Robert Kraft, the owner of the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, brought a delegation of 19 NFL hall of famers to Israel so that they could get a first hand look at startup nation.
The trip, called “Touchdown In Israel: Mission of Excellence, ” is intended to give some of the greatest NFL players who ever played the opportunity to see the growth of football in Israel as well as experience one of the most historic lands on earth.
“Jerusalem was recently voted by Time Magazine as one of the world’s five emerging tech hubs and that can truly be seen today, ” said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. “I think it’s a combination of really understanding our past and the beauty and the power of Jerusalem and its history. I believe in a very strong connection between our past and our future. More and more high tech entrepreneurs see their future here.”
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Patriots owner Kraft said the visit was transformative for the entire delegation. “I don’t think there’s a better place that you can bring people no matter what their faith might be. They come here and their lives are changed, ” he said.
Curtis Martin told ESPN, “I’ve been baptized previously, but the honor of being baptized in the same place that Jesus was baptized was something I could not pass up and something I’ll never forget in my life. This whole trip to Israel has been one of the best experiences in my life.”
Here is the complete list of the members of the NFL Hall of Fame who made the trip:
Raymond Berry – Class of 1973 – End – 1955-1967 Baltimore Colts
Mel Blount – Class of 1989 – Cornerback – 1970-1983 Pittsburgh Steelers
Tim Brown – Class of 2015 – Wide Receiver/Kick Returner/Punt Returner – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Curley Culp – Class of 2013 – Defensive Tackle – 1968-1974 Kansas City Chiefs, 1974-1980 Houston Oilers, 1980-81 Detroit Lions
Chris Doleman – Class of 2012 – Defensive End/Linebacker – 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers
John Hannah – Class of 1991 – Guard – 1973-1985 New England Patriots
Mike Haynes – Class of 1997 – 1976-1982 New England Patriots, 1983-1989 Los Angeles Raiders
Ken Houston – Class of 1986 – Strong Safety – 1967-1972 Houston Oilers, 1973-1980 Washington Redskins
Paul Krause – Class of 1998 – Safety – 1964-1967 Washington Redskins, 1968-1979 Minnesota Vikings
Floyd Little – Class of 2010 – Running Back – 1967-1975 Denver Broncos
Tom Mack – Class of 1999 – Guard – 1966-1978 Los Angeles Rams
Curtis Martin – Class of 2012 – Running Back – 1995-97 New England Patriots, 1998-2005 New York Jets
Ron Mix – Class of 1979 – Offensive Tackle – 1960-1969 Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers, 1971 Oakland Raiders
Jim Taylor – Class of 1976 – Fullback – 1958-1966 Green Bay Packers, 1967 New Orleans Saints
Thurman Thomas – Class of 2007 – Running Back – 1988-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Miami Dolphins
Andre Tippett – Class of 2008 – Linebacker – 1982-1993 New England Patriots
Roger Wehrli – Class of 2007 – Cornerback – 1969-1982 St. Louis Cardinals
Rayfield Wright – Class of 2006 – Tackle – 1967-1979 Dallas Cowboys
Jack Youngblood – Class of 2001 – Defensive End – 1971-1984 Los Angeles Rams
