The San Francisco 49ers and the York family announced on Monday that Charles Haley will be the 26th inductee into the Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame. It is a fitting time for this announcement as Haley, one of the greatest draft picks in franchise history, will be on hand later this week in Chicago to announce the 49ers second-round pick of the NFL Draft.
Haley will be recognized for his outstanding achievements and contributions to the 49ers organization during halftime of the 49ers 2015 season-opener on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 14 at Levi's® Stadium.
"Charles was a player whose mere presence on the field could change the game and his accomplishments speak loudly for themselves," said 49ers Chief Executive Officer Jed York. "We are so proud to induct Charles into the 49ers Hall of Fame and for him to take his rightful place among the other greats in our team's history. We look forward to joining with our fans to celebrate his career during our season opener against the Vikings on national television. Charles is certainly no stranger to big moments on Monday Night Football."
"I'm so pleased and so thankful that the 49ers deemed me worthy to put in their Hall of Fame," said Haley. "When you go down to the museum in the stadium, you get to see those guys in their bronze statues, oh my goodness. I had goose bumps. I hoped that one day I would have an opportunity to be a part of that group. I don't know how to express my excitement."
A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015, Haley is the only player in NFL history to have won five Super Bowl Championships (XXIII, XXIV, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX). Originally drafted by the 49ers in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft from James Madison University, he played two stints for the 49ers, re-joining the team in the 1998 postseason following five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He appeared in a total of 106 regular season games (63 starts) with San Francisco.
During his 12-year NFL career, Haley was a five-time Pro Bowler (1988, 1990-91, 1994-95), two-time First-Team All-Pro (1991, 1994) and was twice named NFC Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1994). He finished with 100.5 career sacks, registering 10-or-more sacks six times during his career. He also either led or shared the team lead for sacks in each season he played for San Francisco, including 12 sacks as a rookie and a career-high and NFC-leading 16 sacks in 1990. His 66.5 sacks as a 49er rank second in franchise history, he holds the Super Bowl record with 4.5 sacks and his 11 postseason sacks rank tied for fifth in NFL history.
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The pass-rush master spent eight of his 13 NFL seasons terrorizing opposing quarterbacks for the San Francisco 49ers.
About the Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame**
Established in 2009 and dedicated to Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr., the patriarch of one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports, the 49ers Hall of Fame was created to recognize players, coaches and executives who have made exceptional contributions to the organization. As a prerequisite for induction, all 49ers Hall of Fame candidates must have displayed one or more of the following qualifications: outstanding production and performance on the field, key contributions to the team's success, and/or the embodiment of the spirit and essence of the San Francisco 49ers.
About the 49ers Museum presented by Sony
The 49ers Museum – a first-class celebration of the 49ers past, present and future – features 11 unique gallery and exhibit spaces spread out over 20,000 square feet inside Levi's® Stadium. The journey begins in the main lobby at the Trending Gallery, where you will learn what's new with the team and the space. From there you'll move to the Morabito Theater to watch the 49ers signature film and then into the Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame where you'll walk amongst the 49ers greats. Our Heritage Gallery innovatively illuminates the history of the team through artifacts and multimedia exhibits and leads perfectly into the active In the Game Gallery on the lower level. Your visit will end reliving the memories of the 49ers five Super Bowl Championships in front of the Lombardi Trophies. For more information, please visit LevisStadium.com/Museum/.
