Cardinals Superfan Nominee Kristi Brown to be Inducted in Hall of Fame
In partnership with the Ford Hall of Fans, Arizona Cardinals superfan Kristi Brown will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning the contest Friday.
From SI.com.
by Mason Kern
After submitting her fan video to the Ford Hall of Fans competition “on a whim,” Arizona Cardinals diehard Kristi Brown was chosen as a finalist from a pool of around 27,000 entrants.
But her journey did not end there.
The former Cardinals cheerleader was the only woman included in the top 6 and then advanced to the top 3. Included within that stretch was a surprise visit from former Cardinals defensive back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams, who nominated her for the competition.
“Having an opportunity to come there and meet and let her know she’s been selected, it was fantastic knocking on her door and no one should beat Kristi,” Williams told AllCardinals. “When you were a former cheerleader, and you’re doing the things that you do in the community — (being) one of the healthcare professionals during this COVID(-19) — I certainly nominate her. And it was an amazing time going to her home and letting her know that.”
As a result of her inclusion in the final three, which also featured Las Vegas Raiders fan Wayne Mabry and Cleveland Browns fan Ray Prisby, Brown will be in attendance at Super Bowl LV Sunday in Tampa, Florida, between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Friday, the Ford Hall of Fans winner was named. Brown, Mabry and Prisby each will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in partnership with the Ford Hall of Fans as a member of the Class of 2021. Brown received the news from Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker, himself.
They will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during 2021 Enshrinement Weekend in Canton, Ohio.
“To be chosen as the representative for Arizona, I just feel so honored and I feel so grateful,” Brown told AllCardinals. I’m so thankful for the Red Sea that has continued to support this.”
It is an especially impressive feat considering no Cardinals fan had made it to this point in the competition in its three-year history. Add in the fact that Brown was going up against fans from historic bases such as the Raiders and Browns and the odds were stacked against her.
In the end, the Ford Hall of Fans inducted their seventh, eighth and ninth members to a hall that is expected to continue to grow and promote the relationship between the game and its fans.
“Anytime you have an opportunity where the fans get an opportunity to be celebrated, that’s what excites me,” Williams said. “And to have an Arizona Cardinals fan, a former cheerleader, be in the top three representing the Arizona Cardinals, I couldn’t be more pleased.”
