Art McNally Cause of Death

Art McNally, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s first on-field official, passed away on January 1, 2023. He was 97.

Art McNally’s son, Tom McNally, said his father died of natural causes at a hospital in Newtown, Pennsylvania, near where he had lived for many years.

Art McNally died less than five months after being inducted into the Hall of Fame, after more than a half-century career as an on-field official, NFL head of officiating, and league adviser who is credited with modernising the practise of game officiating.

“Art McNally was a quiet, honest man of integrity,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement.

“To see Art’s decades of service recognized with his enshrinement as part of the Class of 2022 was a special moment for the Hall. His legacy as a strong leader who helped usher in the advanced training of officials and the technology necessary to keep up with a faster and more complicated game will be preserved forever in Canton.”