New York Giants legends Phil Simms and Ron Johnson are among 18 luminaries marked for induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
Other notables to be inducted along with Simms and Johnson are actress Meryl Streep, actor Paul Rudd, founder and CEO of Jersey Mike’s Subs Peter Cancro, singer-songwriter Lesley Gore, Olympic gold medal figure skater Dick Button, former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard, author Gay Talese, filmmaker Kevin Smith and Nobel Peace Prize mathematician John Forbes Nash, who was the subject of the award-winning film, “A Beautiful Mind.”
Simms, who was born in Kentucky, has been a New Jerseyan (Franklin Lakes) since being drafted by the New York Giants out of Morehead State in 1979. A quarterback for 15 seasons, he is one the greatest players in team history, leading the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XXI in 1987, their first NFL championship in 30 years.
Johnson was a star running back at Michigan who began his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns but was traded to the Giants in 1970 and became a two-time Pro Bowler and the first giant to ever rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. He settled in Madison, New Jersey, and lived there until his death in 2018.
Simms and Johnson will be the sixth and seventh members of the Giants family presented for induction, joining Wellington Mara (2012), Harry Carson and Bart Oates (2018), Eli Manning (2019-20), and Tiki Barber (2023).
The Inductees will be honored at the 16th Annual New Jersey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. This year’s ceremony will be a pre-taped television special on location at the 10,000-square-foot New Jersey Hall of Fame at American Dream and other Hall of Fame satellite exhibits. The ceremony will be aired beginning November 13 on Fox 5 My9 and social media. Dozens of Inductee events will be open to the public throughout the year on Inductee birthdays, beginning as early as this summer.
“The 2024 class of Inductees of the New Jersey Hall of Fame illustrate the New Jersey ethic of hard work, determination, and grit,” said Jon F. Hanson, Chairman of the NJHOF. “We are thrilled to celebrate the contributions of 18 new Inductees so future generations can learn about their journeys.”
