There are plenty of St. Louis connections displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
The bronzed busts of enshrined players, ranging from legendary gridiron Cardinals (Dan Dierdorf & Jackie Smith) to contemporary Rams (Kurt Warner & Orlando Pace), are lined up with precision inside the Hall of Fame Gallery.
Meanwhile, the Rams’ 2000 championship victory at Super Bowl XXXIV is highlighted at the Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery.
Photo Credit: Women’s Football Alliance
The latest city-centric addition to the football shrine showcases a historical benchmark in local women’s sports and rightly serves as a tribute to the sweat equity invested by those that made their moment possible.
The St. Louis SLAM, who claimed the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) Pro national championship in July at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, had items from that contest added to the facility’s esteemed collection.
The game-worn jersey of wide receiver Kerri McMahan, who received Most Valuable Player honors at the league finale, highlights the display while the official game ball recorded in the team’s 30-27 triumph over the Boston Renegades centers the tribute.
A written synopsis and accompanying game photo supplements the exhibit that was revealed by the WFA over the weekend.
McMahan scored two touchdowns – one via reception and one from specialty teams’ play – in St. Louis’ three-point duke over the former five-time WFA Pro champs in a contest that aired live on ESPN2.
The second-year starter immediately acknowledged the honor alongside her embraced “SLAMily.”
Photo Credit: Gerald Affeldt
“(I’m) overwhelmed with gratitude and love,” said McMahan. “Growing up, I thought the only time I would get to play football would be at recess with the boys or throwing around the football in the backyard with my dad. I never thought I’d get the chance to play the sport that was always my first love.
“As an adult, I get to play that sport on national television with a team that I look at as my family. It honestly makes me pretty emotional to think about it. I hope to be a part of the generation that grows the game of football in a way that young girls don’t think their football dreams are out of reach.”
Since the WFA began playing their championship games on the Canton turf in summer 2021, the Hall of Fame has presented a yearly tribute that parades the WFA’s primary titlist augmented by a jersey that acknowledges a standout performance.
For the first three seasons of WFA Pro title games held at Tom Benson Field, the Renegades snared outright possession of the display by netting a trophy trifecta. The dukes resulted in the jerseys of Allison Cahill (‘21), Chante Bonds (’22), and Whitney Zelee (’23), being shown.
Photo Credit: Gerald Affeldt
The Beantown streak is now broken, much in the same manner that the SLAM snapped Boston’s five-straight WFA Pro stranglehold two months ago.
At the conclusion of the post-game ceremony, WFA Commissioner Lisa King told McMahan that the wide receiver’s game-worn jersey would be positioned for future display in Canton.
“I thought she was kidding, so I actually laughed a little,” said the MVP of the exchange. “We talked a bit more after the championship presentations and I just told her how thankful I was for her work in running the league and developing the partnership with the Hall of Fame.
“In that moment, I was more in awe of our team and winning the championship than I was about the jersey. But (over) the next few days. I got to reflect on the jersey hanging in Canton and it makes me so happy that the St. Louis SLAM will be on display for our historic performance.”
And what an awesome achievement recorded against the Renegades (GAME RECAP). Early in the contest, St. Louis trailed the powerhouse 14-0 but scored 20 straight points that flipped the scoreboard.
Photo Credit: Gerald Affeldt
During the surge, McMahan claimed a pair of endzone appearances. Serving as punter on a fourth down situation, she kept center Caitlin Erickson’s long snap on a fake and rushed 52 yards for a touchdown that led to a 14-14 tie early in the second quarter.
McMahan later followed with a 16-yard reception from quarterback Jaime Gaal with under four minutes left in the half.
St. Louis possessed a 20-14 lead at intermission and the second half in the WFA Pro trophy game was just as equally topsy-turvy. Paced by a stubborn SLAM defense, the locals staved late Boston heroics and claimed their fifth national championship.
“When I think back on the championship game, I think about my teammates and the love we share for each other as people,” reflected McMahan. “I am most grateful for them. I have never been in an environment where I felt so accepted and loved.
“Years from now, I’ll forget how we ran the fake punt and what the final score was, but I’ll always remember the relationships I had with the special people who I got to win a championship with.”
Photo Credit: Gerald Affeldt
Founded in 2003, the SLAM has endured numerous highs and lows in their storied career. Within two decades, there was the team’s four prior trophy hoists conversely combined with a pandemic that muzzled WFA play and individual years that the franchise had no squad fielded.
Ultimately, the perseverance by all paid off and it seems fitting that the hard work is rewarded by the Canton exhibit.
“There is no team more deserving to be represented in the HoF than the St. Louis SLAM,” McMahan said. “I really believe we are an organization that does things the right way. We work hard, don’t take shortcuts, make sacrifices, are there for one another on and off the field, and we are winners.
“I have never been on a team that is more ‘together’ than this one. So, when visitors see the exhibit, hopefully they tune into a few of our games and get to witness the quality product of football and teamwork that we put together on the field.”
Photo Credit: Gerald Affeldt
The Women’s Football Alliance has seen its stock rise rapidly over the past several seasons. With athletes that “pay to play” the sport, the league currently sports three divisions, primarily structured on market size, that contains 60 independently owned teams across the United States.
McMahan feels like having the league fully supported by the Pro Football Hall of Fame helps in extending that awareness to both current and future football players and fans.
“We feel seen,” she said of the partnership between league and championship facility. “For so long, I feel like women’s football has operated in the shadows. I tell people that the SLAM has been around for 20 years or so and they are mind blown.
“So, to have the Championship game on ESPN and then turn around and there is an entire display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame to commemorate our win – it’s remarkable. It is what we need to continually grow the game for girls and women. The more visibility the better and I really want to thank the WFA and Hall of Fame for their partnership.”
The SLAM’s Hall of Fame exhibition tenure will stay in place through Summer 2025. And for the locals, they’ll be able to retain their placement if they win back-to-back WFA Pro titles next July.
Photo Credit: Gerald Affeldt
“It doesn’t take much to motivate us,” said McMahan of the upcoming challenge. “We are proud of our accomplishments, but we know it’s a whole new ball game come the new year. We are motivated to prove we are not just an one-time champion.
“I can sense from being around some teammates this offseason that there is still an edge and sort of chip on the shoulder mentality we will take into 2025. Sure, we are the defending champions, but we still feel there is work to be done.”
The SLAM next hosts an open public tryout on Saturday, October 12 at a location to be determined shortly. One can follow their official Facebook page for more information (LINK).
While McMahan’s 2024 game-worn jersey stays sequestered in Canton for the next twelve months, the receiver breaks in a new black and orange “#17” for the SLAM’s upcoming WFA campaign that launches with games next April.
For the MVP, new threads ultimately bring forth the crave for a repeat.
“It’s just added motivation to go win another one,” slyly said McMahan.
By trade, he is a six-time, regional Emmy Award-winning news videographer/editor for KTVI/KPLR-TV. By hobby, he is a writer for Arch City Media, dating back to February 2014. Emphasis is on featuring and promoting local women's sports, but will cover anything that is not reported by traditional media outlets. Also a contributor to local concert reviews. Finally, he prefers Diet Ski over coffee.
