Doug Burgum says Teddy Roosevelt headed to Pro Football Hall of Fame

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Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum reportedly said at a Bank of America reception Thursday that he thinks President Teddy Roosevelt will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year, according to the New York Post.

“Roger Goodell was in the White House in the Oval Office. I had a chance to be with him there, because we, the National Park Service, control the National Mall,” Burgum said, according to the outlet.

“The draft for the NFL is being held on the Mall a year from now, (and) the Capitol will be in the background.

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“Keep it a secret. Keep your fingers crossed, but I think we’re going to see Theodore Roosevelt inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. … It’s going to be announced on the Mall when Roger Goodell is conducting the draft.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the secretary, the White House and the NFL for comment.

U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt seated at his desk in his Washington D.C. office

U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt at his Washington, D.C., office Feb. 10, 1903. (History Archive/Universal Images Group)

Teddy Roosevelt is credited with saving football in 1905–1906 by forcing college leaders to reform the game’s rules after frequent injury-related deaths of players.

The reforms led to the creation of the forward pass and the banning of dangerous formations.

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Fans watching after the game between Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium

Fans after a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. (Scott Galvin/Imagn Images)

The 2027 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is headlined by first-year eligible legends Rob Gronkowski, Adrian Peterson and Ben Roethlisberger. Bill Belichick and Eli Manning are also candidates to get in after missing out on first-ballot entry.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

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