Art Rooney Jr. is one step closer to being a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Rooney Jr., who has worked for the Pittsburgh Steelers since 1961 and remains on the board of directors, is one of nine semifinalists in the contributor category for the Class of 2026.

Rooney Jr. survived the cutdown from 21 initial candidates that were considered by a blue-ribbon committee, which will meet again virtually Nov. 11 to select a finalist. That finalist will have his candidacy weighed by the entire Hall of Fame selection committee.

Rooney oversaw the Steelers personnel department from 1965-86 and was instrumental, along with scout Bill Nunn and coach Chuck Noll, in finding players who contributed to the team’s run of four Super Bowl championships in the 1970s. Rooney is in the Steelers’ Hall of Honor.

Other semifinalists are K.S. “Bud” Adams, Roone Arledge, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Clark Shaughnessy, Seymour Siwoff and Buddy Young. Adams, Hay, Kilroy, Kraft, Rooney and Siwoff were semifinalists a year ago.

On Wednesday, the blue-ribbon committee selected former Steelers coach Buddy Parker as a semifinalist in the coaching category.

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