McClain confirms he was not retained after 33 years
John McClain announced Tuesday that he is no longer a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee after serving as a selector for 33 years. In a post on X, McClain said he was informed he "didn't make the cut from 50 to 28, including 3 non‑voting members, under the new by‑laws" and called it "a privilege serving on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee and representing Houston, the Oilers and Texans."
McClain, a longtime Houston football writer and fixture in the city’s sports media, said he takes "great pride in presenting" the candidacies of several Houston and area figures during his tenure, including Elvin Bethea, Robert Brazile, Curley Culp, Warren Moon, Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews, along with Andre Johnson and Chuck Howley.
The change leaves Houston without a representative on the selection committee, a development the Houston Chronicle noted in its reporting of McClain's departure.
Committee restructuring and differing descriptions of the cuts
The removal of McClain comes as the Hall overhauled its selection committee earlier this month. McClain said he was informed he was not retained as the Hall reduced the committee from 50 members to 28, with three non‑voting members. That leaves Houston without a representative on the selection committee.
McClain’s post uses the 50‑to‑28 description of the overhaul and is the clearest public statement about his status on the committee.
Response and what McClain’s absence means locally
McClain’s exit drew quick reaction on social platforms from local and national observers. Commentators questioned the decision and praised McClain’s knowledge and long service; Mark Berman called the move "dumb/stupid/ridiculous," while others called it a poor loss for the committee’s institutional memory.
What is indisputable from the reporting is the end of a 33‑year run for McClain and the immediate removal of a Houston voice from the Hall’s selection process. McClain thanked the Hall and his fellow committee members in his post and sent well wishes to those who remain with the "enormous responsibility of selecting the new class every year."
Beyond McClain’s personal statement and the public reactions, the precise long‑term effects of the new voting structure — on candidate evaluation, geographic representation and how local histories are presented — remain to be seen as the reconstituted committee begins its work under the revised bylaws.
