The telephone call came on Friday morning.
"My son Mike called to tell me I had been nominated for the Hall of Fame," Art Rooney Jr. said. "I was like, 'Get the heck out of here.' I'm in a state of shock."
Rooney Jr., who ran the Steelers scouting department from 1965-86, is one of 29 semifinalists in the coach/contributor category. The list will be cut to 12 on July 27 and to one on Aug. 23.