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Six former NFL players among Indiana Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductees

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby:Lawrence Fernandez•03/25/25•

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Blaine Bishop - Indiana Football Hall of Fame
Tennessee Titans safety Bishop looks up to the crowd as he prepares to go through the tunnel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Adelphia Coliseum Nov. 4, 2001. (© George Walker IV / The Tennessean, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

On March 15, the Indiana Football Coaches Association elected the Indiana Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductees. Of the 20 new members of the esteemed group, six are former National Football League players.

Former NFL center and long snapper George Burman is one of those individuals. After playing for Whiting High School and Northwestern, he established a ten-season NFL career with the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams and the then-Washington Redskins.

Meanwhile, Bryan Mattison is another Indiana Football Hall of Fame inductee with NFL playing experience. The center played for Mishawaka Penn High School before protecting quarterbacks with the Baltimore Ravens, St. Louis Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs.

William Whitticker, a Marion High School alum, is a former NFL offensive guard who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Miami Dolphins. Likewise, defensive back Blaine Bishop competed for Cathedral High School before playing in ten NFL seasons.

During his tenure with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise, Bishop earned four Pro Bowls and one Second-Team All-Pro selection. After nine seasons with the Oilers/Titans, this Indiana Football Hall of Fame inductee finished his career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wide receiver Ernie Jones represented Elkhart Memorial High School and stayed in-state, playing for the Indiana Hoosiers. After becoming a First-Team All-American, the Phoenix Cardinals selected him in the seventh round of the 1988 NFL Draft. Jones played six NFL seasons for the Cardinals and the Rams before his stint with NFL Europe’s Amsterdam Admirals.

Finally, Joe Reitz was an all-state high school football player for Hamilton Southeast before attending Western Michigan. While he concentrated on basketball in college, the undrafted offensive tackle played seven seasons for his hometown team, the Indianapolis Colts.

Other Indiana Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductees

While Muncie Central alum Eddie Faulkner did not play in the NFL, he has been the Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back coach since 2019. Faulkner also became the team’s interim offensive coordinator in 2023 after Matt Canada’s firing.

Arbor Investments president Carl Allegretti, who played football for Andrean High School and Butler University, is among the inductees. Former South Bend St. Joseph quarterback Frank Johnson and former state champion David Gater are now part of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.

The remaining inductees are:

  • Michael Pinter (Penn, Grand Valley)
  • Jeff Miller (Norwell, Indiana State)
  • Thomas Hammock (Luers, Northern Illinois)
  • Tim Hreha (DePauw)
  • Burt Austin (Franklin Central, Ball State)
  • Donald Winston (Scecina Memorial, Purdue)
  • Dave Marendt (Howe, St. Joseph)
  • Scott Bonnell (Castle, Indiana)
  • Deon Chester (Castle, Ball State)

The induction ceremony will be on May 4, 2025.