Former offensive lineman Greg Erchull and former tight end Matt Nelson will be part of the Class of 2023 for the American Football Association (AFA) Hall of Fame. They are the 37th and 38th people with ties to the Racine Raiders or Racine Gladiators that have been selected to the AFA Hall of Fame.
They join 14 other individuals that will be inducted into the AFA Hall of Fame during the 41st induction ceremony that will be held on June 23rd at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Erchull and Nelson were both officially chosen in the Player Category.
Erchull played with the Raiders from 1993-2003 and came back in 2006. He started in five national championship games, two of which the Raiders won. He was a starter on the undefeated 1994 team and started at every position on the offensive line during his career.
Erchull was a durable player for the Raiders. During his career, he missed just one game due to injury. He was named an AFA All-American seven times and received all-league honors ten times. Erchull also had the opportunity to play professional indoor football for the Madison Mad Dogs of the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998 and the Indoor Football League in 1999.
Erchull was inducted into the Racine Raiders Hall of Fame in 2019. He continues to serve the team as a member of the advisory board of the board of directors.
Nelson was an All-American tight end for the Raiders from 1990-2001. After retiring as a player, Nelson picked up a clipboard and joined the Raiders coaching staff in 2002. He’d work his way to be offensive coordinator in 2012, helping guide the Raiders to two national championship appearances and one national title. He also served as offensive coordinator last season.
Nelson joined the board of directors in 2009 and was elected president of the team in 2014. The Raiders would win their most recent national championship in his first year as president of the organization. Under his leadership, he has developed a great relationship with the City of Racine and has helped build the financial stability of the organization.
Nelson was inducted into the Racine Raiders Hall of Fame in 2017. He still serves as the president of the organization.
This marks the 12th time at least two people affiliated with the Raiders or Gladiators were enshrined in the same year. It’s the first time since 2019 that individuals affiliated with the Raiders or Gladiators have been chosen for the AFA Hall of Fame. There were no selections from the organization last year and there were no nominations accepted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the addition of the 2023 class, the total number of inductees in the AFA Hall of Fame grows to 831, including 510 players, 114 coaches, 94 executives, 35 officials, 25 pioneers, 23 media/historians, 13 trainer/equipment people, 6 individuals affiliated with youth football, 6 involved with international semi-pro football, 4 from the women’s level, and 1 ‘super fan.’
