LOCAL
Gloomy start doesn’t damper fun at Pro Football HOF Fashion Show
Amy L. KnappMassillon Independent
Aug. 7, 2026, 6:05 p.m. ET
CANTON ‒ Attendees at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Fashion Show dodged the Aug. 7 raindrops to check out the vendors gathered at the Canton Memorial Civic Center
And the crowd sipped mimosas, shopped for jewelry and enjoyed game day goodies and giveaways before turning their sights on the runway
Sports and entertainment host for the Cleveland Browns Bridge Linton, a Green graduate, hosted the show that featured fashions from Belden Village Mall stores, displaying the latest fashion trends in cities that are destinations from the Akron Canton Airport
Also taking the stage were the wives and children of Hall of Famers as well as Kent State University Fashion students, who were tasked with creating designs inspired by this year’s enshrinees
Tobais Finn Fletcher’s look was fashioned after enshrinee Roger Craig, a running back for the San Francisco 49ers
“I’m not really a football fan, but my dad is a huge Roger Craig fan,” the 26-year-old said. “The first thing I found out was he was an all-purpose back.”
He was the first NFL player in history to rush for 1,000 yards and catch 1,000 yards in the same season
The stillhouse of Fletcher’s design showcased Craig’s size during his days on the field
The shirt featured a photo of Davenport, Iowa, where Craig grew up and Fletcher’s hometown of Wellsville, Ohio
“Davenport looks like my hometown so I put Wellsville over a photo of Davenport,” he explained. “They are very similar – both have steel work.”
Fletcher also paid tribute to 1971 – the year Fletcher was born. The pants were pleated and the shirt featured a bowtie
“I’m excited to be here,” said the senior fashion design student, who currently has a piece in the Cleveland National History Museum. “It’s great exposure.”
Adaeze Emebo, a senior from Cleveland, was excited to see her and her peers designs featured in the fashion show
Her emerald green dress paid homage to Larry Fitzgerald, a wide receiver who spent 17 season with the Arizona Cardinals
“I combine the idea community involvement with youth and his hometown in Minnesota that has lots of parks,” Emebo said. “I wanted to connect nature and nurture.”
