MILWAUKEE — Three iconic sports figures were inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Thursday night. The honorees were broadcast legend Ernie Johnson, NFL Hall of Famer Joe Thomas, and the Green Bay Packers' all-time leading scorer Mason Crosby.
The 75th annual induction ceremony happened at the Baird Center. Each new inductee will be commemorated with a bronze plaque along the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Walkway which is outside of UW-Milwaukee's Panther Arena.
Ernie Johnson is from Wauwatosa. He lived there before moving to the Atlanta, Georgia area when he was eight years old. He was the host of TNT's popular 'Inside the NBA' for 25 seasons, among dozens of other sportscasting responsibilities. He is a six-time Sports Emmy Award winner and cancer survivor. In 2023, he was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame and received the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation Award for Excellence.
Joe Thomas is from Brookfield and played college football at UW-Madison. He was an offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns from 2007 - 2017. He was a 6-time first-team All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler, and a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2023.
Mason Crosby played for the Packers from 2007-2022. He is the team's all-time leading scorer with 1,918 points. He also holds the record for most consecutive postseason field goals with 23. He won Super Bowl XLV with the Green and Gold. Crosby finished his career in 2023, playing one season with the New York Giants before retiring. He finished his career as the NFL's 11th-highest scorer of all time with 1,939 points.
Along with those inductees, four high school athletes were honored, as well as commemorating the legacy of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Famers Junior Bridgeman and Bob Uecker.
Watch the interviews below to hear from Ernie Johnson and Joe Thomas...
