that could very well be good enough to live forever in the hallowed halls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Source: ESPN.com

South Dakota Born NFL Players of this Century

While not a traditional powerhouse Nation Football League feeder, South Dakota has produces a fair number of football players that went on to the big time in the NFL.

Here are some that have played on various teams over the last couple of decades.